# Docker Model Runner vs Lemonade

> Lemonade scores 63.8 (B) on agent readiness against Docker Model Runner's 57.1 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Docker Model Runner leads on reliability and transparency & trust. Both do local inference. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-lemonade
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- Updated: 2026-10-09

Lemonade scores 63.8 (B) on agent readiness against Docker Model Runner's 57.1 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Docker Model Runner leads on reliability and transparency & trust. Both do local inference.

- Docker Model Runner: grade C, 57.1/100, rank #559 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-model-runner.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/docker-model-runner.json
- Lemonade: grade B, 63.8/100, rank #336 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/lemonade.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/lemonade.json

## Which one, for what

### Docker Model Runner (C)

Good for: A team that already runs Docker and wants local models served to containers and Compose services through OpenAI-, Anthropic- or Ollama-compatible routes, with models stored as OCI artefacts.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 85 against 75
- Transparency & trust, 73 against 64

Also in its favour:
- No key needed to call it

Watch for: No credential on the API. The docs say any client that can reach it, including other containers, can pull, load and run models

### Lemonade (B)

Good for: An owner with AMD hardware (Ryzen AI NPUs, Radeon or Strix Halo) who wants one local server for chat, speech and images that existing OpenAI, Anthropic or Ollama clients can call, and for MCP clients that want local models as tools.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 70 against 49
- Agent ergonomics, 70 against 58
- Maintenance & community, 76 against 55

Also in its favour:
- No incidents deducted, where Docker Model Runner loses 3 points for them

Watch for: No authentication by default. With no key set, every route answers, including `/internal/*` shutdown and configuration


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Docker Model Runner | Lemonade | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 85 | 75 | Docker Model Runner +10 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 49 | 70 | Lemonade +21 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 58 | 70 | Lemonade +12 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 40 | 36 | Docker Model Runner +4 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 55 | 76 | Lemonade +21 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 64 | Docker Model Runner +9 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | -3 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **57.1 · C** | **63.8 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Docker Model Runner | Lemonade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Docker, Inc. | AMD and the Lemonade community |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | None | API key |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 (server, CLI plugin and `dmr` binary). Docker Desktop, which bundles it, is closed software under Docker's subscription agreement, and each model carries its own licence | Apache 2.0. Each backend (llama.cpp, whisper.cpp, stable-diffusion.cpp, FastFlowLM and others) is downloaded separately under its own licence |
| Tools exposed | none | 6 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| Last release | 2026-08-12 | 2026-10-07 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-08-26 | no document linked |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-26 | no document linked |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text |  |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes |  |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes |  |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text |  |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes |  |
| Popularity | 656 stars | 5.8k stars |

## Verdicts

**Docker Model Runner.** CI passes on the main branch, and Docker has published two security advisories with CVEs and fixed versions for the project. The API takes no credential, so any client or container that reaches it can pull, delete and run models, and the documentation has no OpenAPI file or error reference.

**Lemonade.** Apache 2.0, with weekly releases, installers for Windows, macOS and five Linux routes, and a six-tool MCP endpoint whose descriptions steer a caller away from accidental multi-gigabyte downloads. Authentication is off by default, the repository has no security policy, and the docs tell WebSocket clients to pass the key in the URL.

## Before you call either

### Docker Model Runner

1. Use base URL `http://localhost:12434/engines/v1` for OpenAI clients and `http://localhost:12434` for Anthropic and Ollama clients. Any API key value is accepted
2. In Docker Desktop, run `docker desktop enable model-runner --tcp 12434` first. Host-side TCP is off by default
3. From a container, call `http://model-runner.docker.internal` on Docker Desktop or `http://172.17.0.1:12434` on Docker Engine
4. Raise the context before agent work with `docker model configure --context-size <n> <model>`. The llama.cpp default is 4,096 tokens
5. Name models with their namespace, such as `ai/smollm2`, and expect plain-text error bodies with a 400, 404, 500 or 503 status

### Lemonade

1. Call `lemonade_list_models` (or `GET /v1/models`) before naming a model. A wrong name with `allow_download: true` can start a multi-gigabyte download
2. Send `Authorization: Bearer <key>` when the operator has set `LEMONADE_API_KEY`. `/internal/*` needs the admin key when one is set
3. Use `POST /v1/chat/completions` for streamed tokens, embeddings and speech. The MCP endpoint ignores `stream` and has no embeddings or text-to-speech tool
4. Pass `output_dir` to `lemonade_generate_image` and `lemonade_omni` to get file paths in place of inline base64. Writes stay inside the MCP media sandbox
5. Read `GET /v1/docs` on the running server for the reference that matches its version. Weekly releases change behaviour

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Docker Model Runner or Lemonade?

Lemonade scores 63.8 (B) on agent readiness against Docker Model Runner's 57.1 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Docker Model Runner leads on reliability and transparency & trust.

### Do Docker Model Runner and Lemonade need an API key?

Docker Model Runner needs no key. Lemonade needs an API key.

### Can an agent call Docker Model Runner and Lemonade without installing anything?

No hosted endpoint is listed for Docker Model Runner. No hosted endpoint is listed for Lemonade.

### Are Docker Model Runner and Lemonade open source?

Yes. Docker Model Runner is open source (Apache-2.0 (server, CLI plugin and `dmr` binary). Docker Desktop, which bundles it, is closed software under Docker's subscription agreement, and each model carries its own licence). Lemonade is open source (Apache 2.0. Each backend (llama.cpp, whisper.cpp, stable-diffusion.cpp, FastFlowLM and others) is downloaded separately under its own licence).


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-lemonade.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-lemonade.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "docker-model-runner", "b": "lemonade"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare docker-model-runner lemonade`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/docker-model-runner.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/lemonade.json

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