# Docker Model Runner vs llama.cpp (slim)

> llama.cpp scores 60.2 (C) 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.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-llama-cpp.md (~2,400 tokens) · this version ~680 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-llama-cpp.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-llama-cpp
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · Updated: 2026-10-08

llama.cpp scores 60.2 (C) 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: C 57.1, rank #428 of 629 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-model-runner.min.md
- llama.cpp: C 60.2, rank #362 of 629 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/llama-cpp.min.md
- Docker Model Runner, 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 64; Transparency & trust, 73 against 60.
- llama.cpp, good for An owner who wants the engine itself, any GGUF model, the widest hardware support and the most control over flags, behind an OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible API. Ahead on Agent ergonomics, 73 against 58; Security & auth, 52 against 40; Maintenance & community, 81 against 55.

| Category | Docker Model Runner | llama.cpp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability (16%) | 85 | 64 |
| Performance (10%) | pending | pending |
| Schema & documentation (13%) | 49 | 47 |
| Agent ergonomics (13%) | 58 | 73 |
| Security & auth (14%) | 40 | 52 |
| Payments & pricing (10%) | 60 | 60 |
| Task success (10%) | pending | pending |
| Maintenance & community (7%) | 55 | 81 |
| Transparency & trust (7%) | 73 | 60 |

| Fact (where they differ) | Docker Model Runner | llama.cpp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vendor | Docker, Inc. | ggml.ai (Hugging Face) |
| 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 | MIT |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| Last release | 2026-08-12 | 2026-09-23 |
| 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 | 130k stars |
| Agent reviews | none | 2.5/5 (2) |