# Docker Model Runner vs TextGen

> Docker Model Runner scores 57.1 (C) on agent readiness against TextGen's 45.1 (E), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. TextGen leads on schema & documentation. Both do local inference. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-text-generation-webui
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-text-generation-webui.md (~2,800 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-text-generation-webui.min.md (~680 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-text-generation-webui.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-09

Docker Model Runner scores 57.1 (C) on agent readiness against TextGen's 45.1 (E), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. TextGen leads on schema & documentation. 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
- TextGen: grade E, 45.1/100, rank #775 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/text-generation-webui.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/text-generation-webui.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 51
- Agent ergonomics, 58 against 50
- Maintenance & community, 55 against 24
- Transparency & trust, 73 against 49

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

### TextGen (E)

Good for: A person who wants one app for several backends (llama.cpp, ExLlamaV3, Transformers) with an OpenAI and Anthropic-compatible endpoint, LoRA training and image generation.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 61 against 49

Watch for: No release since v4.9 on 20 May 2026 and no code commit on `main` or `dev` since 31 May 2026


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Docker Model Runner | TextGen | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 85 | 51 | Docker Model Runner +34 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 49 | 61 | TextGen +12 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 58 | 50 | Docker Model Runner +8 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 40 | 40 | even |
| 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 | 24 | Docker Model Runner +31 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 49 | Docker Model Runner +24 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | -3 | -4 | |
| **Total** | | **57.1 · C** | **45.1 · E** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Docker Model Runner | TextGen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | Model platform |
| Vendor | Docker, Inc. | oobabooga |
| 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 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| Last release | 2026-08-12 | 2026-05-20 |
| 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 | 48k 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.

**TextGen.** AGPL-3.0 with no telemetry, and a local API on 127.0.0.1:5000 that checks the Host header, limits CORS to localhost and separates an admin key from the caller's key. No release since v4.9 on 20 May 2026, no code commits since 31 May, no test suite, and ten security advisories in the year, all fixed.

## 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

### TextGen

1. Ask the owner to launch with `--api`. Nothing listens on port 5000 without it, and a model must be loaded first
2. Call `http://127.0.0.1:5000/v1`. Any Host header other than localhost or 127.0.0.1 gets 400 `Invalid host header` unless `--listen` is set
3. Send the key as `Authorization: Bearer` on OpenAI routes and as `x-api-key` on `/v1/messages`. Model loading needs the admin key
4. Read `http://127.0.0.1:5000/docs` or `modules/api/typing.py` for parameters. `max_tokens` defaults to 512 on chat completions
5. Run tool calls yourself. The API returns `finish_reason: "tool_calls"` and executes nothing on the server
6. Use the repository name `oobabooga/textgen`. The old `text-generation-webui` URL redirects

## Questions

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

Docker Model Runner scores 57.1 (C) on agent readiness against TextGen's 45.1 (E), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. TextGen leads on schema & documentation.

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

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

### Are Docker Model Runner and TextGen 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). TextGen is open source (AGPL-3.0).


## For agents

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

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