docker-agent vs computer
Two of the top projects in Agent backends, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
docker-agent
Docker CLI plugin that runs multi-agent teams defined in YAML
computer
Durable Object virtual filesystem with container, shell and JavaScript runtimes for agents
Verdict
docker-agent ranks higher, 59 to 58. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, docker-agent leads on 2, computer on 1 and 2 are even.
- Adoptioncomputer leads by 22 points, 71 to 49: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenancedocker-agent leads by 3 points, 93 to 90: close to even.
- Easy to rundocker-agent leads by 17 points, 17 to 0: a wide gap.
- Agent-readyEven at 30.
Pick docker-agent if you are
Developers building multi-agent setups from YAML with MCP tools
- Agents, tools and models declared in versionable YAML, no code required
- Works with local, remote or Docker-based MCP servers as toolsets
Pick computer if you are
Cloudflare developers building agents that need a persistent workspace
- One exec entry point across container, shell and JavaScript backends, which connect lazily
- SQLite in the Durable Object is the single authoritative store; isolate backends use Workers RPC with no sync
| What we compare | docker-agent | computer |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 49, known | 71, popular |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 93, healthy | 90, healthy |
| Easy to run | 17, hard | 0, hard |
| Agent-ready | 30, minimal | 30, minimal |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 4.5k | 9.6k |
| License | Apache-2.0 (permissive) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Docker | Yes | No |
| GPU | Optional | Not needed |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Mentioned | Not stated |
docker-agent
docker-agent is a Go CLI plugin (`docker agent run agent.yaml`) that runs agents declared in YAML: model, instructions, and toolsets, including any MCP server. Agents can delegate to other agents, and configs can be pushed to and pulled from OCI registries. It supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, AWS Bedrock, Mistral, xAI and Docker Model Runner, plus built-in RAG with BM25, embeddings and reranking.
Who it is for: Developers building multi-agent setups from YAML with MCP tools
Strengths
- Agents, tools and models declared in versionable YAML, no code required
- Works with local, remote or Docker-based MCP servers as toolsets
- Agent configs can be shared through any OCI registry
- Many providers supported, plus local models via Docker Model Runner
Weaknesses
- Collects anonymous usage telemetry; opt-out details are only in the docs
- Needs a cloud provider API key or Docker Model Runner to do anything
- Configuration is YAML-centric; custom logic needs MCP tools rather than code hooks
- RAM and hardware requirements are not documented in the README
- Go, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, AWS Bedrock
- Needs Docker CLI (plugin), LLM provider API key or Docker Model Runner, MCP servers (optional), OCI registry (optional)
- Docker
computer
Cloudflare Computer keeps a workspace filesystem in a Durable Object's SQLite and exposes it through one `workspace.runtime.exec` call. Backends are a FUSE-mounted sandbox container (via the `computerd` daemon), a just-bash shell in a Dynamic Worker, or an ECMAScript module in a Dynamic Worker. The repo includes examples for agents built with pi, TanStack AI and `@cloudflare/think`, plus an MCP example. It is labeled preview only, with unstable APIs.
Who it is for: Cloudflare developers building agents that need a persistent workspace
Strengths
- One exec entry point across container, shell and JavaScript backends, which connect lazily
- SQLite in the Durable Object is the single authoritative store; isolate backends use Workers RPC with no sync
- Container backend gives a full Linux userland through a real FUSE mount
- Many runnable examples: pi, TanStack AI, Think, MCP, egress policies, Artifacts
Weaknesses
- README states preview only, unstable APIs, and not suitable for production
- Tied to Cloudflare Workers, Durable Objects and Dynamic Workers
- Docs under docs/ are a forward-looking spec, not a description of current code
- Unsolicited pull requests are not accepted
- TypeScript
- Needs Cloudflare Workers, Durable Objects, Dynamic Workers, Cloudflare Containers, just-bash
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