Metorial vs Docker MCP Gateway
Docker MCP Gateway (MCP Toolkit, MCP Catalog, MCP Enterprise Gateway) and Metorial both put a governed layer between AI clients and the tools your company uses.
Where Docker MCP Gateway wins: Runs local MCP servers in isolated containers with signed images, SBOMs, secret blocking and network blocking, which a hosted gateway cannot do for stdio servers.
Metorial is the stronger fit if you want Git-synced skills, skills teams write together and one MCP URL for every tool.
Every Docker MCP Gateway fact below links to Docker MCP Gateway's own page. Anything they don't publish is marked "Not published", not "No".
Where Docker MCP Gateway wins
- Runs local MCP servers in isolated containers with signed images, SBOMs, secret blocking and network blocking, which a hosted gateway cannot do for stdio servers.source
- Distribution through Docker Desktop: MCP Toolkit ships in an app most developers already have, with a 300+ server catalog and one-command client connect.source
- Enterprise Gateway offers Cedar policies with default-deny, per-request approval, SIEM-streamed per-user decisions, and an air-gapped appliance available today.source
Key differences
Each cell links to the page it comes from.
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Source license | FSL-1.1-ALv2 engine (Apache 2.0 after two years); Apache-2.0 integration catalogsourceThe engine (metorial-platform) is source-available under FSL and converts to Apache 2.0 two years after each release. The integration catalog (metorial/metorial) is Apache-2.0. | MITsourceEnterprise Gateway / AI Governance features are commercial. |
| Self-host | Yessource | YessourceOSS gateway runs locally or anywhere Docker runs. |
| Integration catalog | 1,000+source | 300+source |
| One URL for all tools | Yessource | PartialsourceOSS gateway defaults to a local stdio endpoint per client; sse/streaming transports expose one endpoint. Enterprise Gateway gives a shared governed endpoint. |
| Per-user OAuth | Yessource | PartialsourceEach developer authorizes on their own machine; shared profiles exclude credentials. Per-user OAuth in Enterprise Gateway not stated (it says credentials stay in your secret store). |
| SSO (SAML or OIDC) | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway (contact sales/invite-only). Docker Business also lists SSO for Docker accounts. |
| SCIM provisioning | Yessource | PartialsourceDocker Business account provisioning; MCP-specific SCIM not documented. |
| Role or group-based tool access | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway only; OSS uses profiles, not identity-based roles. |
| Audit log per person | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway only; OSS logs calls locally without user identity. |
| Create and edit skills | Yessource | Not publishedDocker publishes its own open-source Docker Skills (SKILL.md guidance); no customer skills authoring via MCP Gateway documented. |
| Git sync for skills | Yessource | Not published |
| Own chat app required | Nosource | Nosource |
| Prompt-injection detection | Yessource | Not publishedCustom interceptors could be used; no built-in detector documented. |
| EU data region | Yessource | Not publishedDocker-managed multi-tenant cloud is 'coming soon'; customer-VPC deploy covers residency. |
| SOC 2 Type II | Yessource | PartialsourceCompany has SOC 2 Type 2; MCP Gateway/AI Governance not listed in scope (Desktop is). |
| LLM gateway or model routing | No | Not published |
| Starting price | $0 (Dev); Scale from $250/monthsource | $0 (open source); Enterprise Gateway contact salessource |
Which AI clients each works in
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Claude (web and desktop) | Yessource | YessourceClaude Desktop example documented. |
| Claude Code | Yessource | Yessource |
| ChatGPT | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway only (ChatGPT Enterprise); local Toolkit is not reachable from ChatGPT. |
| Cursor | Yessource | Yessource |
| Codex | Yessource | Yessource |
| GitHub Copilot | Yessource | PartialsourceVS Code documented; Copilot not named explicitly. |
| Custom agents (SDK or API) | Yessource | Yessource |
Full checklist
Every row we track, with what it means. "Not published" means the vendor's own pages don't say.
Connect
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Integration catalogHow many ready-made integrations or MCP servers the vendor publishes. | 1,000+source | 300+source |
| Verified or official serversThe catalog includes servers the vendor tests or maintains, not only community listings. | Yessource | YessourceDocker-built images under mcp/ with signed SBOMs; FAQ calls security measures best-effort. |
| Bring your own MCP serverYou can add an MCP server you built or host yourself. | Yessource | Yessource |
| Remote (HTTP) MCP serversConnects to MCP servers hosted elsewhere over HTTP. | Yessource | Yessource |
| Local, stdio or Docker serversRuns MCP servers that ship as local processes or containers. | Yessource | Yessource |
| One URL for all toolsA user adds one endpoint to their AI client and reaches every approved tool through it. | Yessource | PartialsourceOSS gateway defaults to a local stdio endpoint per client; sse/streaming transports expose one endpoint. Enterprise Gateway gives a shared governed endpoint. |
| Version pinningYou can lock an integration to a known version. | Yessource | PartialsourceServers are versioned OCI images; explicit pinning workflow not documented. |
| Schema change monitoringChanges to tool definitions are detected and flagged. | Yessource | Not published |
AI clients
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Claude (web and desktop)Documented to work in the Claude apps. | Yessource | YessourceClaude Desktop example documented. |
| Claude CodeDocumented to work in Claude Code. | Yessource | Yessource |
| ChatGPTDocumented to work in ChatGPT. | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway only (ChatGPT Enterprise); local Toolkit is not reachable from ChatGPT. |
| CursorDocumented to work in Cursor. | Yessource | Yessource |
| CodexDocumented to work in Codex. | Yessource | Yessource |
| GitHub CopilotDocumented to work in GitHub Copilot. | Yessource | PartialsourceVS Code documented; Copilot not named explicitly. |
| Custom agents (SDK or API)Your own agents can use the tools through an SDK or API. | Yessource | Yessource |
| Own chat app requiredYes means people must work inside the vendor’s own app rather than the AI client they already use. | Nosource | Nosource |
Identity and access
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Per-user OAuthTool calls run with each person’s own account, not a shared key. | Yessource | PartialsourceEach developer authorizes on their own machine; shared profiles exclude credentials. Per-user OAuth in Enterprise Gateway not stated (it says credentials stay in your secret store). |
| Managed OAuth appsThe vendor provides OAuth apps so you don’t register your own. | Yessource | PartialsourceToolkit runs OAuth for catalog remote servers (GitHub, Notion, Linear) via browser; whether Docker-owned OAuth apps are used not stated. |
| Bring your own OAuth appYou can use OAuth apps registered under your own company. | Yessource | Not published |
| SSO (SAML or OIDC)People sign in through your identity provider. | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway (contact sales/invite-only). Docker Business also lists SSO for Docker accounts. |
| SCIM provisioningUsers and groups sync automatically from your identity provider. | Yessource | PartialsourceDocker Business account provisioning; MCP-specific SCIM not documented. |
| Role or group-based tool accessAccess to tools follows roles or groups. | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway only; OSS uses profiles, not identity-based roles. |
| Tool-level allow and denyIndividual tools can be allowed or blocked, not only whole servers. | Yessource | YessourceEnterprise: allow/deny by server, tool, transport and call. |
| Read-only modesAn integration can be limited to read-only tools. | Yessource | PartialsourceExpressible as Cedar policy in AI Governance; not a toggle in OSS. |
Visibility and security
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Audit log per personEvery call is recorded and tied to the person or agent who made it. | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway only; OSS logs calls locally without user identity. |
| Call tracingTool arguments and results are recorded for debugging and review. | Yessource | Yessource |
| Log export or SIEMLogs can be exported or streamed to your security tools. | Yessource | PartialsourceEnterprise Gateway only. |
| Data redaction or DLPSensitive data in tool traffic can be detected, masked or blocked. | Yessource | PartialsourceSecret-pattern blocking only (--block-secrets), not general PII redaction. |
| Prompt-injection detectionTool traffic is inspected for prompt-injection attacks. | Yessource | Not publishedCustom interceptors could be used; no built-in detector documented. |
| Tool-poisoning protectionMalicious or changed tool descriptions are detected. | YesThrough Protoguard. | PartialsourceSupply-chain provenance check, not tool-description scanning. |
Skills
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Create and edit skillsTeams can write and edit shared skills in the product. | Yessource | Not publishedDocker publishes its own open-source Docker Skills (SKILL.md guidance); no customer skills authoring via MCP Gateway documented. |
| Git sync for skillsSkills sync to or from a Git repository. | Yessource | Not published |
| Skills delivered by roleSkills reach people based on their role or group. | Yessource | Not published |
| Skills over MCPSkills are served to AI clients through MCP. | Not published | Not published |
Deployment
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Source licenseThe license the product’s code is published under, if any. | FSL-1.1-ALv2 engine (Apache 2.0 after two years); Apache-2.0 integration catalogsourceThe engine (metorial-platform) is source-available under FSL and converts to Apache 2.0 two years after each release. The integration catalog (metorial/metorial) is Apache-2.0. | MITsourceEnterprise Gateway / AI Governance features are commercial. |
| Self-hostYou can run it on your own infrastructure. | Yessource | YessourceOSS gateway runs locally or anywhere Docker runs. |
| VPC or on-premCan be deployed in your own cloud account or data center. | Yessource | Yessource |
| Air-gappedCan run with no internet connection. | Yes | Yessource |
| EU data regionData can be hosted in the EU. | Yessource | Not publishedDocker-managed multi-tenant cloud is 'coming soon'; customer-VPC deploy covers residency. |
Compliance
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type IIHolds a SOC 2 Type II report. | Yessource | PartialsourceCompany has SOC 2 Type 2; MCP Gateway/AI Governance not listed in scope (Desktop is). |
| ISO 27001Holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification. | Not published | YessourceCompany-level; product scope not stated. |
| HIPAASupports HIPAA workloads, usually with a BAA. | YesSigns BAAs. | Not published |
| GDPR and DPAStates GDPR compliance and offers a data processing agreement. | YessourceA data processing agreement is published at /legal/data-processing-agreement. | PartialsourceDPA not mentioned. |
Pricing
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Public pricingPrices are published on the vendor’s site. | Yessource | PartialsourceOSS gateway free; Docker subscription prices public but list no MCP features; Enterprise Gateway is Talk to sales. |
| Free tierA free plan or free edition exists. | Yessource | Yessource |
| Starting priceThe lowest published paid price, as listed. | $0 (Dev); Scale from $250/monthsource | $0 (open source); Enterprise Gateway contact salessource |
| Pricing modelHow the vendor charges: per seat, usage, platform fee, or a mix. | Flat monthly plans with paid add-ons (extra seats, tool calls)source | Free OSS + Docker Desktop subscriptions (per user/month) + sales-led Enterprise Gateway / AI Governancesource |
Model layer
| Feature | Metorial | Docker MCP Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| LLM gateway or model routingRoutes model traffic, not only tool traffic. | No | Not published |
| Cost tracking per personShows AI spend per person or team. | No | Not published |
Which should you pick?
| Situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rolling AI out to every employee in the clients they already use | Either | Both connect to existing AI clients. Compare the client list below. |
| You must self-host | Either | Both document a self-hosted option. |
| You need an LLM gateway or model routing today | A dedicated model router | Metorial doesn't ship an LLM gateway, and Docker MCP Gateway's pages don't state one. |
| Teams should share skills, not only tools | Metorial | Metorial lets teams write skills together and deliver them by role. |
| You are building integrations into your own product | Either | Both offer an SDK or API for your own agents. |
Pricing
Published prices only. Nothing is estimated.
Metorial
Docker MCP Gateway
- MCP Gateway (open source): $0 MIT license, self-runsource
- Docker Personal: $0 /mosource
- Docker Pro: $11 monthly / $9 annual per user/monthsource
- Docker Team: $16 monthly / $15 annual per user/monthsource
- Docker Business: $24 per user/monthsource
- MCP Enterprise Gateway / AI Governance: Contact sales not publishedsource
What each Metorial plan includes
From the Metorial pricing page.
| Included | Metorial Dev | Metorial Scale | Metorial for Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tool calls per month | 500,000 | 2,500,000 | Custom |
| Callbacks | 10,000 | 100,000 | Custom |
| Workforce seats | 2 | 20 | Custom |
| Provider integrations | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Log retention | 30 days | 90 days | Custom |
| Production access | Not included | Included | Included |
On every plan
- Slack and email support
- Auth Connections: Unlimited
- Sessions: Unlimited
- Concurrent Connections: Unlimited
- Developer API Access
- Custom Integrations
- Remote MCP Servers
- Managed MCP Servers
Moving from Docker MCP Gateway to Metorial
- Remote MCP servers you use through Docker MCP Gateway can be added to Metorial as they are.
- OAuth apps registered under your company can be reused, so people sign in the way they do today.
- Sign-in moves to your identity provider through SAML; groups decide who gets which tools.
- Skills, policies and audit history in Docker MCP Gateway don't transfer automatically. Talk to us about moving them.
Book a demo to plan the move with us.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Metorial and Docker MCP Gateway.
Is Docker MCP Gateway open source?
Docker MCP Gateway lists: MIT.Can I self-host Docker MCP Gateway?
Yes, Docker MCP Gateway documents a self-hosted option.Does Docker MCP Gateway work with ChatGPT?
Yes, Docker MCP Gateway documents ChatGPT support. (with limits)Is Metorial cheaper than Docker MCP Gateway?
Metorial's Dev plan is free and Scale starts at $250 a month. Docker MCP Gateway doesn't publish prices, so a direct comparison needs a quote.Is Metorial SOC 2 compliant?
Yes. Metorial is SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR compliant, with EU and US regions.Is Metorial open source?
Metorial's engine is published under FSL-1.1-ALv2 engine (Apache 2.0 after two years); Apache-2.0 integration catalog. You can self-host it or use the hosted platform.
More comparisons
Checked October 17, 2026. 38 Docker MCP Gateway facts are sourced, each linked in its row. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it. All product names are trademarks of their owners.