ToolHive

Run and govern MCP servers across desktop, CLI and Kubernetes

Open-source MCP runtime and governance platform that runs servers in isolated containers, curates registries, enforces access policies, and operates gateways across desktop, CLI, and Kubernetes.

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About ToolHive

ToolHive is an open-source platform for running and governing Model Context Protocol servers and agent skills. Its runtime launches MCP servers in isolated containers and supports fine-grained permissions, network filtering, secrets management, proxying for remote servers, and OpenTelemetry or Prometheus observability. Developers can use a cross-platform desktop app or CLI for local workflows, while platform teams can deploy the Kubernetes Operator for shared, multi-user environments. The broader architecture combines a runtime, a Registry Server for curated catalogs, a Virtual MCP gateway for centralized authentication and tool routing, and desktop or web portals for discovery and installation. ToolHive is the Apache-2.0 open-source core; Stacklok Enterprise is a separate hardened distribution with centralized management, turnkey identity integrations, hardened images, and support. ToolHive is best for teams that need a self-hosted MCP operations and governance layer across local and Kubernetes environments. It is not primarily a vulnerability scanner or a tool for authoring individual MCP servers, and teams that only need to inspect one server may prefer a narrower inspector.

Pricing & Platform Specs

Pricing Summary

Core ToolHive software is free and open-source under the Apache-2.0 license. Stacklok offers an Enterprise edition with custom pricing for hardened container distributions, enterprise identity integration, centralized policy enforcement, and dedicated SLA support.

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Supported Platforms

Desktop app and CLI for macOS, Windows and Linux, plus a Kubernetes Operator for shared environments; local servers use compatible container runtimes, with registry, gateway, runtime and portal components.

Explore categories, tags & use cases

Use Cases

Self-Hosted Deployment DevOps Automation Security Auditing

Alternatives

All ToolHive alternatives →

Docker MCP Gateway

Open-source Docker gateway for containerized MCP server orchestration

Docker MCP Gateway is Docker's open-source orchestration layer for Model Context Protocol servers. It gives MCP clients one gateway, launches catalog servers in isolated containers on demand, injects credentials, applies runtime restrictions, and routes tool requests. Catalogs and profiles let teams reuse approved server collections across clients, while Docker Desktop can run the gateway automatically with MCP Toolkit enabled.

freemiumOpen SourceTelemetry

mcp-proxy

Protocol bridge converting MCP stdio transport to HTTP/SSE endpoints

mcp-proxy is a protocol bridge that converts MCP servers using stdio transport into HTTP and Server-Sent Events endpoints accessible over the network. This enables remote MCP server hosting, load balancing, and sharing servers across multiple AI clients. Supports both directions: wrapping stdio servers with HTTP and connecting to remote SSE servers through local stdio. Over 2,400 GitHub stars.

Open Source

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Cilium

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MCP Inspector

Official debugger for MCP server development

MCP Inspector is the official interactive developer tool from the Model Context Protocol team for testing, debugging, and validating MCP servers. It provides a visual interface to inspect available tools, test transport configurations, export configs for different clients, and verify protocol compliance during MCP server development.

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MCP-Scan

Security scanner for MCP servers against tool poisoning attacks

MCP-Scan is a security tool that scans MCP servers for vulnerabilities including tool poisoning, prompt injection, cross-origin escalation, and rug pull attacks. Acquired by Snyk in 2026, it is the first dedicated security scanner for the MCP ecosystem. It analyzes tool descriptions, permissions, and behavior patterns to detect malicious or compromised MCP servers before they can exploit AI agents.

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Pangolin

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GitHub MCP Server

Official MCP server for GitHub repo operations

GitHub MCP Server is the official Model Context Protocol server from GitHub that connects AI assistants to repositories, issues, pull requests, workflows, and code search. It exposes 100+ operations with toolset filtering, permission scoping, and audit logging, available in both remote-hosted and self-hosted Docker deployment modes.

Open Source

Community experience

Sources & verification

Sources checked: August 26, 2026
Content verified: August 26, 2026

Verification dates are editorial checks. Routine CMS saves and automatic updatedAt timestamps do not advance them.

FAQ

What is ToolHive?

Open-source MCP runtime and governance platform that runs servers in isolated containers, curates registries, enforces access policies, and operates gateways across desktop, CLI, and Kubernetes.

Is ToolHive free?

Yes — ToolHive is open source and free to use. Core ToolHive software is free and open-source under the Apache-2.0 license. Stacklok offers an Enterprise edition with custom pricing for hardened container distributions, enterprise identity integration, centralized policy enforcement, and dedicated SLA support.

Is ToolHive open source?

Yes — ToolHive is open source.

Is ToolHive still maintained?

Yes — ToolHive is active. Its listing was last verified on August 26, 2026.

What are the best ToolHive alternatives?

The first editor-selected ToolHive alternatives are Docker MCP Gateway, mcp-proxy.

ToolHive

About ToolHive

Pricing & Platform Specs

Pricing Summary

Supported Platforms

Categories

Tags

Use Cases

Alternatives

Docker MCP Gateway