Connections Studio vs Docker MCP Gateway

Compare Connections Studio and Docker MCP Gateway for letting AI use connected services: what each does, pricing, getting started, and how to choose.

By Uncommon Comforts · 2026-11-03

Uncommon Comforts is published by the team behind Connections, whose products are compared here alongside other tools.

Docker MCP Gateway connects clients that speak MCP, including Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, ChatGPT Enterprise and agents your teams build in house. ^[1] Connections Studio lets you paste one link, install nothing, and your AI, such as Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and others, can use your connected services. ^[2] Choose between them based on which of the two features you want to use. Docker Personal is priced at $0. ^[1] Connections Free costs $0. ^[2]

Option	Free option	Paid plans
Docker MCP Gateway	Docker Personal is priced at $0 ^[1]	Docker Pro is listed at $9 per user per month, with a separate $11 figure shown on the same page whose billing period is not identified ^[1]
Connections Studio	Connections Free costs $0, and the free plan connects 5 services and needs no card ^[2] ^[2]	Connections Pro is $39.99 a month, and Connections Business is $99.99 a month ^[2] ^[2]

The short answer

Docker MCP Gateway connects clients that speak MCP, including Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, ChatGPT Enterprise and agents your teams build in house. ^[1] Connections Studio lets you paste one link, install nothing, and your AI, such as Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and others, can use your connected services. ^[2] Which one fits depends on which of the two features you need. Docker Personal is priced at $0. ^[1] Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. ^[2]

What Docker MCP Gateway is built for

Docker's pages describe the MCP Enterprise Gateway as supporting clients that speak MCP, including Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, ChatGPT Enterprise and agents your teams build in house. ^[1] Docker Personal is priced at $0 and is described as for individual developers who need the essential tools to build and deploy containers. ^[1] Docker Pro is listed at $9 per user per month, with a separate $11 figure shown alongside it on the same page and no billing period identified for that figure, for individual professionals who require more advanced features and additional resources. ^[1] Which of Docker's plans the MCP Gateway feature comes with is not stated in the facts here, so check Docker's current pricing before you decide.

What Connections Studio is built for

Connections Studio is made by the team that publishes this site, Uncommon Comforts. You paste one link, install nothing, and your AI, such as Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and others, can use your connected services. ^[2] Your AI can search your connected services and carry out actions in them. ^[2] You connect a service by approving access on the service's own site, or by pasting its key once. ^[2] Your service keys are encrypted on Connections' servers, never in a config file, and your AI sees only the answer. ^[2] The hosted connector never moves a member's money. ^[2] The access log shows each time a connected service was used on your behalf, with the date and who did it. ^[2] Studio is a web console. ^[2] You can download your own Studio data. ^[2]

Pricing and fees

Docker Personal is priced at $0. ^[1] Docker Pro is listed at $9 per user per month, with a separate $11 figure shown alongside it on the same page and no billing period identified for the latter figure. ^[1] Whether the MCP Enterprise Gateway is included in Docker Personal or Docker Pro, or priced separately, is not published here, so check Docker's current pricing before you decide. Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. ^[2] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. ^[2] Connections Business is $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product. ^[2] The table below sets out only what is published for each.

Getting started

For Docker, the price facts name Docker Personal for individual developers and Docker Pro for individual professionals. ^[1] ^[1] The sign-up steps are not described here, so look at the first screens to see what it asks for. For Connections Studio, you paste one link and install nothing. ^[2] In Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini you start by adding one link as a connector. ^[2] Studio is a web console. ^[2] You connect a service by approving access on the service's own site, or by pasting its key once. ^[2] The local package requires Node 22 or newer. ^[2] The local install process uses no API key. ^[2]

Things to check before you choose

Ask which AI programs and clients your team uses and whether each one connects. Docker MCP Gateway supports clients including Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, ChatGPT Enterprise and in-house agents. ^[1] Connections Studio works where a link can be added as a connector, including Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini. ^[2] Ask which of these two features your team actually needs before you choose. Ask where your service keys are stored and who can see the answers. ^[2] Ask whether the Gateway comes with Docker Personal or Pro, since that price is not published here. Ask for the current prices of both before you commit.

How to choose

If you want an MCP gateway that supports clients such as Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and ChatGPT Enterprise, Docker MCP Gateway lists those clients. ^[1] If you want to give your AI one link to reach your everyday services with nothing installed, Connections Studio does that. ^[2] If you want your service keys stored on the provider's servers and never in a config file, Connections Studio does that too. ^[2] If you want more local tools like shell, git, files, SSH and a browser, the Connections Studio local package adds those. ^[2] If you want a $0 place to start, Docker Personal and Connections Free both cost $0. ^[1] ^[2]

Frequently asked questions

Is Docker MCP Gateway free?

Docker Personal is priced at $0 and is described as for individual developers who need the essential tools to build and deploy containers. ^[1] Docker Pro is listed at $9 per user per month, with a separate $11 figure shown alongside it on the same page whose billing period is not identified, for individual professionals. ^[1] Whether the MCP Enterprise Gateway comes with Docker Personal or Docker Pro, or is priced separately, is not stated here, so check Docker's current pricing before you decide.

Is Connections Studio free?

Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. ^[2] The free plan connects 5 services and needs no card. ^[2] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. ^[2] Connections Business is $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product. ^[2]

What clients does Docker MCP Gateway work with?

Docker MCP Enterprise Gateway supports clients that speak MCP, including Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and ChatGPT Enterprise, as well as agents your teams build in house. ^[1] For programs that do not speak MCP, the facts here say nothing, so check whether each tool your team uses is on that list before you choose.

What can Connections Studio connect?

Connections Studio lets you connect a service by approving access on the service's own site, or by pasting its key once. ^[2] Your service keys are encrypted on Connections' servers, never in a config file, and your AI sees only the answer. ^[2] The free plan connects 5 services. ^[2] Paid plans connect any number of services in any number of workspaces. ^[2] A connection's access log records each time a stored credential was handed out. ^[2]

Is Docker MCP Gateway part of Docker Pro?

Docker Pro is listed at $9 per user per month, with a separate $11 figure shown alongside it on the same page and no billing period identified for that figure, for individual professionals who require more advanced features and additional resources. ^[1] Whether the MCP Enterprise Gateway is included in Docker Pro, or priced as its own option, is not stated in the facts here, so check Docker's current product pages before you decide.

On the free plan, going over a limit stops the action and does not charge you. ^[2] The free plan connects 5 services and needs no card. ^[2]

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