Obot is an open-source platform with an MCP gateway, an LLM gateway, hosted MCP servers and Git-backed MCP and skills registries. It authenticates users through identity providers, syncs users and groups from Okta over SCIM, and controls server and tool access by user or group. Its device agent, Obot Sentry, inventories local AI clients and MCP servers but is in beta.
Who it suits
Teams that want a self-hosted, open-source control plane with an MCP gateway, catalog and identity-based access.
Strengths
- Open source under MIT, self-hosted on Docker or Kubernetes.
- Virtual MCP servers combine catalog servers behind one endpoint, with access by user or identity-provider group.
- Manages MCP OAuth, user and shared credentials, and Kubernetes secret bindings.
- Correlated audit logs across the platform.
Limits
- Device management (Obot Sentry) is beta; tool-call allowlists on devices are experimental.
- A broad platform: more to run and upgrade than a single proxy.
- OpenTelemetry export is not listed in the README; check the docs.
Scores on each criterion
| Criterion | Score | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Strong | Identity-provider sign-in; Okta SCIM for users and groups. |
| Credential handling | Strong | MCP OAuth, user and shared credentials, Kubernetes secret bindings. |
| Policy depth | Strong | Server and tool access by user or group; request filters and webhooks. |
| Audit | Strong | Correlated audit logs; sensitive content restricted by role. |
| Observability | Partial | Request and usage records; OpenTelemetry not listed in the README. |
| Deployment model | Strong | Self-hosted; hosted MCP servers on Docker or Kubernetes. |
| Shadow usage discovery | Partial | Obot Sentry inventories devices, but it is beta. |
| Total | 12/14 | Ranked #2 of 8 |
Strong Built in and documented (2 points)Partial Present with gaps, or limited scope (1 point)Not documented Not found in the public docs we reviewed (0 points)
What it costs
Free to self-host (MIT). For support or enterprise terms, contact Obot through obot.ai.
Sources
Every score above comes from these public pages. Check them for changes since 11 November 2026.