head to head · open source
Hermes Agent vs Paperclip
Hermes Agent has 246,618 GitHub stars, 51,659 forks, 41,784 open issues and last shipped today. Paperclip has 80,953 stars, 14,860 forks, 5,464 open issues and last shipped today. Hermes Agent leads on adoption by 205% (246,618 vs 80,953 stars). Hermes Agent is written in Python under MIT; Paperclip is written in TypeScript under MIT. Hermes Agent has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Paperclip 18%. Hermes Agent was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Hermes Agent | Paperclip | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 247K | ★ 81K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 52K | ⑂ 15K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Hermes Agent if
- You weight community size — 247K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Paperclip if
- You want the Paperclip feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Paperclip fits your workflow better
About Hermes Agent
Hermes Agent is a desktop AI agent developed by Nous Research that maintains persistent memory and self improving capabilities across sessions and platforms. It operates as a local first, cross platform interface for LLMs, integrating with multiple model providers and deployment environments without vendor lock in. The agent implements a closed learning loop where it curates its own memory, creates and refines skills from experience, and supports cross session recall via full text search and summarization.
read the full Hermes Agent overview →
About Paperclip
Paperclip is an open source orchestration platform for managing teams of AI agents in production environments. It lives in the Node.js and React ecosystem and is licensed under MIT. The project addresses the operational chaos that arises when deploying multiple autonomous AI agents—such as OpenClaw, Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor—across an organization. Without coordination, teams face untraceable workflows, runaway costs, misaligned goals, and poor governance. Paperclip solves this by providing a unified dashboard that enforces org structure, budget controls, goal alignment, and auditability across heterogeneous …
read the full Paperclip overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Hermes Agent or Paperclip more popular?
Hermes Agent has 246,618 GitHub stars and Paperclip has 80,953. Hermes Agent has the larger community by that measure.
Are Hermes Agent and Paperclip free?
Both are open source. Hermes Agent is licensed under MIT and Paperclip under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Hermes Agent and Paperclip?
Hermes Agent is written in Python and Paperclip in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Hermes Agent or Paperclip?
Choose Hermes Agent if you want the larger community (246,618 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Paperclip if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.