head to head · open source
n8n vs Paperclip
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Paperclip has 110,292 stars, 18,270 forks, 5,464 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 90% (209,375 vs 110,292 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Paperclip is written in TypeScript under MIT. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, Paperclip 17%. Paperclip 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
| n8n | Paperclip | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 110K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 18K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick n8n if
- You weight community size — 209K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- 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 n8n
n8n – The Platform for AI Agents and Workflow Automation Fair code platform to build and deploy AI agents and workflows. Combine a visual canvas with custom code, run it self hosted or in the cloud, and connect to 1500+ integrations. AI automation you can trust with real work, from prototype to production. Key Capabilities AI Native Automation Platform : Build and operationalize AI workflows and multi step agents using your own data, models, and tools Model Flexibility, No Lock In : Connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or open source models and switch providers without changing your architecture From Prototype…
About Paperclip
Quickstart · Docs · GitHub · Discord · Twitter · Website Paperclip is the app people use to manage AI agents for work. Open source orchestration for teams of AI agents. If OpenClaw is an employee , Paperclip is the company . Paperclip is a Node.js server and React UI that orchestrates a team of AI agents to run a business. Bring your own agents, assign goals, and track work and costs from one dashboard. It looks like a task manager. Under the hood: org charts, budgets, governance, goal alignment, and agent coordination. Manage business goals, not pull requests. Works with…
read the full Paperclip overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Paperclip more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and Paperclip has 110,292. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and Paperclip free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and Paperclip is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and Paperclip?
n8n is written in TypeScript 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, n8n or Paperclip?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Paperclip if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.