head to head · open source
n8n vs Paperclip
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars, 60,753 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped today. Paperclip has 80,953 stars, 14,860 forks, 5,464 open issues and last shipped today. n8n leads on adoption by 153% (205,086 vs 80,953 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Paperclip is written in TypeScript under MIT. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Paperclip 18%. 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 | ★ 205K | ★ 81K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 15K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick n8n if
- You weight community size — 205K 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 is a visual workflow automation platform built in TypeScript that combines a drag and drop editor with custom code execution. It lives in the integration and automation ecosystem, positioned as an open alternative to proprietary services like Zapier. Users design multi step workflows—called “n8n flows”—that connect apps, services, and custom logic to automate repetitive tasks.
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 n8n or Paperclip more popular?
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars and Paperclip has 80,953. 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 (205,086 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Paperclip if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.