head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs Paperclip
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars, 81,995 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped today. Paperclip has 80,953 stars, 14,860 forks, 5,464 open issues and last shipped today. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 382% (390,029 vs 80,953 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Paperclip is written in TypeScript under MIT. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Paperclip 18%. OpenClaw 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
| OpenClaw | Paperclip | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 81K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 15K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenClaw if
- You weight community size — 390K 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 OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open source, self hosted AI assistant in the AI & Machine Learning / AI Interaction & Interfaces category that runs on hardware the user controls and meets them inside the messaging channels they already use, for individuals who want a personal assistant on a laptop and teams that want a shared deployment.
read the full OpenClaw 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 OpenClaw or Paperclip more popular?
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars and Paperclip has 80,953. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and Paperclip free?
Both are open source. OpenClaw has no licence declared in this registry, and Paperclip is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and Paperclip?
OpenClaw 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, OpenClaw or Paperclip?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (390,029 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Paperclip if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.