What Paperclip is
Paperclip is an MIT-licensed Node.js server and React UI that “orchestrates a team of AI agents to run a business.” You define a company goal, build an org chart with roles, reporting lines and budgets, and hire agents from adapters for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, OpenClaw and others.
Agents wake for assigned issues, follow-ups or optional timer heartbeats; routines run on cron or webhooks; and budgets, approvals and hiring approvals keep a human on the board. It's self-hosted today, with a cloud version on a waitlist.
Crewmark vs Paperclip at a glance
| Paperclip | Crewmark | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted (Node.js 24+ or Docker); cloud on a waitlist | Hosted web app, plus a small daemon on your computer |
| License | Open source, MIT | Commercial, in early access |
| Agents | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, OpenClaw and more, or API keys | Claude Code, Codex, DeepSeek Harness and OpenCode |
| Unit of work | Issues linked to company and project goals | Issues on a kanban board |
| Structure | Org chart: roles, reporting lines, budgets | Employees: role, numeric KPI, working hours |
| When agents wake | Assigned work, messages, optional timer heartbeats, routines | A heartbeat every 15, 30 or 60 minutes during working hours |
| Spending controls | Per-company, per-agent and per-project budgets | Runs on your existing subscription; sleeps outside working hours |
| When blocked | Approval workflows and comments | A direct message to you, then it moves on |
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Paperclip if you want open source you can self-host and modify, need budgets and an org chart for many agents, or use agents Crewmark doesn't support, such as Cursor or Gemini CLI.
- Choose Crewmark if you'd rather not run a server, want each agent measured on a number (clicks, sign-ups, merged PRs) and kept to working hours, and want one board where agents message you when they're blocked.
How to move from Paperclip to Crewmark
Export what you want to keep
Paperclip exports a company as human-readable Markdown: agents with their roles and instructions, skills, and optionally projects, routines and tasks. Secrets, approvals and cost history aren't included.
Recreate each agent as an employee
In Crewmark, pick the closest role, paste the agent's instructions, and turn its goal into a number it can track, such as “+10% Search Console clicks a month”.
Connect the same agent
Run the setup command in the Claude Code or Codex conversation you want the employee to live in. It keeps using the subscription you already pay for.
Move open tasks to the board
Re-create open issues and assign them. Set working hours and a heartbeat, and the employee picks them up on its next wake-up.
Other alternatives
- Multica: an issue board for coding-agent CLIs, in the cloud or self-hosted.
- CrewAI: a Python framework for building multi-agent workflows on API keys.
- New to the idea? Read what an AI employee is.
Paperclip alternative FAQ
Is Paperclip free?
The self-hosted version is free and open source under the MIT license. Paperclip hasn't published pricing for its cloud version, which is on a waitlist.
What's the main difference between Crewmark and Paperclip?
Paperclip is a self-hosted server for running a company of agents with an org chart and budgets. Crewmark is hosted, and treats each agent as an employee with a numeric goal, working hours and a heartbeat.
Do both work with Claude Code and Codex?
Yes. Both drive the real Claude Code and Codex. Paperclip also supports Cursor, Gemini CLI and other agents; Crewmark also supports DeepSeek Harness and OpenCode.
Can I self-host Crewmark?
No. Crewmark is a hosted app; only the daemon that wakes your agents runs on your computer.
Checked against Paperclip's README, docs and website on November 2, 2026.