# AXLR vs Paperclip

> AXLR scores 70.6 (BB) to Paperclip's 59 (C) for multi-agent orchestration. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-paperclip
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-paperclip.md (~4,800 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-01

AXLR scores 70.6 (BB) on agent readiness against Paperclip's 59 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Paperclip leads on transparency & trust. Both do multi-agent orchestration.

- AXLR: grade BB, 70.6/100, rank #168 of 1253. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/axlr.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/axlr.json
- Paperclip: grade C, 59/100, rank #665 of 1253. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json
- Best agent harnesses and coding agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/agent-harnesses/index.md
- All 1000 harnesses comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-harnesses/index.md

## Which one, for what

### AXLR (BB)

Good for: A program or bot that needs one governed execution at a time, with a policy, a budget, a sandbox profile and correlation ids it sets itself and a result object it reads back, on a machine it controls, with the model on OpenRouter, a local server or a native Anthropic or OpenAI key.

Ahead on:
- Agent ergonomics, 83 against 70

Also in its favour:
- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better
- No incidents deducted, where Paperclip loses 10 points for them

Watch for: The setup assistant turns autonomy on and leaves the exec sandbox off, so after setup the model's commands run with the person's rights, bar the destructive list

### Paperclip (C)

Good for: Someone running several coding or operations agents who wants one place for tasks, budgets, approvals and history across harnesses.

Ahead on:
- Transparency & trust, 66 against 55

Watch for: `claude_local` defaults `dangerouslySkipPermissions` to true and `codex_local` defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, with agents running on the host


## Why the edge

### Agent ergonomics: AXLR +13

- AXLR (83): Harness reading of the framework line, scored on what a program driving it has to supply. Six local tools plus the host's bookkeeping tools; work modes and an execution policy hide the tools a run may not use, `axlr_catalog` searches the catalog instead of loading it, forged tools keep the request prefix for the prompt cache, and a context cap of 75,000 prompt tokens opens a successor session (20). `local_read`, `local_search` and `local_list` page with `offset`, `next_offset` and `max_bytes`; `StreamEvents` takes `after`, `max_events` (1 to 256) and `wait_ms`; a budget per execution in seconds, requests, tool calls and dollars; 32 tool calls a turn and `max_session_usd` (20). The `--exec` run ends in one `result` line with a status, the pending call, every call's outcome and the usage, and exits 0, 3 or 1; service errors carry codes an agent can act on; a budget stop says which limit (`budget: requests 20 reached`) and leaves the session resumable (16). `Idempotency-Key` on every turn, approval and direct call with cross-transport replay, `expected_revision` on decisions, `expected_sha256` on worker writes, and an interrupted effectful call left `uncertain` for an operator rather than retried (19). One command runs a task, but the first launch needs an OpenRouter key or a local server, the service needs a CA, a principals file and remote KMP and MADE before a first session, and the only SDK is the Go library (8). 20+20+16+19+8 = 83.
- Paperclip (70): Harness reading of the framework line, scored on what an agent or pipeline driving it has to supply. The MCP server lists 44 tools with no toolsets or read-only subset found, offset by compact reads such as `paperclipInboxLite` and the heartbeat context (12). Budgets by company, agent and project with an automatic pause at 100 per cent, though the README says enforcement uses recorded spend and can lag work in flight (16). `onboard --yes`, CLI commands with `--json`, the REST API and routines started by cron, webhook or API (16). Atomic task checkout with a documented 409, `Idempotency-Key` on routine triggers, saved sessions and bounded recovery (17). One command starts a server with embedded PostgreSQL, but it needs Node.js 24.11 and each harness CLI installed and signed in on the host, and we found no client SDK beyond the TypeScript plugin SDK (9).

### Transparency & trust: Paperclip +11

- AXLR (55): Apache-2.0 with a NOTICE (30). No privacy policy or terms on underpassai.com or axlr.underpassai.com; the docs' 'Where data goes' and 'Diagnostics and privacy' sections say that model requests go to OpenRouter, the local server or the native API, that Jev sends text to TypeSafe only when on, that sessions live under `$XDG_STATE_HOME/axlr`, that payload capture is off by default and redacted when on, and that traces are deleted after 30 days; nothing covers the engine downloads' or the catalog registry's handling of a client's requests (15). No deprecation policy; pre-1.0 changes are dated inline in the docs and the product contract records the 5 October 2026 retirement of the first skill catalogue after the fact (6). No telemetry to disclose, and the docs say in two places what leaves the machine and how to stop payload capture, though no single page says there is no telemetry (17). 30+15+6+17 = 68.
- Paperclip (66): MIT (30). The privacy policy of 23 July 2026 separates self-hosted use from the hosted services and names Paperclip Labs, Inc., but keeps data as long as reasonably necessary, lists no subprocessors, and the 90-day telemetry retention appears only in source. The terms grant a broad licence over content sent to the services and allow model training on opt-in detailed telemetry (16). Release notes carry dated Breaking Changes sections and upgrade guides, with no written deprecation policy or notice period (10). The README discloses telemetry, what it excludes and four opt-outs, and the event contract is public in the repository, but it is on by default (17).

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | AXLR | Paperclip | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 70 | 66 | AXLR +4 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 81 | Paperclip +1 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 83 | 70 | AXLR +13 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 62 | 64 | Paperclip +2 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 79 | 78 | AXLR +1 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 55 | 66 | Paperclip +11 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -10 | |
| **Total** | | **70.6 · BB** | **59 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | AXLR | Paperclip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |
| Vendor | Underpass AI | Paperclip Labs, Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports |  |  |
| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Apache-2.0, with a NOTICE naming Tirso García Ibáñez as the copyright holder | MIT |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-10-25 | 2026-10-05 |
| Terms last updated | no document linked | 2026-07-23 |
| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | 2026-07-23 |
| Customer content may train models | not read yet | yes, with an opt-out |
| Terms restrict automated access | not read yet | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not read yet | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not read yet | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not read yet | yes |
| Popularity | 0 stars | 99k stars, 60k npm/wk |

## How the scores have moved

### AXLR

No score change since it was listed.

### Paperclip

- no change on 27 October 2026: checklist

## Verdicts

**AXLR.** A pre-1.0 Go harness with an unusually complete service contract, mutual TLS with principal roles, required idempotency keys, a policy, budget and sandbox per execution, and a result object a program can read. The console's defaults after setup are autonomy on and no sandbox, the project has one maintainer and no outside users yet, and releases carry no notes.

**Paperclip.** Board approvals, budgets with a hard stop and an activity log sit above whichever harnesses do the work, and eleven stable versions shipped in 90 days. The Claude Code and Codex adapters skip permission prompts and the sandbox by default, and twelve security advisories, five of them critical, have been published since April 2026.

## Before you call either

### AXLR

1. Before the first prompt, set `approvals.autonomous` to false or run with `--approve none`, and turn `exec_sandbox.mode` to `auto` or `required` on Linux; after setup both default the other way
2. Drive a run with `axlr-tui --exec --json --policy <file> --budget <file> --sandbox <file>` and read only the last `result` line; exit 3 means a call waits for `--decide approve|deny` with `--session <id>`
3. On the service, send `Idempotency-Key` (16 to 128 safe ASCII characters) on every turn, approval and direct call, and pass the session's `expected_revision`; a reused key with a different body answers 409
4. A local model must return native tool calls (llama.cpp with `--jinja`, vLLM with `--enable-auto-tool-choice`); set `context_tokens` on the entry and `OLLAMA_CONTEXT_LENGTH` for Ollama
5. Leave `TYPESAFE_API_KEY` unset unless you want the setup assistant to switch Jev on, which sends requests and final answers to TypeSafe

### Paperclip

1. Set `PAPERCLIP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` before the first start. Telemetry is on by default
2. Set `dangerouslySkipPermissions` and `dangerouslyBypassApprovalsAndSandbox` to false on agents that read untrusted input, or run them in a sandbox provider
3. Install with Node.js 24.11 or newer, and install and sign in to each harness CLI on the host first. Paperclip assumes they are there
4. Use `--bind lan` or `--bind tailnet` at onboarding for anything beyond one machine. The default `local_trusted` mode treats every request as the board admin
5. Treat 409 on task checkout as owned by another agent and pick different work. The API docs say not to retry

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, AXLR or Paperclip?

AXLR scores 70.6 (BB) on agent readiness against Paperclip's 59 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Paperclip leads on transparency & trust.

### Are AXLR and Paperclip open source?

Yes. AXLR is open source (Apache-2.0, with a NOTICE naming Tirso García Ibáñez as the copyright holder). Paperclip is open source (MIT).


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-paperclip.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-paperclip.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "axlr", "b": "paperclip"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare axlr paperclip`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/axlr.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json

## Other comparisons with AXLR or Paperclip

- [Agent Zero vs AXLR](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-axlr.md)
- [Aider vs AXLR](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-axlr.md)
- [Amp vs AXLR](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-axlr.md)
- [Antigravity CLI vs AXLR](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-axlr.md)
- [Auggie CLI vs AXLR](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-axlr.md)
- [AXLR vs Claude Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-claude-code.md)
- [AXLR vs Cline](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-cline.md)
- [AXLR vs Crush](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-crush.md)
- [AXLR vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-cursor-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs DeepSeek Harness (dsh)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-deepseek-harness.md)
- [AXLR vs dsh-superagent (DeepSeek)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-deepseek-superagent.md)
- [AXLR vs Devin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-devin.md)
- [AXLR vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-droid-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs Pi](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-earendil-pi.md)
- [AXLR vs Gemini CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-gemini-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs GitHub Copilot CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-github-copilot-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs goose](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-goose.md)
- [AXLR vs Harness²](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-harness2.md)
- [AXLR vs HarnessRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-harnessrouter.md)
- [AXLR vs Jules](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-jules.md)
- [AXLR vs Junie CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-junie.md)
- [AXLR vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-kiro-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs mini-swe-agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-mini-swe-agent.md)
- [AXLR vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [AXLR vs Mistral Vibe CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-mistral-vibe-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs Muse Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-muse-code.md)
- [AXLR vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-openai-codex.md)
- [AXLR vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-opencode.md)
- [AXLR vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-openhands.md)
- [AXLR vs OpenMausBot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-openmausbot.md)
- [AXLR vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-prime-agent.md)
- [AXLR vs Qoder CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-qoder-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-qwen-code.md)
- [AXLR vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [AXLR vs Rovo Dev CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-rovo-dev-cli.md)
- [AXLR vs Unstoppable](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-unstoppable.md)
- [AXLR vs Vibe-Trading](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-vibe-trading.md)
- [AXLR vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-warp.md)
- [Amp vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Antigravity CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Auggie CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-paperclip.md)
- [AXLR vs Clawboo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-clawboo.md)
- [AXLR vs CLI Manager](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-cli-manager.md)
- [AXLR vs Harness](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-harness-autonomous.md)
- [AXLR vs Parallax](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/axlr-vs-parallax-agents.md)
- [Claude Code vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Clawboo vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clawboo-vs-paperclip.md)
- [CLI Manager vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Cline vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Crush vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-paperclip.md)
- [DeepSeek Harness (dsh) vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-paperclip.md)
- [dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-superagent-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Devin vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Droid CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Gemini CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-paperclip.md)
- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-paperclip.md)
- [goose vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Harness vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-paperclip.md)
- [HarnessRouter vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Jules vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Junie CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Kimi Code CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Kiro CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Mistral Vibe CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mistral-vibe-cli-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Muse Code vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/muse-code-vs-paperclip.md)
- [OpenCode vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-paperclip.md)
- [OpenHands vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-paperclip.md)
- [OpenMausBot vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openmausbot-vs-paperclip.md)
- [Paperclip vs Parallax](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-parallax-agents.md)
- [Paperclip vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-prime-agent.md)
- [Paperclip vs Qoder CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qoder-cli.md)
- [Paperclip vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.md)
- [Paperclip vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Paperclip vs Rovo Dev CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-rovo-dev-cli.md)
- [Paperclip vs Unstoppable](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-unstoppable.md)
- [Paperclip vs Vibe-Trading](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-vibe-trading.md)
- [Paperclip vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-warp.md)

---

Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp