Head to head · Multi-agent orchestration · October 2026 research run
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) vs Paperclip
Paperclip scores 59 (C) on agent readiness against dsh-superagent (DeepSeek)'s 42.1 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do multi-agent orchestration.
Best agent harnesses and coding agents · All 955 harnesses comparisons
Which one, for what
Best for Teams on github.com that want a DeepSeek Harness agent to turn allowed people's issue requests into pull requests, run on an isolated machine or OS account.
Also in its favour
- No incidents deducted, where Paperclip loses 10 points for them
Watch for
Executor and main Sessions run with danger-full-access as the operator's OS user, and the docs say a worker can read the operator's home directory
Best for Someone running several coding or operations agents who wants one place for tasks, budgets, approvals and history across harnesses.
Ahead on
- Reliability, 66 against 15
- Schema & documentation, 81 against 61
- Security & auth, 64 against 33
- Payments & pricing, 60 against 40
- Maintenance & community, 78 against 34
- Transparency & trust, 66 against 52
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
Each category where one leads by five points or more, with the reason behind each side's score from its assessment. The numbers are in the table below; this is what they stand for.
Reliability Paperclip +51
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) 15
Local-package reading, since it runs as a DSH bundle on the operator's machine. Not published to npm (private: true in package.json, and the registry has no dsh-superagent). It installs from a git clone with pnpm install && pnpm build on top of @deepseek-ai/dsh@0.2.1-rc.3, with Node 22.19+ or 24+, git 2.32+, Python 3.8+, tmux and gh 2.48+ stated, so half credit (10). A vitest suite of about 25 spec files is listed in docs/007, and pnpm check runs the typecheck, tests and build. Two spec files were read on raw.githubusercontent.com. No CI workflow was found at five common paths under .github/workflows, and the directory couldn't be listed (5). Open issues couldn't be read, because github.com and api.github.com weren't reachable from our network. Unchecked, so scored absent (0). Version 0.1.0 with no tag, release or changelog found, so no semver record (0). A research prototype, not stable (0).
Paperclip 66
Read as local software. Official npm package paperclipai (Node.js 24.11 or newer) and a Docker image on GHCR (20). 2,429 test files and 20 workflows. The Actions page for master on 8 October 2026 showed recent runs passing, with two failed Runner Full-Stack E2E runs (681 and 682) before two that passed (22). 2,849 open issues, 125 labelled bug, 1,599 opened before 8 July, and 78 closed in the last 30 days against 686 opened (6). Calendar versions in semver syntax, with a Breaking Changes section and an upgrade guide in release notes, but breaking changes arrive in ordinary releases and 2026.916.0 carried five (10). No 1.0. The npm latest tag is called the stable channel and follows a beta soak of at least three days, while the roadmap says the product is still moving quickly, so half credit (8).
Maintenance & community Paperclip +44
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) 34
Published on 31 October 2026, within 30 days, read as the last published change since no tag or release was found (30). One publication, so not three releases in 90 days (0). Issues, pull requests and Discussions couldn't be read, and the README frames the code as a reference prototype adapted from an internal version (0). No official SDK or registry entry (0). Exact dependency pins and a lockfile, but no CI workflow found, and the docs pin DSH 0.2.1-rc.3 (23 October 2026) while npm latest is 0.2.1-rc.5 (29 October 2026) (4).
Paperclip 78
Version 2026.1005.0, dated 5 October 2026 in its notes and published on GitHub and npm on 6 October (30). Eleven stable releases since 20 July 2026 (20). 650 pull requests merged in the last 30 days, but 2,849 issues and 3,338 pull requests are open, 1,396 open issues have no comment, and 309 of the 472 still-open issues from the last two weeks have none (8). paperclipai and @paperclipai/mcp-server are both at 2026.1005.0 on npm. We did not check the MCP registry (12). CI on master, a lockfile refresh workflow and signed image attestations (8).
Security & auth Paperclip +31
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) 33
Harness reading of the framework checklist, 30 for what leaves the machine by default, 20 for approvals and sandboxing, 15 for prompt-injection posture, 15 for audit and 20 for the security programme. The superagent profile is created from DSH's Web template, and DSH documents that shipped profiles mount session-log-deepseek, enabled by default, which adds the session log to each official DeepSeek API request, up to 8 MiB. dsh-superagent's docs don't mention it, and its Sessions read issue, pull request and chat text and the repository. Setup and worker shells drop variables named KEY, PASSWORD, SECRET or TOKEN, and GH_TOKEN and GITHUB_TOKEN are removed from git (8). Both presets run danger-full-access without approval as the operator's OS user. docs/006 says the account wrappers don't isolate the process, a worker can run programs by path and read the operator's home directory, and recommends a dedicated OS account. The gate, observe default, blocked commands and no auto-merge as the agent account narrow what it does, not what it can do (6). docs/002 says messages, comments and quoted documents are inputs to a decision and can't change allowed lists, rules or Mandates, bots can never make explicit requests, and prompt edits don't change the gate. Workers with full access still read untrusted Thread text, and no further guidance on that was found (7). Decisions are recorded with reasons, Ticket details show the Trigger, Decision, scope and Policy version, the host records the prompt revisions each Session used, and every GitHub message starts with an automated-agent line by default (12). No SECURITY.md (404 at the root and in .github), no security.txt on www.deepseek.com (404), no bug bounty or advisory found. NVD has no record for the prototype. The CVEs against DSH itself are on the deepseek-harness listing (0).
Paperclip 64
Harness reading of the framework checklist, as used for the other harnesses. 30 for what leaves the machine by default, 20 for approvals and sandboxing, 15 for prompt-injection posture, 15 for audit and 20 for the security programme. Anonymous usage telemetry is on by default and goes to telemetry.paperclip.ing. The README lists what is excluded and four opt-outs, and Sentry and OpenTelemetry stay off until configured. We found no first-run notice in the CLI source (18). Board approvals for hires and strategy, execution policies and per-action connection permissions, but claude_local defaults dangerouslySkipPermissions to true, codex_local defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, local agents run on the host, sandbox providers are optional plugins and the default local_trusted mode has no login (10). A documented low_trust_review preset contains agents that read untrusted pull requests or tickets. It is opt-in (10). An activity log of mutating actions, run logs, cost events and audited board API keys (14). SECURITY.md with GitHub private reporting and twelve advisories published, two with CVEs. No security.txt, bug bounty or SOC 2 report found (12).
Schema & documentation Paperclip +20
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) 61
Framework reading, as for deepseek-harness. No OpenAPI or JSON Schema is published. docs/006 documents the Management API's routes, fields, block shapes and refusals in tables, and the code validates settings with zod (12). Markdown docs in the repository, readable raw, and a SETUP.md written for a coding agent. No llms.txt (5). Nine numbered documents read in order, each stating purpose, limits and what not to do, such as never rerunning the profile-creation command for an upgrade (17). Closed sets for accept mode (off, observe, auto), admission cells, Source states, health states and listen (12). A worked curl example, refusals as 400, 404, 409 and 500 with issues, setup or code, a troubleshooting table and status exit codes 0 to 3 (13). package.json says 0.1.0 and pins an engines.dsh range, but no changelog or tags were found (2).
Paperclip 81
The running server publishes OpenAPI at /api/openapi.json and validates requests with Zod, and the MCP server's tools take Zod schemas. No copy of the spec is published on the docs site, and paperclip.ing/openapi.json describes only the website (22). llms.txt at paperclip.ing, and docs pages answer as Markdown at .md (10). An API reference page per resource and task guides, but the MCP tool descriptions are one line each, such as List agents in a company (13). Typed inputs throughout, apart from the paperclipApiRequest tool, which takes any path under /api and a JSON body (12). cURL, JavaScript and Python examples and a status-code table, with one {error} shape and an occasional details field (12). A changelog page for every stable release and release notes in the repository, but the API path carries no version (12).
Payments & pricing Paperclip +20
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) 40
Self-hosted rule, as for the other open-source harnesses. No payment protocol (0). Free under MIT with nothing to buy (20). No card for the software (20). An agent can't get started alone, because the setup needs a person to create a dedicated GitHub user account, accept the repository invitation and run auth login for the wrappers, which SETUP.md lists as operator steps. 0, as the other harnesses that need an account were read (0). The model provider is a separate purchase.
Paperclip 60
No payment protocol (0). Read with the self-hosted rule. The software is free under MIT with nothing to buy (20). No card and no Paperclip account (20). One npx command installs and starts it with no signup (20). Paperclip Cloud is a waitlist with no published price, so there is no paid option to score.
Transparency & trust Paperclip +14
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) 52
MIT, Copyright (c) 2026 DeepSeek Harness Team (30). The prototype has no data statement of its own. DeepSeek Harness's privacy policy (last updated 20 September 2026) names Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., says session logs are collected with official model services and may be used to train models with a right to opt out, and says custom model services aren't stored server-side. It agrees with DSH's session-log README, but neither is referred to from the prototype (12). No deprecation policy. The README says the published code differs from DeepSeek's internal version, and docs/006 warns that database migrations are one-way (3). Telemetry and the session-log upload are disclosed with opt-outs in DSH's own reference pages, not in this repository (6).
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 this run | dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) | Paperclip | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliability | 16%20 | 15 | 66 | Paperclip +51 |
| Performance | 10%pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13%16.2 | 61 | 81 | Paperclip +20 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13%16.2 | 67 | 70 | Paperclip +3 |
| Security & auth | 14%17.5 | 33 | 64 | Paperclip +31 |
| Payments & pricing | 10%12.5 | 40 | 60 | Paperclip +20 |
| Task success | 10%pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7%8.8 | 34 | 78 | Paperclip +44 |
| Transparency & trust | 7%8.8 | 52 | 66 | Paperclip +14 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -10 | |
| Total | E 42.1/100 | C 59/100 |
Facts side by side
| Fact | dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) | Paperclip |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |
| Vendor | DeepSeek | Paperclip Labs, Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports | ||
| Auth | Token | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-10-31 | 2026-10-05 |
| Terms last updated | no document linked | 2026-07-23 |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-09-20 | 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 | none | 99k stars, 60k npm/wk |
How the scores have moved
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek)
No score change since it was listed.
Verdicts
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek)
The authorization design is careful, with allowed lists, Mandates and a Policy enforced in code, proactive work only recorded by default and auto-merge off. Executors run every command without approval under the operator's OS user, and the README calls it a research prototype with no release, changelog or security policy.
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
dsh-superagent (DeepSeek)
- Run it under a dedicated OS account holding only the agent's credentials. Executors run commands without approval and can read the operator's home directory
- Set
enabled: falseon thesession-log-deepseekrow of thesuperagentprofile before using DeepSeek's official API on private code - Keep the accept mode at
observeand the allowed list short until the recorded Decisions look right - Wait for
scripts/dsh-superagent statusto stop exiting 1 after any save that answersrestarting: truebefore the next request - Send
x-orchestrator-request: 1and a loopback Host to the Management API, and sendrevisionwith each PUT, since a stale one gets 409
Paperclip
- Set
PAPERCLIP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1orDO_NOT_TRACK=1before the first start. Telemetry is on by default - Set
dangerouslySkipPermissionsanddangerouslyBypassApprovalsAndSandboxto false on agents that read untrusted input, or run them in a sandbox provider - 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
- Use
--bind lanor--bind tailnetat onboarding for anything beyond one machine. The defaultlocal_trustedmode treats every request as the board admin - 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, dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) or Paperclip?
Paperclip scores 59 (C) on agent readiness against dsh-superagent (DeepSeek)'s 42.1 (E), and leads in every scored category.
Are dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) and Paperclip open source?
Yes. dsh-superagent (DeepSeek) is open source (MIT). Paperclip is open source (MIT).
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Machine-readable
- This page as Markdown
/compare/deepseek-superagent-vs-paperclip.md· slim.min.md· JSON.json(or sendAccept: text/markdown) - Each listing in full
/api/v1/tools/deepseek-superagent.json·/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json - From a terminal
anchor compare deepseek-superagent paperclip(the CLI) - Over MCP
compare_tools {"a": "deepseek-superagent", "b": "paperclip"}at/mcp, no key