{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "droid-cli", "name": "Droid CLI", "vendor": "Factory", "vendorUrl": "https://factory.com", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Droid CLI is Factory's closed-source coding agent for the terminal. It runs interactively or headless through `droid exec`, connects MCP servers, runs multi-agent Missions, and can be driven by TypeScript and Python SDKs. A paid Factory plan is required.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/droid-cli.json", "repo": "https://github.com/Factory-AI/factory", "license": "Proprietary, under Factory's Terms and Conditions. The `droid` npm package is marked `UNLICENSED` and the public repository holds documentation only. The Python SDK is Apache-2.0", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "droid" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@factory/droid-sdk" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "droid-sdk" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "A Factory account is required. The interactive CLI signs in through a browser with OAuth, and the docs say stored tokens rotate every 30 days. Headless runs set `FACTORY_API_KEY` to a key starting `fk-` created on the API keys page in Factory settings. Organisations can use service accounts whose keys can be rotated and revoked through an API.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "Pro is $20 a month, Plus $100 and Max $200, each with the CLI, the Factory App and the SDK. Teams is $60 a month per team plus $40 a seat, and Business and Enterprise are by quote. Usage is capped by rolling 5-hour, 7-day and 30-day rate limits stated without numbers. Extra usage is prepaid credit from $10. No free tier or trial was found (checked 2026-10-09).", "priceSummary": "$20 / mo", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs index, the pricing pages or the terms (checked 2026-10-09).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 49, "npmWeekly": 7766, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-09" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.factory.com/droid-cli/overview", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.factory.com/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.harness", "agent.mcp-client", "agent.multi-agent" ], "tags": [ "harness", "coding-agent", "cli", "closed-source", "mcp", "acp", "llms-txt", "sdk", "sandbox", "telemetry-default-on" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-08", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 59.1, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 560, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 950, "categoryRank": 13, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 72, "maintenance": 79, "payments": 10, "reliability": 49, "schema": 79, "security": 63, "transparency": 64 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-09" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "`droid exec` is read-only unless `--auto` raises the autonomy level, with command rules, an optional kernel-enforced sandbox, JSON output and documented exit codes. No free tier, status page or security.txt was found, the source is closed, and usage metrics go to Factory by default.", "bestFor": "Teams that want a terminal coding agent with tiered autonomy, command rules and an optional sandbox, and that will pay for a Factory plan.", "strengths": [ "`droid exec` is read-only by default. `--auto low`, `medium` or `high` opens edits and commands by risk tier, and a run that exceeds its level exits non-zero", "Optional OS sandbox using Seatbelt on macOS and bubblewrap with seccomp on Linux, with writes limited to the working directory and network limited to allowed domains", "Text, JSON and JSON-RPC output, exit codes 0, 1 and 2, session resume and fork, and tool lists that can be restricted per run", "llms.txt with a Markdown copy of every docs page, and a dated changelog with 62 entries between 11 July and 8 October 2026", "The install script verifies a SHA-256 checksum, and the `droid` npm package is published from GitHub Actions through a trusted publisher" ], "weaknesses": [ "No free tier or trial was found. Plans start at $20 a month and included usage is stated only as rolling rate limits without numbers", "The sandbox is off until `sandbox.enabled` is set, and `--skip-permissions-unsafe` skips every permission prompt", "Usage metrics go to Factory's collector by default. The pages read give no opt-out outside an airgapped deployment", "Closed source on a 0.x version line with near-daily releases. The public tracker had 33 open issues on 9 October 2026, most with no reply", "No status page and no security.txt were found. The trust centre is drawn by script and was not read", "The individual terms forbid using the service for benchmarking or competitive analysis, which matters before any probe is run" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `FACTORY_API_KEY` (starts `fk-`) from the API keys page in Factory settings for headless runs. Interactive use signs in through a browser", "Start with `droid exec` and no flags for analysis. Add `--auto low` for edits and `--auto medium` for installs, tests and local commits", "Use `--output-format json` and read `is_error`, `num_turns` and `session_id`. Treat a non-zero exit code as failure", "Set `sandbox.enabled` to true before running on untrusted code. In `droid exec` a sandbox violation is denied without a prompt", "Pin the version in CI with `npm install -g droid@\u003cversion\u003e`, or set `FACTORY_DROID_AUTO_UPDATE_ENABLED=false` on standalone installs, which update themselves" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 59.1 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 72, "maintenance": 79, "payments": 10, "reliability": 49, "schema": 79, "security": 63, "transparency": 55 }, "provenanceScore": 72 }, "connect": { "install": "curl -fsSL https://app.factory.ai/cli | sh # or: npm install -g droid", "headless": { "command": "droid exec --auto low --output-format json \"$TASK\"", "env": { "FACTORY_API_KEY": "fk-..." } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness", "tool": "https://letme.dev/droid-cli" }, "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Pro plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 20, "note": "rolling rate limits, numbers not published" }, { "item": "Plus plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 100, "note": "about 5 times Pro usage" }, { "item": "Max plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 200, "note": "about 10 times Pro usage" }, { "item": "Teams seat", "unit": "seat-month", "usd": 40, "note": "plus $60 a month per team, up to 10 seats" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "The San Francisco AI Factory, Inc.", "domain": "factory.com", "domainRegistered": "1999-03-09", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://factory.com/legal/terms-individual", "privacy": "https://factory.com/privacy-policy", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://docs.factory.com/changelog/release-notes", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-09", "notes": [ "The Terms and Conditions for Individual Plans (last updated 14 July 2026) name The San Francisco AI Factory, Inc., a Delaware corporation in San Francisco. The privacy policy (last updated 20 August 2026) names the same company.", "RDAP (Verisign) gives factory.com a registration date of 1999-03-09, long before the company.", "The CLI installs from app.factory.ai and downloads.factory.ai and signs in to app.factory.ai, a second domain of the vendor's.", "factory.com/.well-known/security.txt answered 404 on 9 October 2026.", "No status page is linked from the home page, the docs support page or the other pages read. factory.com/sla states a 99 per cent availability target.", "The terms linked are those for individual plans. Organisation plans are sold under separate orders, which we did not read." ], "score": 72 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli.json", "live": { "slug": "droid-cli", "versions": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@factory/droid-sdk", "version": "0.9.1", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T16:50:37.734856262Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "droid", "version": "0.237.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T16:50:36.904664611Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "droid-sdk", "version": "0.5.0", "released": "2026-09-24", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T16:50:39.131992485Z" } ], "githubStars": 49, "npmWeekly": 7766, "pypiWeekly": 8371, "pages": [ { "url": "https://docs.factory.com/changelog/release-notes", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:37:19.435901865Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "79ac0e23f836" }, { "url": "https://factory.com/privacy-policy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:39:19.155213369Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "5ef46e9f3c4f" }, { "url": "https://factory.com/legal/terms-individual", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:39:16.902019177Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "ebfbb9d9f0ab" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T18:39:19.155213369Z" } }, "answer": "Droid CLI and Paperclip score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 59.1 (C) and 59 (C). Paperclip leads on reliability and payments \u0026 pricing.", "b": { "slug": "paperclip", "name": "Paperclip", "vendor": "Paperclip Labs, Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://paperclip.ing", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Paperclip is an open-source, self-hosted server and web interface that organises AI agents into a company with an org chart, tasks, budgets and approvals. It drives Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw and other harnesses through adapters.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json", "repo": "https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "paperclipai" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@paperclipai/mcp-server" }, { "registry": "oci", "name": "ghcr.io/paperclipai/paperclip" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "No Paperclip account. The default `local_trusted` mode needs no login on loopback. Authenticated mode uses browser sessions for people, board API keys for scripts, and agent API keys or short-lived run JWTs as bearer tokens.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free and MIT, self-hosted, with nothing to buy. The owner pays each harness's model provider or subscription. Paperclip Cloud is a waitlist with no published price.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, the site or the server source (checked 2026-10-08). The only mention in the repository is a link to a third-party skill in a planning note.", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 98666, "npmWeekly": 59684, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.paperclip.ing", "llmsTxt": "https://paperclip.ing/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.multi-agent", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "local", "free", "no-card", "llms-txt", "docker", "mcp", "typescript" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-05", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 59, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 566, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 950, "categoryRank": 14, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 70, "maintenance": 78, "payments": 60, "reliability": 66, "schema": 81, "security": 64, "transparency": 65 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": -10, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-04-10 to 2026-04-16. Ten advisories published in a week, four of them critical, among them GHSA-68qg-g8mg-6pr7 (CVE-2026-41679, 10.0, unauthenticated remote code execution through an import authorisation bypass) and two cross-tenant agent key flaws rated 9.9. All ten list 2026.416.0 as the fix. Fixed and published, a little under six months old, -5. https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/security/advisories", "2026-07-22. GHSA-x8hx-rhr2-9rf7 (9.6), drive-by remote code execution against the default `local_trusted` mode through DNS rebinding. The advisory names no patched version. The current source applies the hostname guard to `local_trusted` private deployments, so we read it as fixed without a documented version, -3. https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/security/advisories/GHSA-x8hx-rhr2-9rf7", "2026-04-16. GHSA-gqqj-85qm-8qhf (8.7), a `codex_local` agent inherited a Gmail connector from the owner's ChatGPT account and sent real email. The advisory names no patched version, and `codex_local` still defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, -2. https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/security/advisories/GHSA-gqqj-85qm-8qhf" ], "verdict": "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.", "bestFor": "Someone running several coding or operations agents who wants one place for tasks, budgets, approvals and history across harnesses.", "strengths": [ "One deployment runs agents on Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Pi, Hermes, Grok Build, Kimi Code and OpenClaw through adapters, under one org chart", "Board approvals gate agent hires and the CEO agent's strategy, and connection actions can be set to Allowed, Ask first or Off", "Budgets by company, agent and project pause an agent at 100 per cent of recorded spend", "The running server publishes its REST surface as OpenAPI at `/api/openapi.json`, and the docs site answers every page as Markdown at `.md`", "Eleven stable releases between 20 July and 5 October 2026, each with dated notes and an upgrade guide" ], "weaknesses": [ "`claude_local` defaults `dangerouslySkipPermissions` to true and `codex_local` defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, with agents running on the host", "Twelve published security advisories since April 2026, five critical, including CVE-2026-41679 (unauthenticated remote code execution, fixed in 2026.416.0)", "Anonymous usage telemetry is on by default and goes to telemetry.paperclip.ing until an opt-out is set", "2,849 open issues on 8 October 2026, 1,396 of them with no comment, and 78 closed in 30 days against 686 opened", "Calendar versions with no 1.0, and release 2026.916.0 carried five breaking changes" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `PAPERCLIP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` before the first start. Telemetry is on by default", "Set `dangerouslySkipPermissions` and `dangerouslyBypassApprovalsAndSandbox` to 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 lan` or `--bind tailnet` at onboarding for anything beyond one machine. The default `local_trusted` mode 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" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 59 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 70, "maintenance": 78, "payments": 60, "reliability": 66, "schema": 81, "security": 64, "transparency": 73 }, "provenanceScore": 56 }, "connect": { "install": "npx paperclipai@latest onboard --yes # Node.js 24.11 or newer", "http": "curl http://localhost:3100/api/health", "headless": { "command": "npx paperclipai issue create --title \"$TASK\" --json", "env": { "PAPERCLIP_API_KEY": "\u003cboard or agent key\u003e", "PAPERCLIP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED": "1" } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.multi-agent", "tool": "https://letme.dev/paperclip" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Paperclip Labs, Inc.", "domain": "paperclip.ing", "domainRegistered": "2026-03-02", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://paperclip.ing/terms/", "privacy": "https://paperclip.ing/privacy/", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://paperclip.ing/changelog/", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The terms (effective 1 April 2026, updated 23 July 2026) and the privacy policy (effective 23 July 2026) name Paperclip Labs, Inc. and Delaware law. The licence file in the repository reads Copyright (c) 2025 Paperclip AI.", "RDAP at the .ing registry gives a registration date of 2026-03-02 for paperclip.ing, with Cloudflare as registrar. The GitHub repository was created the same day.", "paperclip.ing/.well-known/security.txt and docs.paperclip.ing/.well-known/security.txt returned 404 on 8 October 2026. SECURITY.md sends reports to GitHub private advisories.", "The software is self-hosted, so there is no vendor endpoint or status page to check. status.paperclip.ing did not answer.", "The privacy policy says it governs the hosted services, and that a self-hosted deployment processes data on the owner's infrastructure." ], "score": 56 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.json", "live": { "slug": "paperclip", "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "paperclipai/paperclip", "version": "v2026.1005.0", "released": "2026-10-06", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:11:58.884295278Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@paperclipai/mcp-server", "version": "2026.1005.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:11:56.67627661Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "paperclipai", "version": "2026.1005.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:11:56.568511859Z" } ], "githubStars": 99130, "npmWeekly": 51308, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T15:39:21.209460024Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T14:02:33.853683582Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/changelog/", "kind": "changelog", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:42:57.474075932Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "4d68b2d18041" }, { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/privacy/", "kind": "privacy", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:42:59.66542655Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "d75ac8f8733e" }, { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/terms/", "kind": "terms", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:43:01.623814776Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "1b2a133e6446" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T18:43:01.623814776Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Factory", "b": "Paperclip Labs, Inc.", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Paid", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Proprietary, under Factory's Terms and Conditions. The `droid` npm package is marked `UNLICENSED` and the public repository holds documentation only. The Python SDK is Apache-2.0", "b": "MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-08", "b": "2026-10-05", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-07-14", "b": "2026-07-23", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-08-20", "b": "2026-07-23", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes, with an opt-out", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "49 stars, 7.8k npm/wk", "b": "99k stars, 60k npm/wk", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Droid CLI and Paperclip score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 59.1 (C) and 59 (C). Paperclip leads on reliability and payments \u0026 pricing.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Droid CLI or Paperclip?" }, { "answer": "No open-source release is listed for Droid CLI. Paperclip is open source (MIT).", "question": "Are Droid CLI and Paperclip open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": null, "also": [ "No incidents deducted, where Paperclip loses 10 points for them" ], "goodFor": "Teams that want a terminal coding agent with tiered autonomy, command rules and an optional sandbox, and that will pay for a Factory plan.", "slug": "droid-cli", "watchFor": "No free tier or trial was found. Plans start at $20 a month and included usage is stated only as rolling rate limits without numbers" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 66 against 49", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 10" ], "also": [ "Free to start without a card", "Open source" ], "goodFor": "Someone running several coding or operations agents who wants one place for tasks, budgets, approvals and history across harnesses.", "slug": "paperclip", "watchFor": "`claude_local` defaults `dangerouslySkipPermissions` to true and `codex_local` defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, with agents running on the host" } ], "job": { "capability": "agent.multi-agent", "name": "Multi-agent orchestration" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-droid-cli.json", "title": "Aider vs Droid CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-droid-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-droid-cli.json", "title": "Amp vs Droid CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-droid-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-droid-cli.json", "title": "Claude Code vs Droid CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-droid-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-droid-cli.json", "title": "Cline vs Droid CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-droid-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-droid-cli.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Droid CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-droid-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-droid-cli.json", "title": "Devin vs Droid CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-droid-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-earendil-pi.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs Pi", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-earendil-pi" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-gemini-cli.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs Gemini CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-gemini-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-github-copilot-cli.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-github-copilot-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-goose.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs goose", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-goose" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs Kiro CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kiro-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openai-codex.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs OpenAI Codex", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openai-codex" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-opencode.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs OpenCode", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-opencode" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openhands.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs OpenHands", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openhands" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-prime-agent.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs Prime Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-prime-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Droid CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Amp vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Claude Code vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Cline vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Devin vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Gemini CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "GitHub Copilot CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "goose vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Kiro CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "OpenCode vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "OpenHands vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-prime-agent.json", "title": "Paperclip vs Prime Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-prime-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Paperclip vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 17, "droid-cli": 49, "edge": "paperclip", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "paperclip": 66, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 2, "droid-cli": 79, "edge": "paperclip", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "paperclip": 81, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 2, "droid-cli": 72, "edge": "droid-cli", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "paperclip": 70, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 1, "droid-cli": 63, "edge": "paperclip", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "paperclip": 64, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 50, "droid-cli": 10, "edge": "paperclip", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "paperclip": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 1, "droid-cli": 79, "edge": "droid-cli", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "paperclip": 78, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 1, "droid-cli": 64, "edge": "paperclip", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "paperclip": 65, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Droid CLI and Paperclip score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 59.1 (C) and 59 (C). Paperclip leads on reliability and payments \u0026 pricing. Both do multi-agent orchestration.", "verdicts": { "droid-cli": "`droid exec` is read-only unless `--auto` raises the autonomy level, with command rules, an optional kernel-enforced sandbox, JSON output and documented exit codes. No free tier, status page or security.txt was found, the source is closed, and usage metrics go to Factory by default.", "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." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip.min.md" }, "markdown": "Droid CLI and Paperclip score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 59.1 (C) and 59 (C). Paperclip leads on reliability and payments \u0026 pricing. Both do multi-agent orchestration.\n\n- Droid CLI: grade C, 59.1/100, rank #560 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/droid-cli.json\n- Paperclip: grade C, 59/100, rank #566 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json\n- Best agent harnesses and coding agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/agent-harnesses/index.md\n- All 167 harnesses comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-harnesses/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Droid CLI (C)\n\nGood for: Teams that want a terminal coding agent with tiered autonomy, command rules and an optional sandbox, and that will pay for a Factory plan.\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No incidents deducted, where Paperclip loses 10 points for them\n\nWatch for: No free tier or trial was found. Plans start at $20 a month and included usage is stated only as rolling rate limits without numbers\n\n### Paperclip (C)\n\nGood for: Someone running several coding or operations agents who wants one place for tasks, budgets, approvals and history across harnesses.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 66 against 49\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 10\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Free to start without a card\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: `claude_local` defaults `dangerouslySkipPermissions` to true and `codex_local` defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, with agents running on the host\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Droid CLI | Paperclip | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 49 | 66 | Paperclip +17 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 79 | 81 | Paperclip +2 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 72 | 70 | Droid CLI +2 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 63 | 64 | Paperclip +1 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 10 | 60 | Paperclip +50 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 79 | 78 | Droid CLI +1 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 64 | 65 | Paperclip +1 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -10 | |\n| **Total** | | **59.1 · C** | **59 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Droid CLI | Paperclip |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Factory | Paperclip Labs, Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Paid | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary, under Factory's Terms and Conditions. The `droid` npm package is marked `UNLICENSED` and the public repository holds documentation only. The Python SDK is Apache-2.0 | MIT |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-08 | 2026-10-05 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-07-14 | 2026-07-23 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-20 | 2026-07-23 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | yes, with an opt-out |\n| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |\n| Popularity | 49 stars, 7.8k npm/wk | 99k stars, 60k npm/wk |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Droid CLI.** `droid exec` is read-only unless `--auto` raises the autonomy level, with command rules, an optional kernel-enforced sandbox, JSON output and documented exit codes. No free tier, status page or security.txt was found, the source is closed, and usage metrics go to Factory by default.\n\n**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.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Droid CLI\n\n1. Set `FACTORY_API_KEY` (starts `fk-`) from the API keys page in Factory settings for headless runs. Interactive use signs in through a browser\n2. Start with `droid exec` and no flags for analysis. Add `--auto low` for edits and `--auto medium` for installs, tests and local commits\n3. Use `--output-format json` and read `is_error`, `num_turns` and `session_id`. Treat a non-zero exit code as failure\n4. Set `sandbox.enabled` to true before running on untrusted code. In `droid exec` a sandbox violation is denied without a prompt\n5. Pin the version in CI with `npm install -g droid@\u003cversion\u003e`, or set `FACTORY_DROID_AUTO_UPDATE_ENABLED=false` on standalone installs, which update themselves\n\n### Paperclip\n\n1. Set `PAPERCLIP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` before the first start. Telemetry is on by default\n2. Set `dangerouslySkipPermissions` and `dangerouslyBypassApprovalsAndSandbox` to false on agents that read untrusted input, or run them in a sandbox provider\n3. 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\n4. 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\n5. Treat 409 on task checkout as owned by another agent and pick different work. The API docs say not to retry\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Droid CLI or Paperclip?\n\nDroid CLI and Paperclip score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 59.1 (C) and 59 (C). Paperclip leads on reliability and payments \u0026 pricing.\n\n### Are Droid CLI and Paperclip open source?\n\nNo open-source release is listed for Droid CLI. Paperclip is open source (MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"droid-cli\", \"b\": \"paperclip\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare droid-cli paperclip`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/droid-cli.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Droid CLI or Paperclip\n\n- [Aider vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Devin vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs Pi](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-earendil-pi.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs Gemini CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-gemini-cli.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-github-copilot-cli.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs goose](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-goose.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openai-codex.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-opencode.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openhands.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-prime-agent.md)\n- [Droid CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Amp vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Cline vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Devin vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Gemini CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [goose vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [OpenCode vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [OpenHands vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Paperclip vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-prime-agent.md)\n- [Paperclip vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-10", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Droid CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "" } ], "description": "Droid CLI and Paperclip score within a point of each other for multi-agent orchestration, 59.1 and 59 out of 100. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Droid CLI C 59.1", "Paperclip C 59", "scores" ], "h1": "Droid CLI vs Paperclip", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-droid-cli-vs-paperclip.png", "path": "/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Droid CLI vs Paperclip for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2550, "slim": 630 }, "version": 1 }