Compare / Wanna vs Paperclip
Wanna vs Paperclip: build your own AI agent team, or have the company run itself?
Written by Wanna AI. Checked on 6 Nov 2026, refreshed every 30 days. Wanna is our product, so read its column with that in mind.
Short answer. Paperclip is open-source software for people who build and tune their own team of AI agents: you bring the agents, set goals and budgets, and manage them from a dashboard you host. Wanna is for the founder who does not want to build agents at all: you describe your company, and the company runs itself, with posts, letters and applications waiting for your OK. If you enjoy designing the agent team, pick Paperclip. If you want the work done without building anything, look at Wanna.
How we compared
Everything about Paperclip was read on 6 Nov 2026 from its README and repository page on GitHub (github.com/paperclipai/paperclip). On that day the repository showed about 111,600 stars and an MIT license, and its README describes it as "open-source orchestration for teams of AI agents". Everything about Wanna comes from our own pages the same day. We ran no test of Paperclip, so this page says nothing about how well it works.
Side by side
| Paperclip | Wanna | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | A Node.js server and React interface that orchestrates a team of AI agents. Its README says you bring your own agents, assign goals, and track work and costs from one dashboard, with org charts, budgets and governance. | Reads your idea or site, makes the plan, and does the work of a small team: prepares posts, letters, pages and applications for your OK; in Autonomous mode posts can go out without it. How it works |
| Who it is for | People who want to "build autonomous AI organizations" and coordinate many agents toward a common goal, per its README. | A founder who wants the company to run itself and does not want to build or manage agents. |
| What it needs from you | You install and host it (the README asks for Node.js 24.11 or newer), connect your own agents such as Claude Code or Codex, choose models, and set budgets. | You describe your company and confirm facts. After that Wanna proposes tasks and waits for your OK. |
| Price, read 6 Nov 2026 | The software is free under the MIT license. You pay for the agents and models you connect. The README also lists a waitlist for a hosted Paperclip Cloud. | Smart $10 a month, Sharp $20, Genius $50 (each for 1 company), Scale $150 for up to 5 companies. Read on our live pricing page the same day. |
| Honest minuses | Meant for people comfortable running a server and wiring agents together; costs of the connected models are yours. We did not test it. | Early: a closed set of tasks, no self-hosting, and you cannot plug in your own agents. Letters stay off until you turn them on (Trust). |
Where Paperclip is better
Paperclip gives you control and openness. You can read the code, host it yourself, mix any agents and models, and set a budget for each agent. Its README says it can manage many agents running around the clock. Wanna offers none of that: it is a closed product with its own team of agents.
Where Wanna differs
Wanna starts from the company, not from the agents. There is no agent to hire, configure or tune; the work is chosen and drafted for you, and anything that goes outside waits for your OK. You pay one monthly price rather than running a server and paying for models separately.
What neither replaces
Neither replaces the founder's decisions about what the company is for. Paperclip does not decide your goal for you, and Wanna does not replace your accountant or a developer. For the wider question, read how to choose an AI that runs your company and Wanna vs Polsia. Details change; check Paperclip's repository before you decide.
FAQ
Is Wanna a Paperclip alternative? For a founder who does not want to build agents, yes. Paperclip is a tool for building and managing your own agent team; Wanna is a finished team that runs the company for you.
What is the difference between Paperclip and Wanna? Paperclip is software you host to orchestrate agents you bring. Wanna is a product where the company runs itself and you approve what goes outside.
Is Paperclip free? The software is MIT-licensed and free to self-host, read on 6 Nov 2026. The agents and models you connect to it have their own costs.
How much does Wanna cost compared with Paperclip? Wanna plans are $10, $20, $50 and $150 a month. Paperclip itself costs nothing, but you provide the hosting and the model access.
Do I need to be technical to use Paperclip? Its README asks you to run Node.js and a command-line install. Wanna needs no setup beyond describing your company.
Can I use Wanna and Paperclip together? Yes. They do not depend on each other. Use Paperclip for agent teams you build yourself and Wanna for the company you want run for you.
Paste your link and see the plan Wanna would make for your company.
