# ACE-Step vs paperclip

> Two self-hosted [AI projects](https://selfhost.directory/ai), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | ACE-Step | paperclip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 88/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #13 of 124 in AI | #4 of 124 in AI |
| GitHub stars | 14 156 | 108 443 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 288 | +25 619 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 10 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.1.8 · 18 May 2026 | v2026.1012.0 · 12 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

paperclip scores 88/100 against 77/100 for ACE-Step, so it is the safer default.

paperclip ships more often: 10 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for ACE-Step.

paperclip is growing faster right now (+25 619 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [ACE-Step](https://selfhost.directory/project/ace-step) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/ace-step.md)
- [paperclip](https://selfhost.directory/project/paperclip) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/paperclip.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/ace-step-vs-paperclip