# OpenWA vs paperclip

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | OpenWA | paperclip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 88/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 19 in API Management | #4 of 125 in AI |
| GitHub stars | 16 343 | 108 237 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +337 | +26 873 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 10 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.26.0 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2026.1012.0 · 12 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

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

paperclip ships more often: 10 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for OpenWA.

If you want the quickest setup, OpenWA is easier to run; paperclip needs more configuration.

paperclip is growing faster right now (+26 873 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [OpenWA](https://selfhost.directory/project/openwa) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openwa.md)
- [paperclip](https://selfhost.directory/project/paperclip) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/paperclip.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/openwa-vs-paperclip