# paperclip vs Thumbor

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

| | paperclip | Thumbor |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 88/100 ✓ | 72/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 125 in AI | #2 of 13 in Image Processing |
| GitHub stars | 108 352 ✓ | 10 528 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +25 528 ✓ | +6 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 ✓ | 1 |
| Latest release | v2026.1012.0 · 12 Oct 2026 ✓ | 7.8.0 · 30 May 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

paperclip scores 88/100 against 72/100 for Thumbor, so it is the safer default.

paperclip ships more often: 10 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for Thumbor.

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

paperclip is growing faster right now (+25 528 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [paperclip](https://selfhost.directory/project/paperclip) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/paperclip.md)
- [Thumbor](https://selfhost.directory/project/thumbor) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/thumbor.md)

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