Source: https://seerepo.com/compare/paperclipai/paperclip/vs/payloadcms/payload
Markdown source: https://seerepo.com/compare/paperclipai/paperclip/vs/payloadcms/payload.md
Description: paperclip and payload share 4 technologies: Postgres, MCP, AWS S3, and Sentry. Both are written in TypeScript.

# paperclip vs payload

paperclip and payload share 4 technologies: Postgres, MCP, AWS S3, and Sentry. Both are written in TypeScript.

- [paperclipai/paperclip](https://seerepo.com/r/paperclipai/paperclip): The open-source app everyone uses to manage agents at work
- [payloadcms/payload](https://seerepo.com/r/payloadcms/payload): Payload is the open-source, fullstack Next.js framework, giving you instant backend superpowers. Get a full TypeScript backend and admin panel instantly. Use Payload as a headless CMS or for building powerful applications.

## What they share and what sets them apart

- In common: Postgres, MCP, AWS S3, Sentry
- Only in paperclip: React, Vite, Express, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Svix
- Only in payload: MongoDB, Redis, Stripe, Vercel

## Side by side

| | paperclip | payload |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 2,989,154 lines written, 4,868 code files | 1,054,090 lines written, 4,857 code files |
| Who writes it | 17.6% of its commits signed by AI. With Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot | 0.6% of its commits signed by AI. With GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and Cursor |
| Activity | Last push October 30, 2026, 5,650 commits, 108,962 stars | Last push October 30, 2026, 14,760 commits, 45,594 stars |
| Tests | 4,146 test files. 59.2% of its code files have a test that imports them | 2,448 test files. 12.6% of its code files have a test that imports them |

- Size: Lines written by people and agents, without generated ones; code files, without tests.
- Who writes it: A commit counts as AI's when it carries its signature: a Co-Authored-By line, its author name or the merge of its branch.
- Activity: From GitHub and its history, on the day SeeRepo read it.
- Tests: The files that test the code, and the share of code files a test imports.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is bigger, paperclip or payload?

paperclip, with 2,989,154 lines written in 4,868 code files; payload has 1,054,090 in 4,857.

The proof: [paperclipai/paperclip's code at commit 198218b](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/tree/198218bf554877fe3b7a83742eefb3b8f12392c6)

### Which has more GitHub stars, paperclip or payload?

paperclip, with 108,962 stars; payload has 45,594.

The proof: [paperclipai/paperclip on GitHub](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip)

### Which has more tests, paperclip or payload?

paperclip, with 4,146 test files; payload has 2,448.

The proof: [paperclipai/paperclip's code at commit 198218b](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/tree/198218bf554877fe3b7a83742eefb3b8f12392c6)

### Which was updated more recently, paperclip or payload?

Both got their last push on October 30, 2026.

The proof: [paperclipai/paperclip's commits on GitHub](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/commits)

### Which has more commits signed by AI, paperclip or payload?

paperclip: an AI signed 17.6% of its commits, with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot; in payload, 0.6%.

The proof: [the commits each tool signed in paperclipai/paperclip](https://seerepo.com/r/paperclipai/paperclip/ai)

## Sources

- paperclipai/paperclip: Read on October 30, 2026, at commit 198218b (https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/tree/198218bf554877fe3b7a83742eefb3b8f12392c6)
- payloadcms/payload: Read on October 31, 2026, at commit ec35164 (https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/tree/ec351643011603cf75dc91db5d03f80ff120f1e9)

## What is your repo built with?

Any public repo, with no account: https://seerepo.com/r/owner/repo/built, with the owner and name it has on GitHub.