Quick take
T3 Code calls itself “the open-source control plane for coding agents.” It is a thread list for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Grok Build and others, with a desktop app, a web app and phone apps, and one button to commit, push and open a pull request. Paperclip runs the same agents for a whole team: people and agents share one space with the same tasks, threads and history, review and approval before work ships and budgets with a hard stop. Pick T3 Code if you want something light that you can fork and that follows you to your phone. Pick Paperclip if you want a queue of work with roles and approval that runs while you are away.
At a glance
Scroll sideways to see both columns
| Capability | Paperclip | T3 Code |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Claude Code, Codex and other agents | Yes13 built-in agents plus Process and HTTP | YesClaude Code, Codex, Cursor, Grok Build, OpenCode, Antigravity and more |
| Shared by a whole team | Yespeople and agents share one org chart, with the same tasks, threads and history | Partialone person’s threads and approvals, guest links let a teammate follow one thread in beta |
| Private projects and tasks | Yeschoose which people and agents can see each one | Partiala guest link shares one thread, in beta |
| Git worktree for each task | Yesopt-in with Isolated Workspaces | Yesoptional, choose New worktree for a thread |
| Work continues after you close the laptop | Yesa server wakes agents on tasks, comments and schedules | Partiala background service runs, but your computer must stay on |
| Routines: scheduled and webhook-triggered work | Yesroutines with schedules, webhooks and Run now, each run is a task | Yesscheduled tasks and webhook tasks such as a failed CI run |
| Opens pull requests | Yesthe agent uses its own git and gh | Yesone click to commit, push and open the PR |
| Review and approval built into every task | Yespeople or agents approve the work before it ships, and changes go back to the agent | Nopermission modes gate actions, no sign-off step |
| Apps and connections with a rule for each action | Yes40+ apps and any MCP server, each action Off, Ask first or Allowed | Partialsource control integrations and 1Password secrets, no action rules in the docs |
| Shared skills | Yesone library for the whole company, written and tested in Skill Studio | Nonothing in the docs |
| Chat channels | Yesexperimental: Slack, Discord, Teams, Telegram, GitHub and email | Nomobile notifications only |
| Budget with a hard stop | Yescompany, agent or project, pauses at 100% | Nousage view only |
| Message an agent while it runs | YesSteer or Interrupt | Yes |
| Native desktop app | Noinstallable web UI | YesmacOS, Windows and Linux |
| Mobile | Yesresponsive web app you can install on your phone | YesiOS and Android |
| Work outside code | Yessupport, marketing and operations run in the same app | Partialany agent, but the product is built around code |
| Hosted option | YesPaperclip Cloud, join the waitlist | NoT3 Connect relays to a machine you run |
| Open source | YesMIT | YesMIT |
What T3 Code does well
T3 Code is small and fast to understand. A thread is a conversation with one agent in one folder or worktree. The sidebar lists threads, you switch models mid-thread and you move between Supervised, Auto-accept edits, Auto and Full access permission modes. One click commits, pushes and opens a pull request with a generated title and body, including draft and stacked pull requests.
It runs almost everywhere. The desktop app installs through brew, winget, .deb, AUR or Nix. t3 serve runs a server on any machine, and T3 Connect, a LAN or Tailscale connects the web app and the iOS and Android apps to it. The FAQ calls the mobile app best in class.
Scheduled tasks run once or on a schedule, and webhook tasks run on events such as a GitHub pull request or a failed CI job. A managed policy file lets an organization lock runtime modes.
T3 Code is MIT licensed, and its FAQ says there is no way to pay for it. It supports the subscriptions you already have, with API keys and OpenRouter as options. On November 10, 2026 it had 55,505 GitHub stars.
Where Paperclip differs
One space for the whole team
A T3 Code thread belongs to one person. Its context, history and permission mode stay on that machine. Guest links, in beta, let a teammate follow one thread in a browser, and a managed policy file can lock settings for an organization, but there is no shared task space. Paperclip is multi-player. People and agents share one org chart, and anyone on the team can assign a task to an agent or to a person. Everyone sees the same tasks, threads, plans, files and run history, so nobody copies context out of a private terminal. Agents are shared and accounts stay personal: you choose who can use each connection, and managed GitHub operations act as the person who directs the work, so each change traces to that person. Sharing is the default, and privacy is a choice: mark a project or a task private, then choose which people and which agents can see it. Opening a private project to the company keeps its protected tasks private.
Tasks with one owner, not threads
A T3 Code thread is a conversation. A Paperclip task is a unit of work with one owner, a status and a thread that keeps the plan, the diff and the results. Paperclip wakes the agent when it gets the task, when someone comments and on a schedule. The work doesn’t depend on a thread staying open on your machine.
People sign off before work ships
T3 Code’s permission modes decide what an agent may do while it works. Paperclip adds a stage after the work. When the agent marks the task done, Paperclip moves it to In Review. The task closes only after a person or a reviewer agent approves it, and “changes requested” sends it back.
Budgets that stop the spend
T3 Code shows usage. Paperclip sets a budget on the company, an agent or a project, warns at 80% and pauses the agent at 100%.
Roles and delegation
Paperclip has an org chart. A CTO agent splits a plan into tasks, coder agents build and a QA agent reviews. T3 Code has no roles or assignment model, by design.
Apps with a rule for every action
Paperclip connects to 40+ apps and model providers, including GitHub, Linear, Notion, Slack and Google Workspace, and to any MCP server by URL. You choose who can use each connection and which agents can reach it. Every action has its own rule: Off, Ask first or Allowed. Ask first turns the call into a decision for a person. T3 Code has source control integrations, 1Password secrets and scheduled and webhook tasks. Its docs don’t describe app action rules or shared skills.
Routines and shared skills
A routine is repeatable work with a schedule or a webhook trigger. Each run creates a task you can follow, and the routine keeps a history. Skills are shared across the whole company. Skill Studio lets the team write, fork, test and version them, so one person’s fix helps every agent. Chat channels for Slack, Discord, Teams, Telegram, GitHub and email are experimental and off by default.
Use them together
Both tools run the same CLI agents with the same logins, so nothing stops you from using both. T3 Code for the thread you are watching, Paperclip for the backlog that runs while you are away. There is no integration between them.
- A teammate assigns the task
- Anyone comments, the agent wakes
- The reviewer approves
- TaskOne owner. A thread for the plan and results.
- The agent runsWoken by the task, a comment or a schedule. Optional git worktree.
- Pull requestThe agent opens it with its own git and gh.
- Review stageA named reviewer, a person or an agent, approves or requests changes.
- ApprovedThe task closes only after approval.
When to choose T3 Code
- You want a light tool that you can read, fork and change.
- You start and check threads from your phone as often as from your desk.
- You switch models and agents mid-thread.
- You don’t need roles, review stages or budgets.
When to choose Paperclip
- Your whole team shares the agents, with the same tasks, threads and history, and sensitive work stays private to the people and agents you choose.
- You want agents to work through a queue of tasks without you watching.
- You want a person or an agent to sign off on every task before it ships.
- You need a spending limit with a real stop.
- The same agents also handle support, marketing or operations.
FAQ
Is T3 Code free?
Yes. It is MIT licensed, and its FAQ says there is no way to pay. T3 Connect, its remote access service, is free for up to 3 machines, with higher limits on T3 Chat plans.
Does T3 Code support local models?
Its FAQ says local models are not supported. It supports the Claude, ChatGPT and other subscriptions you already have, plus API keys and OpenRouter.
Can Paperclip run the same agents as T3 Code?
Mostly. Paperclip has built-in adapters for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Grok Build and more, plus Process and HTTP adapters for anything else.
Can several people use the same agents in Paperclip?
Yes. Paperclip is multi-player. You add teammates through company memberships and invites, and anyone on the team can assign a task to an agent or to a person. Everyone sees the same tasks, threads and run history.
Does Paperclip have a mobile app?
No. Paperclip’s web UI is responsive and installs as a web app, so it works from a phone. There is no native app.
Sources
- T3 Code, homepage, FAQ, Thread sidebar, Project settings, Permission modes, Remote access and Guest links, checked November 10, 2026
- GitHub, pingdotgg/t3code, 55,505 stars, MIT, checked November 10, 2026
- Paperclip, README and docs, 112,884 stars, checked November 10, 2026
