Instant deployment • Full root access • Crypto payments

Paperclip VPS Hosting

Host Paperclip, the open-source platform for running teams of AI agents, on a VPS that is always on: agents wake on schedule, work toward company goals within their budgets, and wait for your approval where you require it. Full root access, DDoS protection and instant deployment.

Read the setup guide

Paperclip VPS at a glance

Recommended system: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Memory: 4 GB RAM recommended; 8 GB or more when agents run on the same server
Runtime: Node.js 24.11 or newer
Database: Built-in PostgreSQL, or your own for production
Licence: Open source (MIT)
Deployment: Ready in minutes, with full root access

Choose your Paperclip VPS plan

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What is Paperclip VPS hosting?

Paperclip is an open-source orchestration platform for teams of AI agents: a Node.js server with a web interface where you set up an org chart, company goals, per-agent budgets and approval rules. It does not replace your agents; it connects to them through adapters for Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw, Hermes, Gemini CLI, Cursor and others.

Agents in Paperclip wake on scheduled heartbeats, so the server has to stay on. A Paperclip VPS keeps the platform, its database and your agents running in one place. We provide the server; you install Paperclip and connect your agents and model accounts.

Why run Paperclip on a VPS

Heartbeats need a server that is on

Scheduled agent work only happens while Paperclip is running.

One place for the whole team

The platform, database, agents and their working files live on one server.

Kept apart from your computer

Agents work on a server, not on the machine that holds your personal accounts.

Room to grow

Move to a larger plan as you add agents and companies.

Paperclip on a VPS or on your own computer

What matters	Your own computer	ClientVPS server
Uptime	Stops when your computer sleeps, restarts or loses its connection.	Runs around the clock in a datacenter.
Isolation	The agent can reach your personal files, browser sessions and saved passwords.	A separate machine that holds only what you put on it.
Access	Tied to one device.	Reach it over SSH from your laptop, phone or another computer.
Network	Home connections are slower and often block incoming connections.	A fast datacenter connection, a public IP address and DDoS protection.
Starting over	Undoing an agent's changes to your own computer can be hard.	Reinstall the system from your client area in minutes.

What you can do with a Paperclip VPS

An AI software team

Coding agents work through tasks, with a reviewer agent and your approval before merges.

Content and research operations

Agents research, draft and edit on a schedule toward shared goals.

Cost-controlled automation

Monthly budgets per agent stop runaway spending on model APIs.

Several projects in one place

Run several companies with separate goals and agents on one deployment.

How much VPS does Paperclip need?

What you run	Recommended resources
Paperclip with agents on other machines	2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM
Paperclip plus a few local agents	4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM
Larger teams or several companies	8 vCPU, 16 GB RAM

How to set up Paperclip on your VPS

Commands follow the official documentation as of October 2026. Tools like this change quickly, so check the official docs linked below before you run them.

1
Deploy a server and connect
Choose a plan with Ubuntu 24.04. When it is ready, connect over SSH with the IP address and password from your client area, and update the system.
```
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
apt update && apt upgrade -y
```
2
Create a user for the agent
Create a normal user with sudo rights, then sign in again over SSH as that user, so the services you install run under it. Add your SSH public key to /home/agent/.ssh/authorized_keys to log in with a key.
```
adduser agent
usermod -aG sudo agent
exit
ssh agent@YOUR_SERVER_IP
```
3
Turn on the firewall
Allow SSH first, then enable the firewall. Dashboards stay on localhost, so no other ports are needed.
```
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw enable
```

Install Node.js 24

Paperclip needs Node.js 24.11 or newer. NodeSource provides current packages for Ubuntu.


curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs git tmux
node --version

5
Install and start Paperclip
Run the official onboarding command inside tmux so it keeps running after you disconnect. By default it listens only on localhost, port 3100, with a built-in database.
```
tmux new -s paperclip
npx paperclipai@latest onboard --yes
```
6
Open the dashboard through SSH
From your own computer, open an SSH tunnel and go to http://localhost:3100 in your browser.
```
ssh -N -L 3100:127.0.0.1:3100 agent@YOUR_SERVER_IP
```
7
Connect your agents
Install the agent CLIs you want to use on the server, such as Claude Code or Codex, sign them in, and add them in Paperclip with their adapters. For a permanent setup, follow the Docker guide in the Paperclip docs.
```
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
```

Security basics for Paperclip on a VPS

Keep the default localhost mode and use an SSH tunnel or Tailscale. If you expose Paperclip on a network, use its authenticated mode.
Set monthly budgets for every agent and require approval for actions you care about.
Sign in with SSH keys and turn off password logins.
Run the agent as a normal user, not as root.
Turn on a firewall and open only the ports you need, usually just SSH.
Keep dashboards on localhost and reach them through an SSH tunnel instead of opening them to the internet.
Store API keys in the tool's own config or environment files, never in a Git repository.
Give the agent its own API keys with spending limits, and rotate them if you suspect a leak.
Install security updates regularly and reboot after kernel updates.
Back up the agent's data directory before upgrades and big changes.

Troubleshooting

Unsupported Node.js version

Check node --version; Paperclip needs 24.11 or newer.

npx fails with E404

Your npm may point to a private registry. Add --registry https://registry.npmjs.org to the command.

Dashboard not reachable

Keep the SSH tunnel open and check that Paperclip is still running in its tmux session.

Agents cannot sign in

Sign each agent CLI in on the server as the same user that runs Paperclip.

When you don't need a Paperclip VPS

You use a single agent

Paperclip coordinates many agents. For one coding agent, a Claude Code VPS is simpler.

Claude Code VPS guide

You just want to try it

For a first look, running Paperclip on your own computer in local mode is quickest.

Other AI agents you can host

AI agent VPS hostingAlways-on servers for AI agents.

Claude Code VPS guideA remote coding workspace for Anthropic's terminal coding agent.

OpenClaw VPS guideAn always-on personal assistant you reach from WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord and more.

Hermes Agent VPS guideNous Research's self-improving agent with memory, skills and scheduled tasks.

NemoClaw VPS guideNVIDIA's tool for running OpenClaw agents inside a sandbox.

PicoClaw VPS guideAn ultra-lightweight assistant written in Go: one small binary, many chat apps.

Official Paperclip resources

These links go to the official project sites, in English.

Paperclip VPS FAQ

Can I run Paperclip on a VPS?

Yes. Paperclip is self-hosted and needs no Paperclip account. It runs on Linux with Node.js 24.11 or newer.

Is Paperclip an AI agent?

No. It organises agents you already use, such as Claude Code, Codex or OpenClaw, into a company with goals, budgets and approvals.

Do I need a GPU?

No. Paperclip and the agent CLIs run on the CPU; the models run with your providers.

Which database does it use?

A built-in PostgreSQL is created automatically. For production you can point Paperclip at your own PostgreSQL server.

How do I access it remotely?

Use an SSH tunnel to localhost port 3100, or Paperclip's authenticated mode on a private network such as Tailscale, as its docs recommend.

Which plan should I choose?

4 GB of RAM if your agents run elsewhere. Choose 8 GB or more when agent CLIs run on the same server.

Does ClientVPS provide API keys or model access?

No. We provide the server. Paperclip needs no account of its own; the agents it organises, such as Claude Code, Codex or OpenClaw, use your own provider accounts, which you pay for directly.

Do you install and run the agent for me?

No. Our VPS plans are self-managed: you install Node.js and Paperclip yourself and connect your agents to it. The setup steps above show each command.

How can I pay?

The Paperclip VPS plans on this page start at … a month on yearly billing, which saves 15%, or … a month paid monthly. You pay in cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, USDT and Monero, or from your ClientVPS account balance, and you only need an email address to sign up.

Ready to run Paperclip around the clock?

Pick a plan, deploy Ubuntu in minutes and follow the guide above. Pay with crypto or your account balance.

Paperclip is an open-source project by Paperclip Labs. ClientVPS is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paperclip Labs.