Lantern vs Paperclip

A small personal helper, compared with an agent-company management dashboard.

Checked 2026-11-02 · 5 official sources · Read the sources

Lantern is a small assistant beside your current application, with screen questions, Show me guidance and an inbox for supported coding agents. Paperclip coordinates external agent runtimes through company goals, org charts, task ownership, approvals and budgets. Agents wake for scheduled heartbeats or notifications and report work through tasks with histories and files. It is an MIT-licensed, self-hosted Node.js service with a React interface and local or remote deployment options. Lantern is a nearby assistant for a person using an application and an inbox for supported coding-agent requests. Paperclip is infrastructure for an organization of agents with goals, ownership and spend controls. If you only need a visual explanation or a quick reply to an existing session, that organizational layer is a different scope of work.

Choose Lantern if

You want to ask about the app in front of you without organizing another workspace.
You want visual next-step guidance through Show me.
You want questions from supported existing coding sessions collected in one nearby helper.

Choose Paperclip if

You want agent work organized through company goals, roles and owned tasks.
You want self-hosted governance, approvals and budget controls.
You want to connect external agent runtimes through an orchestration service.

At a glance

Side by side.

Lantern and Paperclip: differences that matter
What matters	Lantern	Paperclip
Main workflow	Get screen-context answers, visual guidance and attention to supported coding agents.	Manage an agent organization with goals, roles and assigned tasks. [1]
Working surface	A small screen-side assistant beside the app you are using.	A company dashboard, org chart, task conversations and run history. [1]
Where tasks run	The companion runs on your computer; requested AI work uses the relevant online service.	Self-hosted local or remote service, with its associated storage and runtime setup. [2]
Agent coordination	Collect questions and route replies for documented supported coding sessions.	External agents wake through heartbeats, assignments and notifications. [2]
Tools and accounts	Use the Lantern account and its supported agent integrations; provider usage remains separate where applicable.	Adapters connect agent runtimes rather than introducing a single Paperclip model. [2]
Review and control	Follow the next step yourself or inspect a helper’s result and answer agent requests.	Task ownership, governance, approval steps and budget controls. [2]

What kind of help do you need?

Lantern is a nearby assistant for a person using an application and an inbox for supported coding-agent requests. Paperclip is infrastructure for an organization of agents with goals, ownership and spend controls. If you only need a visual explanation or a quick reply to an existing session, that organizational layer is a different scope of work.

Decide whether you need an organization of agents

Lantern starts with a personal interaction: a screen question, visual guidance or a question waiting in a supported coding session. Paperclip starts with operating agents as an organization. Its setup, task ownership and governance can be valuable at that level. They are not prerequisites for getting help with the application in front of you.

Questions about Lantern.

What does Lantern add if I already use Paperclip?

Lantern is a personal assistant beside your screen, with visual guidance and a companion inbox for supported coding agents. It is useful when you need help with the next action or request.

Do I need an organization of agents to use Lantern?

No. You can start with a screen question or Show me guidance. Add a supported coding-session connection when you want the companion to help with agent requests.

How should I try Lantern with my current setup?

Choose one task in the current application and ask Lantern for help. Add agent monitoring only if it addresses an interruption you actually have.

Sources & review

Checked against the official pages below on 2026-11-02. Features, availability, and plans can change. Lantern information: product overview and current plans. Suggest a correction.

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