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To get Paperclip running on a Hostinger VPS, deploy it from the VPS Application Catalog, open the installed project in Docker Manager, then sign in and create an organization. You can add an AI provider credential during deployment or later; an agent that needs model execution cannot run tasks until a provider is connected.

What you need before deploying

  • A Hostinger VPS and access to its control panel.
  • An admin email address and password for the Paperclip setup.
  • An AI provider credential if you want agents to execute model-dependent tasks immediately. You can deploy without one and add it afterward.

Hostinger’s documented route uses its VPS Application Catalog and Docker Manager. The steps and labels shown in the dashboard may change, so follow the current prompts if they differ from the guide.

Deploy Paperclip from the Application Catalog

  1. Open your VPS in the Hostinger control panel and go to the VPS Application Catalog.
  2. Select Paperclip, then complete the requested setup fields, including the admin email and password. If the form offers AI provider credentials, enter them now for immediate agent use; otherwise, continue without them.
  3. Start the deployment and wait for it to finish.
  4. Open Docker Manager, locate the Paperclip project, and use its project access option to open the application.
  5. Sign in with the admin email and password you supplied during setup.

Hostinger documents this catalog-based Docker process in its Paperclip setup guide.

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Create an organization and configure an agent

Create the organization

On first sign-in, follow Paperclip’s onboarding to create an organization. The organization is the workspace in which you configure agents and define work.

Set up the first agent

In the agent setup flow, provide the agent’s adapter, working directory, and model settings. The adapter determines how Paperclip connects to the agent runtime; make sure the chosen working directory is appropriate for the work you intend to assign.

Connect a model provider and assign work

If you did not enter provider credentials during deployment, add them in Paperclip’s provider or model configuration before asking an agent to perform work that requires model execution. Then define a task and assign it to the configured agent. Hostinger’s setup tutorial covers the onboarding sequence and provider-key timing.

How much VPS capacity is a reasonable starting point?

The two published starting points below are guidance from different sources, not results from a head-to-head test. Neither source provides a workload benchmark that establishes how many agents a VPS can support.

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Source Starting guidance What it means
Hostinger’s 2026 tutorial 2 vCPU cores, 4 GB RAM, and 50 GB SSD Hostinger’s suggested basic setup for a small team of agents; not an independently tested minimum.
Paperclip’s official installation guide 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM Paperclip says this is enough for a Linux VPS to get started. The page does not state a publication year.

Use these as reference points rather than guarantees. Your actual needs depend on what agents do and how actively they run. Hostinger particularly mentions Ubuntu 22.04 or Debian 12 alongside its basic configuration recommendation; check the current installation documentation if choosing a different operating system.

When to use a direct installation instead

The Application Catalog is the more guided route on Hostinger: it handles the catalog deployment flow and opens the project through Docker Manager. If you want more control over installation or are using another VPS, Paperclip also documents direct Docker deployment and self-hosted installation. Those routes put more responsibility on you to install and configure the software. Hostinger’s tutorial also describes a terminal-based Node.js option and lists Node.js 20+ and pnpm; because requirements can change, check Paperclip’s current installation guide before following that alternative. For a Docker-specific deployment, see Paperclip’s Docker deployment guide.

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Keep agent activity and spending visible

Once agents are running, use Paperclip’s monitoring and spending-limit controls to keep their activity and project costs visible. These controls are operational safeguards, not a guarantee of security, reliability, or a particular cost. Model-provider usage is separate from VPS capacity, so review the provider’s own terms and usage controls as well.

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