diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a20f97a0..edb0b86e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -60,6 +60,15 @@ PyPI version — not the changelog header.
 
 ### Changed
 
+- **README: pip removed, clone-only install (TDPLAN-0010)** — the top-level
+  README no longer documents `pip install aipass` anywhere: the PyPI badge, the
+  install steps (hero + Quick Start), the Project Status version badge, and the
+  uninstall `pip uninstall` line are all removed. Install is now a single path —
+  `git clone … && ./setup.sh` (puts `aipass` + `drone` on PATH), then
+  `aipass init` scaffolds agents into your own project on top. Quick Start
+  reorganized into Install → Your own project → Explore the full framework.
+  (packaging code untouched; docs are clone-first.) (DPLAN-0228, devpulse)
+
 - **Spawn: `builder` template → `aipass_framework`, birthright retired,
   per-project registry targeting (TDPLAN-0010)** — the citizen_class/template
   `builder` is renamed to **`aipass_framework`** across `class_registry.py`,
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 911f0c56..a19f9807 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 [![Status](https://img.shields.io/badge/status-beta-yellow)](#project-status)
 [![Python 3.10+](https://img.shields.io/badge/python-3.10%2B-blue)](pyproject.toml)
 [![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-green)](LICENSE)
-[![PyPI](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/aipass)](https://pypi.org/project/aipass/)
 [![Give Feedback](https://img.shields.io/badge/Give-Feedback-brightgreen)](https://github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass/issues/new?template=feedback.yml)
 [![codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/AIOSAI/AIPass/graph/badge.svg)](https://codecov.io/gh/AIOSAI/AIPass)
 [![OpenSSF Scorecard](https://api.scorecard.dev/projects/github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass/badge)](https://scorecard.dev/viewer/?uri=github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass)
@@ -31,8 +30,10 @@ That's not a team. That's a room full of people wearing headphones.
 AIPass is a CLI-native scaffold that adds **persistent memory, identity, and coordination** to your AI agents. You bring your project — AIPass adds the agent layer on top. No UI, no dashboard. You work in your terminal.
 
 ```bash
-pip install aipass
-mkdir my-project && cd my-project
+git clone https://github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass.git
+cd AIPass && ./setup.sh               # installs the `aipass` + `drone` commands on your PATH
+
+cd ~ && mkdir my-project && cd my-project
 aipass init run
 ```
 
@@ -78,12 +79,17 @@ aipass init agent my-agent            # Full agent: apps, mail, memory, identity
 
 ## Quick Start
 
-### Your own project
+### 1. Install
 
 ```bash
-pip install aipass
+git clone https://github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass.git
+cd AIPass && ./setup.sh               # Creates venv, installs, puts `aipass` + `drone` on your PATH, bootstraps 17 agents
+```
 
-mkdir my-project && cd my-project
+### 2. Your own project
+
+```bash
+cd ~ && mkdir my-project && cd my-project
 aipass init run                       # Guided setup — project, first agent, terminal handoff
 ```
 
@@ -97,15 +103,11 @@ aipass doctor                         # Check system health
 
 > **Need help?** [Ask in Discussions](https://github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass/discussions) or [file feedback](https://github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass/issues/new?template=feedback.yml) — both take 30 seconds.
 
-### Explore the full framework
+### 3. Explore the full framework
 
-Clone the repo to see all 17 agents working together — the reference implementation:
+The clone above already includes all 17 agents working together — the reference implementation:
 
 ```bash
-git clone https://github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass.git
-cd AIPass
-./setup.sh                            # Creates venv, installs, bootstraps 17 agents
-
 cd src/aipass/devpulse
 claude                                # Talk to the orchestrator
 ```
@@ -238,7 +240,7 @@ setup.sh auto-detects which CLIs are installed and configures hooks for each.
 
 | Metric | Value |
 |--------|-------|
-| Version | [![PyPI](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/aipass?label=)](https://pypi.org/project/aipass/) |
+| Version | See [git tags](https://github.com/AIOSAI/AIPass/tags) |
 | Agents | 13 core + user-created |
 | Quality | Automated standards enforced across every agent |
 | Coverage | [![codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/AIOSAI/AIPass/graph/badge.svg)](https://codecov.io/gh/AIOSAI/AIPass) — 75% minimum, CI-gated |
@@ -281,9 +283,6 @@ rm -f CLAUDE.md AGENTS.md *_REGISTRY.json .gitignore
 
 # If you ran the backup system, also remove its local state + shipped config
 rm -rf .backup/ && rm -f .backupignore
-
-# If you installed via pip
-pip uninstall aipass
 ```
 
 No cloud accounts, no external services, no cleanup beyond your local filesystem.