0bin vs filite
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | 0bin | filite |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 29 · At risk | 6 · At risk |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | WTFPL | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,402 | ★ 189 |
| First released | 2012 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com | Imgur, Pastebin.com |
What are 0bin and filite?
0bin
0bin is a client-side encrypted pastebin that the server operator cannot read. It encrypts pastes in the browser and offers expiration and burn-after-reading without requiring registration.
- Client-side encryption
- No accounts required
- Burn after reading
- Expiration options
filite
filite is a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to file sharing and pastebin services, written in Rust. It stores uploaded files, shortened links, and code pastes in a single SQLite database and serves them over a minimal HTTP interface.
- Files, links and pastes in one tool
- Single SQLite database
- Rust single-binary server
- Simple HTTP API
0bin vs filite: key differences
0bin is written in JavaScript, while filite is built with Rust. Licensing differs — WTFPL for 0bin versus MIT for filite. Filite is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for 0bin. 0bin is the more established project (first released 2012), while filite arrived in 2019. 0bin has the considerably larger community, at 1,402 GitHub stars versus 189.
Why pick each one
Choose 0bin if…
- Released under the WTFPL license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
Choose filite if…
- Very low resource usage
- Combines several sharing tools
Watch out for
- Minimal web interface
- Limited recent activity
Frequently asked questions
Is 0bin or filite better?
Neither is universally better. 0bin has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are 0bin and filite free and open-source?
Yes. 0bin is licensed under WTFPL and filite under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run 0bin and filite with Docker?
0bin: yes. filite: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, 0bin or filite?
filite has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for 0bin. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.