0bin vs bin
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
bin
Minimal, paste-only server written in Rust
| Feature | 0bin | bin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 29 · At risk | 8 · 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 | ★ 311 |
| First released | 2012 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com | Pastebin.com |
What are 0bin and bin?
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
bin
bin is an extremely minimal pastebin server written in Rust with no database and no configuration. It keeps pastes in memory and is designed to be small, fast, and easy to deploy.
- No database needed
- Tiny memory footprint
- Single binary
- Curl-friendly
0bin vs bin: key differences
0bin is written in JavaScript, while bin is built with Rust. Licensing differs — WTFPL for 0bin versus MIT for bin. Bin 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 bin arrived in 2020. 0bin has the considerably larger community, at 1,402 GitHub stars versus 311.
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 bin if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
Frequently asked questions
Is 0bin or bin 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 bin free and open-source?
Yes. 0bin is licensed under WTFPL and bin under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run 0bin and bin with Docker?
0bin: yes. bin: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, 0bin or bin?
bin 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.