SHSelfHostIndex

0bin vs PrivateBin

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
0B 0bin Client-side encrypted pastebin requiring no user accounts VS PrivateBin Minimalist pastebin with zero-knowledge encryption
Feature0binPrivateBin
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score29 · At risk92 · Excellent
CategoryPastebins & SnippetsPastebins & Snippets
LicenseWTFPLZlib
LanguageJavaScriptPHP
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM256 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 1,402★ 8,610
First released20122012
ReplacesPastebin.comPastebin.com

What are 0bin and PrivateBin?

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

PrivateBin

PrivateBin is a minimalist, open-source online pastebin where the server has zero knowledge of pasted data. Content is encrypted and decrypted in the browser, with options for expiration, password, and burn-after-reading.

  • Zero-knowledge encryption
  • Burn after reading
  • Password protection
  • Discussion and expiry options

0bin vs PrivateBin: key differences

0bin is written in JavaScript, while PrivateBin is built with PHP. Licensing differs — WTFPL for 0bin versus Zlib for PrivateBin. PrivateBin has the considerably larger community, at 8,610 GitHub stars versus 1,402.

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)
0bin details

Choose PrivateBin if…

  • Released under the Zlib license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 8.6k GitHub stars
PrivateBin details

Frequently asked questions

Is 0bin or PrivateBin better?

Neither is universally better. PrivateBin has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are 0bin and PrivateBin free and open-source?

Yes. 0bin is licensed under WTFPL and PrivateBin under Zlib. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run 0bin and PrivateBin with Docker?

0bin: yes. PrivateBin: yes.

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