Cryptgeon vs Hemmelig
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Cryptgeon
Encrypted note and file sharing with self-destruct
VS
Hemmelig
Encrypted secret and text sharing service
| Feature | Cryptgeon | Hemmelig |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 81 · Excellent |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Svelte | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,534 | ★ 1,245 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | PrivateBin, One-Time Secret | PrivateBin, One-Time Secret |
What are Cryptgeon and Hemmelig?
Cryptgeon
Cryptgeon is a self-hosted, encrypted note and file sharing service inspired by one-time secrets. Notes are encrypted in the browser and destroyed after being viewed or expiring.
- Browser-side encryption
- Self-destructing notes
- File attachments
- No persistent database
Hemmelig
Hemmelig is a self-hosted, encrypted service for sharing secrets and text snippets that self-destruct after being read. Content is encrypted so it cannot be recovered once viewed or expired.
- Self-destructing secrets
- End-to-end encryption
- File attachments
- Public API
Cryptgeon vs Hemmelig: key differences
Cryptgeon is written in Svelte, while Hemmelig is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Cryptgeon versus BSD-3-Clause for Hemmelig. Cryptgeon is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Hemmelig.
Why pick each one
Choose Cryptgeon if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
Choose Hemmelig if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Cryptgeon or Hemmelig better?
Neither is universally better. Cryptgeon has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cryptgeon and Hemmelig free and open-source?
Yes. Cryptgeon is licensed under MIT and Hemmelig under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cryptgeon and Hemmelig with Docker?
Cryptgeon: yes. Hemmelig: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cryptgeon or Hemmelig?
Cryptgeon has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Hemmelig. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.