lesma 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?
lesma
Simple paste app friendly with browser and command line
VS
PrivateBin
Minimalist pastebin with zero-knowledge encryption
| Feature | lesma | PrivateBin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Zlib |
| Language | Rust | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8 | ★ 8,509 |
| First released | 2026 | 2012 |
| Replaces | — | Pastebin.com |
Why pick each one
Choose lesma if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose PrivateBin if…
- Released under the Zlib license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8.5k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is lesma or PrivateBin better?
PrivateBin is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider lesma if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are lesma and PrivateBin free and open-source?
Yes. lesma is licensed under GPL-3.0 and PrivateBin under Zlib. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run lesma and PrivateBin with Docker?
lesma: yes. PrivateBin: yes.