MicroBin vs Pinnwand
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
MicroBin
Tiny, feature-rich pastebin and file-sharing service
VS
Pinnwand
Python pastebin with a command-line companion
| Feature | MicroBin | Pinnwand |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 73 · Good |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,563 | ★ 228 |
| First released | 2022 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com | Pastebin.com |
What are MicroBin and Pinnwand?
MicroBin
MicroBin is a super tiny, configurable, self-contained pastebin and URL shortener written in Rust. Despite its small size it supports file uploads, encryption, QR codes, and expiring pastes.
- Single small binary
- File uploads and URL shortening
- Optional encryption
- QR code generation
Pinnwand
Pinnwand is a straightforward pastebin written in Python that supports multi-file pastes and expiration. It pairs with the steck command-line tool for posting pastes directly from the terminal.
- Multi-file pastes
- Command-line client
- Expiration support
- Simple deployment
MicroBin vs Pinnwand: key differences
MicroBin is written in Rust, while Pinnwand is built with Python. MicroBin is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pinnwand. Pinnwand is the more established project (first released 2018), while MicroBin arrived in 2022. MicroBin has the considerably larger community, at 4,563 GitHub stars versus 228.
Why pick each one
Choose MicroBin if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.6k GitHub stars)
Choose Pinnwand if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is MicroBin or Pinnwand better?
Neither is universally better. MicroBin has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are MicroBin and Pinnwand free and open-source?
Yes. MicroBin is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Pinnwand under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MicroBin and Pinnwand with Docker?
MicroBin: yes. Pinnwand: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MicroBin or Pinnwand?
MicroBin has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pinnwand. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.