MicroBin vs PrivateBin
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
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PrivateBin
Minimalist pastebin with zero-knowledge encryption
| Feature | MicroBin | PrivateBin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Zlib |
| Language | Rust | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,563 | ★ 8,610 |
| First released | 2022 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com | Pastebin.com |
What are MicroBin and PrivateBin?
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
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
MicroBin vs PrivateBin: key differences
MicroBin is written in Rust, while PrivateBin is built with PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for MicroBin versus Zlib for PrivateBin. MicroBin is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for PrivateBin. PrivateBin is the more established project (first released 2012), while MicroBin arrived in 2022.
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 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
Frequently asked questions
Is MicroBin 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 MicroBin and PrivateBin free and open-source?
Yes. MicroBin is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and PrivateBin under Zlib. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MicroBin and PrivateBin with Docker?
MicroBin: yes. PrivateBin: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MicroBin or PrivateBin?
MicroBin has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for PrivateBin. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.