MicroBin vs Stikked
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
Stikked
Feature-rich PHP pastebin with API and themes
| Feature | MicroBin | Stikked |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 14 · At risk |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Rust | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,563 | ★ 989 |
| First released | 2022 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com | Pastebin.com |
What are MicroBin and Stikked?
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
Stikked
Stikked is an open-source PHP pastebin with a wide range of features including syntax highlighting, an API, themes, and spam protection. It has long been a popular choice for self-hosted code sharing.
- Syntax highlighting
- Themes and customization
- API access
- Spam protection
MicroBin vs Stikked: key differences
MicroBin is written in Rust, while Stikked is built with JavaScript. MicroBin is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Stikked. Stikked is the more established project (first released 2011), while MicroBin arrived in 2022. MicroBin has the considerably larger community, at 4,563 GitHub stars versus 989.
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 Stikked if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is MicroBin or Stikked 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 Stikked free and open-source?
Yes. MicroBin is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Stikked under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MicroBin and Stikked with Docker?
MicroBin: yes. Stikked: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MicroBin or Stikked?
MicroBin has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Stikked. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.