Opengist vs Pastefy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Opengist | Pastefy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 70 · Good |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,353 | ★ 457 |
| First released | 2023 | 2019 |
| Replaces | GitHub Gist | Pastebin.com, GitHub Gist |
What are Opengist and Pastefy?
Opengist
Opengist is a self-hosted pastebin and snippet manager where every snippet is a Git repository. It supports revisions, syntax highlighting, embedding, and access via the web, Git, and an API.
- Git-backed snippets
- Revision history
- Syntax highlighting and embeds
- OAuth login support
Pastefy
Pastefy is a modern, open-source pastebin application with a clean interface. It supports client-side encryption, multi-paste folders, an extensive API, and optional user accounts.
- Client-side encryption
- Multi-paste folders
- Full REST API
- Optional accounts
Opengist vs Pastefy: key differences
Opengist is written in Go, while Pastefy is built with Vue. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Opengist versus Apache-2.0 for Pastefy. Opengist is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Pastefy. Pastefy is the more established project (first released 2019), while Opengist arrived in 2023. Opengist has the considerably larger community, at 3,353 GitHub stars versus 457.
Why pick each one
Choose Opengist if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
Choose Pastefy if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Vue
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Opengist or Pastefy better?
Opengist is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Pastefy if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Opengist and Pastefy free and open-source?
Yes. Opengist is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pastefy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Opengist and Pastefy with Docker?
Opengist: yes. Pastefy: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Opengist or Pastefy?
Opengist has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Pastefy. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.