bin vs Pastefy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
bin
Minimal, paste-only server written in Rust
VS
Pastefy
Modern pastebin with folders, encryption, and an API
| Feature | bin | Pastefy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 8 · At risk | 70 · Good |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 311 | ★ 457 |
| First released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com | Pastebin.com, GitHub Gist |
What are bin and Pastefy?
bin
bin is an extremely minimal pastebin server written in Rust with no database and no configuration. It keeps pastes in memory and is designed to be small, fast, and easy to deploy.
- No database needed
- Tiny memory footprint
- Single binary
- Curl-friendly
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
bin vs Pastefy: key differences
Bin is written in Rust, while Pastefy is built with Vue. Licensing differs — MIT for bin versus Apache-2.0 for Pastefy. Bin is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Pastefy.
Why pick each one
Choose bin if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
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 bin or Pastefy better?
Neither is universally better. Pastefy has the larger community, while bin is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are bin and Pastefy free and open-source?
Yes. bin is licensed under MIT and Pastefy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bin and Pastefy with Docker?
bin: yes. Pastefy: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, bin or Pastefy?
bin has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Pastefy. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.