Pastefy vs Pinnwand
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Pastefy
Modern pastebin with folders, encryption, and an API
VS
Pinnwand
Python pastebin with a command-line companion
| Feature | Pastefy | Pinnwand |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 70 · Good | 73 · Good |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Vue | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 457 | ★ 228 |
| First released | 2019 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com, GitHub Gist | Pastebin.com |
What are Pastefy and Pinnwand?
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
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
Pastefy vs Pinnwand: key differences
Pastefy is written in Vue, while Pinnwand is built with Python. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Pastefy versus BSD-3-Clause for Pinnwand. Pinnwand is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Pastefy. Pastefy has the considerably larger community, at 457 GitHub stars versus 228.
Why pick each one
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
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 Pastefy or Pinnwand better?
Neither is universally better. Pastefy has the larger community, while Pinnwand is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Pastefy and Pinnwand free and open-source?
Yes. Pastefy is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Pinnwand under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pastefy and Pinnwand with Docker?
Pastefy: yes. Pinnwand: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Pastefy or Pinnwand?
Pinnwand 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.