Pastefy vs PrivateBin
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
PrivateBin
Minimalist pastebin with zero-knowledge encryption
| Feature | Pastefy | PrivateBin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 70 · Good | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Zlib |
| Language | Vue | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 457 | ★ 8,609 |
| First released | 2019 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com, GitHub Gist | Pastebin.com |
What are Pastefy and PrivateBin?
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
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
Pastefy vs PrivateBin: key differences
Pastefy is written in Vue, while PrivateBin is built with PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Pastefy versus Zlib for PrivateBin. PrivateBin is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Pastefy. PrivateBin is the more established project (first released 2012), while Pastefy arrived in 2019. PrivateBin has the considerably larger community, at 8,609 GitHub stars versus 457.
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 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 Pastefy or PrivateBin better?
PrivateBin 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 Pastefy and PrivateBin free and open-source?
Yes. Pastefy is licensed under Apache-2.0 and PrivateBin under Zlib. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pastefy and PrivateBin with Docker?
Pastefy: yes. PrivateBin: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Pastefy or PrivateBin?
PrivateBin 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.