Pinnwand vs Cryptgeon
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Pinnwand
Python pastebin with a command-line companion
VS
Cryptgeon
Encrypted note and file sharing with self-destruct
| Feature | Pinnwand | Cryptgeon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | Python | Svelte |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 226 | ★ 1,497 |
| First released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com | PrivateBin, One-Time Secret |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Cryptgeon if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Pinnwand or Cryptgeon better?
Neither is universally better. Cryptgeon has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Pinnwand and Cryptgeon free and open-source?
Yes. Pinnwand is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Cryptgeon under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pinnwand and Cryptgeon with Docker?
Pinnwand: yes. Cryptgeon: yes.