Pinnwand vs Ghostbin
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Pinnwand | Ghostbin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 7 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 228 | ★ 188 |
| First released | 2018 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com | Pastebin.com, GitHub Gist |
What are Pinnwand and Ghostbin?
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
Ghostbin
Ghostbin, whose engine is now called spectre, is a feature-rich, self-hosted pastebin offering syntax highlighting, paste expiration, and optional encryption. It is the open-source software that powered the public Ghostbin service.
- Syntax highlighting
- Optional encryption
- Paste expiration
- Self-hosted control
Pinnwand vs Ghostbin: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Ghostbin's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Pinnwand is actively maintained. Pinnwand is written in Python, while Ghostbin is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Pinnwand versus MIT for Ghostbin. Ghostbin is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pinnwand. Ghostbin is the more established project (first released 2014), while Pinnwand arrived in 2018.
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 Ghostbin if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Pinnwand or Ghostbin better?
Pinnwand is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Ghostbin if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Pinnwand and Ghostbin free and open-source?
Yes. Pinnwand is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Ghostbin under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pinnwand and Ghostbin with Docker?
Pinnwand: yes. Ghostbin: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Pinnwand or Ghostbin?
Ghostbin has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pinnwand. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.