rustypaste vs Zipline
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | rustypaste | Zipline |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Rust | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,207 | ★ 3,429 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Imgur | Imgur, Dropbox |
What are rustypaste and Zipline?
rustypaste
rustypaste is a minimal self-hosted file upload and pastebin service written in Rust. It supports expiring uploads, one-shot files, and command-line usage with curl.
- One-shot expiring uploads
- Curl-friendly API
- Minimal resource usage
Zipline
Zipline is a fast self-hosted file upload server with a modern dashboard. It supports ShareX, image embeds, URL shortening, and detailed statistics.
- ShareX integration
- URL shortener built in
- Detailed upload statistics
rustypaste vs Zipline: key differences
Rustypaste is written in Rust, while Zipline is built with TypeScript. Rustypaste is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Zipline. Zipline has the considerably larger community, at 3,429 GitHub stars versus 1,207.
Why pick each one
Choose rustypaste if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
Choose Zipline if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is rustypaste or Zipline better?
Neither is universally better. Zipline has the larger community, while rustypaste is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are rustypaste and Zipline free and open-source?
Yes. rustypaste is licensed under MIT and Zipline under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run rustypaste and Zipline with Docker?
rustypaste: yes. Zipline: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, rustypaste or Zipline?
rustypaste has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Zipline. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.