Ghostbin vs Stikked
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted pastebins & snippets options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Ghostbin | Stikked |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 7 · At risk | 14 · At risk |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Pastebins & Snippets | Pastebins & Snippets |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 188 | ★ 989 |
| First released | 2014 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Pastebin.com, GitHub Gist | Pastebin.com |
What are Ghostbin and Stikked?
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
Stikked
Stikked is an open-source PHP pastebin with a wide range of features including syntax highlighting, an API, themes, and spam protection. It has long been a popular choice for self-hosted code sharing.
- Syntax highlighting
- Themes and customization
- API access
- Spam protection
Ghostbin vs Stikked: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Ghostbin's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Stikked is actively maintained. Both projects are written in JavaScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Ghostbin versus BSD-3-Clause for Stikked. Ghostbin is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Stikked. Stikked is the more established project (first released 2011), while Ghostbin arrived in 2014. Stikked has the considerably larger community, at 989 GitHub stars versus 188.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Stikked if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Ghostbin or Stikked better?
Stikked 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 Ghostbin and Stikked free and open-source?
Yes. Ghostbin is licensed under MIT and Stikked under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ghostbin and Stikked with Docker?
Ghostbin: yes. Stikked: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ghostbin or Stikked?
Ghostbin has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Stikked. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.