A paste can be a message you want to disappear or a piece of code you want to keep improving. Those jobs need different tools. Opengist is the choice for a lasting code collection, because every snippet is a Git repository with revisions, diffs, search and multi-file editing. Choose MicroBin for lightweight text, file and link sharing, and PrivateBin when the server must not receive readable paste contents.
All three are open-source applications you run on your own server. There is no software subscription to compare, but you still supply the machine, HTTPS, backups and updates. The important split is not the length of the feature list: Opengist keeps a development history, MicroBin handles several kinds of upload, and PrivateBin encrypts in the browser before the paste is sent.
- For a code library or a GitHub Gist replacement: Opengist. Its Git history and search matter every time you revisit a snippet.
- For text, attachments and short links in one small service: MicroBin. Choose Secret mode when sensitive uploads should be encrypted in the browser; the documented manual setup enables that mode, while other configurations may leave it disabled.
- For confidential, temporary sharing: PrivateBin. Add a password if the link’s recipients should not automatically be able to read the paste.
- For named users and private team access: Opengist. It has individual accounts, private snippets and a login-required instance; the other two rely mainly on links and passwords.
Key facts
3 productsLicenses, requirements and starting prices.
- License
- AGPL-3.0, open source
- Runs on
- Self-hosted web application
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Standalone binary
- Needs
- Git
- with version 2.28 or later recommended
- License
- BSD 3-Clause, open source
- Runs on
- Self-hosted web application
- Docker
- Single executable
- Needs
- Docker
- or Cargo to install the executable
- License
- Zlib/libpng, open source
- Runs on
- Self-hosted web application
- Docker
- Needs
- PHP 7.4 or above with zlib for a non-container install
- JavaScript-enabled browser
Opengist is the right starting point when a snippet is something you will return to. Each one is a Git repository, so an edit adds to a browsable history rather than replacing the only copy. You can inspect diffs, clone a snippet or push changes over HTTP or SSH. The web editor also accepts several files, including binary files and images, and offers a ZIP download.
That structure makes it much more useful than a simple paste form for developers. Full-text and code search, topics, user collections and forks give a growing library some order. Markdown can include Mermaid diagrams, LaTeX and CSV, and an embed widget puts a snippet into another web page. Scripts can use Git directly or a REST API with scoped personal access tokens.
It also fits a private team better than the other two. Public, unlisted and private visibility applies to each snippet, while the whole instance can require login. Accounts support OAuth or OpenID Connect, LDAP, TOTP and WebAuthn, and administrators can manage users and anonymous sharing.
The tradeoff is confidentiality and retention. A private snippet controls who may open it, rather than providing a zero-knowledge sharing model like PrivateBin, whose contents are encrypted in the browser before reaching the server. Timed expiration and archiving are available, but there is no burn-after-reading or recipient password control. Choose PrivateBin for a temporary secret, or MicroBin for a mixed file drop, rather than treating Opengist’s private label as the same protection.
What it does
- Git-backed snippets with revision history and diffs
- Syntax highlighting, Markdown, Mermaid, LaTeX and CSV
- Public, unlisted and private visibility
- Scoped REST API tokens, HTTP and SSH Git access
Pros
- Full revision history and diffs for every snippet
- Git clone, pull and push over HTTP or SSH
- Multi-file snippets with search, topics and forks
- Individual accounts, external login and private-instance controls
Cons
- Private visibility restricts readers but doesn't provide zero-knowledge browser encryption
- No burn-after-reading or recipient password controls
- Git is required on the server
Skip if: Anyone sharing sensitive text that the server must never receive in readable form.
MicroBin combines text, attachments and URL shortening in one small service. An upload can contain text, several attachments or a URL redirect, so the same service can send an error log, a file and a short link. Raw text and file endpoints also make it useful for scripts and machine-to-machine transfers. It runs as a single executable or Docker container, with SQLite or JSON storage rather than a separate database server.
Its privacy options need more attention than its feature list suggests. Secret uploads encrypt in the browser before sending the data, and the unencrypted contents and password do not leave the device. That protection is optional: the sender must choose the Secret privacy level, and the administrator must make that level available. The fallback configuration disables it, but the .env file fetched by the documented Cargo installation already sets MICROBIN_ENCRYPTION_CLIENT_SIDE=true. The upload guide says this mode asks for the password repeatedly, a real inconvenience for frequent use.
Editing is flexible but unusually open at the lower privacy levels. Anyone who can read a public or unlisted upload can also modify it. Read-only mode requires a password for changes, while secret uploads cannot be edited at all. This makes MicroBin a better personal drop box than a shared code workspace: there is no browsable revision history, code search or multi-file snippet structure with topics and forks.
Before exposing it publicly, change the administrator credentials as the project instructs. Large uploads also deserve a conservative limit because MicroBin loads served files into memory. For simple HTTP uploads, MicroBin is easier to call directly than PrivateBin’s encryption-aware API. Opengist is the stronger choice when you need Git and full snippet management.
What it does
- Text, file and URL uploads with expiration and read limits
- Optional client-side encryption for secret uploads
- Client- or server-side syntax highlighting
- Single executable, Docker install and admin interface
Pros
- One self-contained executable with SQLite or JSON storage
- Text, multiple attachments, raw downloads and URL shortening
- Expiration, configurable read limits and optional browser encryption
- Straightforward HTTP uploads for shell scripts
Cons
- Secret-mode browser encryption is optional and must be selected per upload; some configurations leave it disabled
- Public and unlisted uploads can be changed by anyone who can read them
- No revision history or code-oriented snippet organization
Skip if: Teams that need named accounts, detailed permissions or a searchable history of code changes.
PrivateBin is the specialist to choose when the paste service itself should not receive readable contents. The browser encrypts and decrypts the paste, and the key stays in the fragment after the # in its URL. Files, file names and discussion contents receive the same protection. Expiration can remove a paste after a chosen period or after reading, and a password adds a second requirement beyond possessing the link.
That key-bearing URL is both the convenience and the caution. Anyone who obtains the complete link can read a paste that has no password. Keep the whole URL private, use a strong password for sensitive material, and send that password through a separate protected channel. Encryption also does not hide access activity from server logs.
Browser encryption does not make a hostile server harmless. PrivateBin’s own explanation warns that a compromised or coerced administrator could serve altered code that captures a decryption key. Use HTTPS and an instance whose operator you trust. If that trust is impossible, encrypt the content locally before using any web paste service.
As a snippet manager, PrivateBin is deliberately limited. Cloning starts another paste instead of preserving a sequence of edits, and access is based on links rather than individual accounts. Its JSON API can create, retrieve and delete pastes, but an integration must reproduce the encryption process locally. Choose it for a confidential exchange, not to replace Opengist’s revision history or MicroBin’s simple file workflow.
What it does
- Browser-side encryption and decryption
- Expiration, burn-after-reading and optional passwords
- Markdown preview and source-code highlighting
- Optional file uploads and anonymous discussions
Pros
- Browser-side encryption is the core paste model
- Attachments and discussion contents receive the same protection
- Passwords, timed expiry and burn-after-reading
- Optional image, media and PDF previews
Cons
- Anyone with the full link can read an unpassworded paste
- Access logs can still reveal access activity
- Cloning creates another paste rather than keeping revision history
Skip if: Developers who need durable snippet libraries, named accounts or straightforward plaintext API integrations.
How to choose
Start with what should happen to the content after you share it. If it should become a maintained example or a small collection of files, Opengist’s Git model will save you from manually cloning and renaming pastes. For a short-lived secret or a limited number of reads, MicroBin and PrivateBin offer the controls Opengist lacks.
Then decide who you are protecting the content from. A login-required Opengist instance can keep outsiders away from snippets, but its server can still read them. MicroBin’s ordinary private mode is server-side encryption, not the same thing as its optional secret mode. PrivateBin is the simplest fit when even the stored data should be unreadable without the URL key or password.
Finally, count the recipient’s steps. Opengist is worth the accounts when named access matters. MicroBin suits people who want links, QR codes and attachments without a snippet-management system. PrivateBin asks recipients to trust the code served by the instance and sometimes handle a second password, in return for keeping plaintext away from the server.
Scores
1–5 per criterion · select a score for its reasoning and any sources| # | Product | Overall | Revision history , counts double | Snippet organization and editing | Code and document presentation | Content confidentiality | Expiration and read limits | Access control | API and command-line workflows | Text, files and links , counts half | Setup and upkeep , counts half |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opengist | 4.2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| 2 | MicroBin | 2.8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | PrivateBin | 2.4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
×2 = counts double in the overall score, ×½ = counts half.
How each criterion is scored
Revision history
Counts double in the overall score: This is the main difference between a durable snippet workspace and a disposable sharing link, so it changes the choice for more readers.
Whether a snippet can keep a browsable history of changes, with diffs and ordinary version-control operations, rather than being overwritten or cloned into an unrelated paste.
- 5 Every snippet has a browsable history with diffs and works as a Git repository over HTTP or SSH.
- 4 A browsable revision history includes diffs, but ordinary Git clone, pull and push workflows are incomplete.
- 3 Several revisions are retained, without a complete diff view or standard version-control access.
- 2 A paste retains a previous version, but not a useful history of successive edits.
- 1 Editing replaces the current content or cloning creates a new paste; there is no browsable revision history.
Snippet organization and editing
How well the product supports a lasting personal or team snippet collection: editing, multiple files, discovery, search and organization.
- 5 Multi-file snippets with editing, full-text and code search, topics, user collections and forks.
- 4 Multi-file snippets, editing, search and topics, without forks or a full user-centered collection.
- 3 A persistent collection with editing and either search or organization, but no multi-file snippets.
- 2 Editable uploads or multiple attachments, but little organization or discovery beyond a basic list.
- 1 Focused on individual pastes, with no useful persistent collection or organization.
Code and document presentation
How clearly recipients can read source code and formatted documents, and whether an author can embed a snippet in another web page.
- 5 Broad language highlighting, Markdown with diagrams, math, CSV and media, and an embed widget.
- 4 Highlighting, rendered Markdown and embedding, with little support for richer document elements.
- 3 Syntax highlighting and Markdown with a preview, but no embed widget.
- 2 Syntax highlighting, without rendered Markdown or an embed widget.
- 1 Plain text only.
Content confidentiality
Whether the server receives readable paste contents, judged from where encryption happens, which contents it covers, and whether protection is the normal behavior or an optional mode. HTTPS alone does not count.
- 5 Browser-side encryption is the core paste model, and can also protect attachments and discussion contents.
- 4 Browser-side encryption can protect text and attachments, but the administrator must enable it or the sender must choose it.
- 3 Browser-side encryption protects selected text, but not attachments, or requires external client work.
- 2 Only a password gate or server-side encryption; submitted contents reach the server readable.
- 1 Contents are stored readable by the server, with no browser-side encryption mode.
Expiration and read limits
Controls for temporary sharing: timed expiry, deletion after reading or a limited number of views, and password protection for a recipient.
- 5 Timed expiry, configurable read limits or burn-after-reading, passwords, and the option to keep durable pastes.
- 4 Timed expiry and deletion after reading, with passwords or persistent-paste options.
- 3 Timed expiry and password protection, but no deletion after reading.
- 2 One of timed expiry, deletion after reading or password protection.
- 1 No per-paste expiration, read limit or recipient password controls.
Access control
How precisely an operator and sender can control who creates, reads and changes pastes, including individual accounts and private instances.
- 5 As 4, plus LDAP, two-factor or passkey authentication, anonymous-sharing controls and user administration.
- 4 Accounts, public/unlisted/private visibility, a login-required instance and several external login options.
- 3 Individual accounts and private snippets, but limited sign-in or administration choices.
- 2 Unlisted links and per-item passwords, plus a simple site-wide login or upload restriction.
- 1 Link visibility and optional paste passwords only; no meaningful instance access controls.
API and command-line workflows
How directly a developer can create, retrieve and maintain snippets from scripts, a terminal or Git without reproducing application logic.
- 5 An authenticated REST API with scoped tokens, plus Git clone, pull and push over HTTP or SSH.
- 4 A documented authenticated management API, but no Git-native snippet workflow.
- 3 Straightforward HTTP creation and raw retrieval, without a full authenticated management API or Git access.
- 2 An HTTP API exists, but clients must implement encryption or other application-specific processing themselves.
- 1 Browser-only sharing.
Text, files and links
Counts half in the overall score: Mixed file sharing and URL shortening matter greatly to some readers, but are secondary to the main paste-versus-snippet-library decision.
The range of content an upload or snippet can carry, including multiple or binary files, previews, raw downloads and URL redirection.
- 5 Multiple attachments, image and video preview, raw file serving and built-in URL shortening.
- 4 Multiple files including binary files and images, with preview and ZIP or raw download.
- 3 Several attachments or binary files, with raw serving or a ZIP download.
- 2 An optional file attachment and basic image, media or document preview.
- 1 Text only.
Setup and upkeep
Counts half in the overall score: Every candidate has a practical small-server install, so setup matters less than what the service lets readers do afterward.
The programs and services needed for a small standard install, its default storage, and the administration provided after installation.
- 5 One self-contained executable or container with embedded storage and an integrated administration interface.
- 4 One container or executable with embedded storage, but a host runtime or extra service integration needs attention.
- 3 One application with local storage, but substantial runtime, SSH or reverse-proxy work is part of a normal install.
- 2 The application needs a separate database server.
- 1 Several separately operated services are required.
Also considered
- wastebin
A minimal Rust pastebin with SQLite, syntax highlighting, Markdown, encrypted entries and deletion controls. It is a reasonable smaller option, but the ranked tools cover its main decisions more fully: PrivateBin’s browser-side model, MicroBin’s mixed uploads and Opengist’s durable snippet workspace.
- Pastefy
A feature-rich pastebin with folders, accounts, API clients and rich previews. Consider it when those extras matter more than Opengist’s Git-native history or MicroBin’s single-executable setup. The ranked three cover the clearest choices between those approaches.
Questions
Does a private or unlisted paste mean the server cannot read it?
No. Visibility controls who can open a paste through the application. For contents the server cannot read, look for encryption in the browser. PrivateBin uses that model throughout. MicroBin offers it through Secret uploads when client-side encryption is enabled; its documented Cargo setup enables that option, but the sender still chooses Secret for each upload.
Which one is easiest to automate?
Opengist is the strongest choice for a maintained integration because it combines Git with a scoped REST API. MicroBin is simpler for a script that only uploads text or files and reads raw content. PrivateBin requires the client to implement its encryption format, although community command-line clients can handle that work.
Can any of these replace a full Git server?
Opengist stores each snippet in Git, but it is designed for snippets, not a complete repository platform with issue tracking, pull-request review and CI. MicroBin and PrivateBin are sharing tools rather than version-control hosts. Choose a Git forge for full project hosting.
Sources
3 products
Sources used for scores and product facts.
