Logo
Deploy Now

SaaS Alternative

Pastebin

Categories

Self-Hosted Privacy Security Encryption Code Sharing Pastebin Zero Knowledge

Stars

8,558

Forks

1,023

Watchers

104

Developer links

Last Updated: 08-21-2026 03:03 PM (UTC)

PrivateBin

PrivateBin shares text and files with true zero-knowledge encryption: the server stores only ciphertext it cannot decrypt because the key exists exclusively in the URL fragment that never reaches the server. With over 8,400 GitHub stars and 500,000+ Docker pulls, it has become the standard for privacy-respecting paste sharing where not even the hosting operator can read stored content. All encryption uses 256-bit AES in Galois Counter mode performed entirely client-side in the browser. Burn-after-reading mode destroys pastes on first view, while configurable expiration timers automatically purge content after periods ranging from five minutes to forever. Optional password protection adds a second encryption layer requiring recipients to enter a passphrase before decryption occurs. Discussion threads enable anonymous or nickname-based commenting on pastes with IP-based identicon avatars for visual identity. Markdown rendering with live preview formats pastes as styled HTML, and syntax highlighting through prettify.js supports dozens of programming languages across four color themes. File upload support enables sharing images, PDFs, and media files with in-browser preview. QR code generation converts paste URLs for mobile device transfer. Customizable templates include Bootstrap 5, classic Bootstrap CSS, and Darkstrap themes. Storage backends support filesystem, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Amazon S3, and Google Cloud Storage. Deploy via Docker with the privatebin/nginx-fpm-alpine image on port 8080. Running on a dedicated VPS on RepoCloud with guaranteed CPU, RAM, and SSD, full root SSH access, and a browser serial console. zlib licensed.

PrivateBin
PrivateBin
PrivateBin
PrivateBin

Benefits

  • True Zero-Knowledge Encryption
  • All data is encrypted client-side using 256-bit AES-GCM before reaching the server, meaning the hosting operator cannot read, analyze, or disclose stored paste content under any circumstances.
  • Self-Destructing Secure Sharing
  • Burn-after-reading mode destroys pastes on first view, configurable expiration timers purge content automatically, and optional password protection adds a second encryption layer for sensitive data.
  • Rich Content Formatting
  • Markdown rendering with live preview, syntax highlighting through prettify.js supporting dozens of languages, file upload with image and PDF preview, and QR code generation for mobile sharing.
  • Flexible Storage Backends
  • Stores encrypted pastes on filesystem, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Amazon S3, or Google Cloud Storage, enabling deployment configurations ranging from single-file installations to enterprise object storage.

Features

  • Client-Side Encryption
  • 256-bit AES-GCM encryption performed entirely in the browser with the decryption key stored only in the URL fragment, never transmitted to the server.
  • Burn After Reading
  • Self-destructing pastes deleted on first view, configurable expiration from five minutes to forever, and optional password protection for additional security.
  • Discussions and Comments
  • Anonymous or nickname-based threaded discussions on pastes with IP-based identicon or vizhash avatars for visual commenter identification.
  • Syntax Highlighting
  • prettify.js integration supporting dozens of programming languages with four color themes, plus Markdown rendering with live HTML preview.
  • File Upload Support
  • Encrypted file sharing with in-browser preview for images, PDFs, and media files, configurable size limits, and the same zero-knowledge encryption as text pastes.