Paste.ee

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Paste.ee

A curated collection of the 2 best self hosted alternatives to Paste.ee.

Paste.ee is an online pastebin service for sharing text, code and files. It offers public or private pastes, syntax highlighting, optional expiry, and an API for programmatic creation and retrieval of pastes.

Alternatives List

#1
PrivateBin

PrivateBin

Self-hosted, zero-knowledge pastebin that encrypts text in the browser, supports file attachments, expiration, burn-after-reading, and discussion threads.

PrivateBin screenshot

PrivateBin is a minimalist pastebin designed for privacy: paste content is encrypted and decrypted in the browser so the server cannot read it (“zero knowledge”). It supports sharing sensitive text (and optional attachments) via a link, with controls for expiration and one-time reading.

Key Features

  • Client-side end-to-end encryption (server stores only ciphertext)
  • Optional password protection (in addition to E2EE)
  • Expiration settings for pastes (time-based)
  • “Burn after reading” / one-time view option
  • Discussion mode with threaded comments on a paste
  • Syntax highlighting for many languages
  • File attachments (stored encrypted alongside the paste)
  • Optional formatter support (e.g., Markdown) and configurable templates/themes
  • No user accounts required; designed for simple, anonymous sharing

Use Cases

  • Share secrets or configuration snippets with a team using expiring links
  • Send one-time incident notes or credentials via “burn after reading”
  • Publish encrypted snippets for support/debugging without exposing plaintext on the server

Limitations and Considerations

  • If the decryption key embedded in the URL is leaked (e.g., via referrer logs or chat previews), confidentiality is lost; deployments should consider referrer policy and HTTPS.

PrivateBin is well-suited for organizations and individuals who want a lightweight, auditable paste service where the host cannot access paste contents. Its focus on client-side encryption and practical sharing controls makes it a common replacement for hosted paste and “secure note” services.

7.9kstars
952forks
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#2
Opengist

Opengist

Opengist is a self-hosted, Git-backed alternative to GitHub Gist for sharing code snippets and text pastes with syntax highlighting, Markdown support, and user management.

Opengist screenshot

Opengist is a lightweight, self-hosted gist service for publishing and collaborating on code snippets and text pastes. It is designed as an alternative to GitHub Gist, with content stored in Git repositories for versioning and portability.

Key Features

  • Git-backed storage for gists (history/versioning via commits)
  • Public and private gists with sharing links
  • Syntax highlighting for many languages
  • Markdown rendering for README-style snippets
  • Revisions and diff/history browsing
  • User accounts with administration capabilities
  • Import/migration support from GitHub Gist (via tooling/workflows provided by the project)
  • HTTP(S) deployment support with reverse proxies (common Docker-based deployment patterns)

Use Cases

  • Internal “team gist” for reusable snippets, runbooks, and config examples
  • Personal pastebin for sharing logs, commands, and short notes
  • Lightweight snippet hosting for projects that don’t want full Git forge overhead

Limitations and Considerations

  • Focused specifically on gists/snippets; it is not a full Git hosting platform (no full PR/issue workflows)

Opengist fits teams and individuals who want gist-like sharing with Git-native versioning, simple governance, and easy portability. It is especially useful when you need a minimal snippet service that stays under your control while remaining compatible with common Git-based workflows.

2.9kstars
143forks
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Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running