A minimalist open-source pastebin where the server has zero knowledge of pasted data. Content is encrypted and decrypted entirely in the browser using 256-bit AES-GCM before anything touches the server, with the decryption key stored only in the URL fragment.
Reviewed by Marco Wollank
PrivateBin
privatebin.info 4 ratings so far*
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Threat level
Covered
A covered pick. Anyone can use it as a private drop-in, with no setup or know-how. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
The zero-knowledge design is the real thing: the decryption key lives in the URL fragment, which browsers never send to the server, so even a fully cooperative server operator cannot read your paste. Supports burn-after-reading, expiration timers, and optional password protection for a second layer. The self-hosted PHP backend is straightforward to deploy. Worth noting: the server still logs access times and IP addresses for any URL, just not the content. For sharing sensitive text without trusting a third-party service, PrivateBin is the benchmark.
GitHub at a glance
PrivateBin/PrivateBin cryptocryptographyencryptedhacktoberfestone-timepastepastebinphpsecurityself-destroyself-hostedself-hosting
Stars
8,732
+15 this week
Forks
1,057
106 watching
Last commit
today
healthy
Latest release
2.1.0
16d ago, 44 total
Star history
Issues
87% closed
119
open
827
closed
+17 / -20
opened / closed, last 4 weeks
Opened vs closed, last 12 weeks
Commits, last 26 weeks
345 commits, active 25 of 26 weeks
152 contributors since Jul 2016
Languages
- PHP 45.9%
- JavaScript 38.3%
- CSS 15.5%
Updated daily from the GitHub API. Star tracking since Jun 22, 2026.
Website at a glance
privatebin.info
B+ score 80
Solid website security headers
Graded by Mozilla HTTP Observatory, tested 1d ago
Inspect this site yourself
Measures the security configuration of the tool's own website, not the privacy of the product itself. A strong tool can still score low here.
PrivateBin alternatives
PrivacyNotes Encrypted notes, tasks, calendar, files, passwords and a journal with mood and medication tracking, all unlocked by one 12-word recovery phrase. Sign up with no email and no password. Open source.
paaster An end-to-end encrypted pastebin that encrypts content in the browser using XChaCha20-Poly1305 and Argon2id before upload. The decryption key stays in the URL fragment and never reaches the server, with no opt-out: every paste is always encrypted.
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