PrivateBin alternative.

PrivateBin is a free, open-source pastebin focused on privacy. It encrypts the content of your paste in the browser, so the server only ever stores ciphertext — even the server operator cannot read your paste. It supports burn-after-reading and password protection.

Who uses it: Privacy-conscious users, self-hosters, and communities that want to run their own paste service. It is commonly deployed on private servers by individuals and organizations that want full control over their data.

You paste text, optionally set a password and a burn-after-reading flag, and create the paste. The text is encrypted client-side using the URL fragment as the key, and only ciphertext is sent to the server. The recipient needs the full URL (including the fragment) to decrypt and read the paste.

• Client-side encryption — the server stores only encrypted data (zero-knowledge).
• Open source and self-hostable, so you can run your own instance.
• No account required.
• Supports burn-after-reading, password protection, and configurable expiration.
• Comments and discussions are supported on some instances.

• Text-focused — no built-in file sharing.
• Requires the recipient to have the full URL fragment, which can be fragile if the link is truncated.
• Self-hosting requires server administration skills.
• Public instances may vary in their retention and trustworthiness.

Privacy model

Strong. Content is encrypted in the browser and the server only stores ciphertext, so it is a zero-knowledge design. Self-hosting gives you full control over logs and retention.

Signup requirements

No account required.

Expiration behavior

Configurable — including burn-after-reading, where the paste is deleted after it is first accessed.

File & text support

Text and code only. Files are not supported natively.

PrivateBin is the more privacy-maximal option for text: its zero-knowledge client-side encryption means even the operator cannot read pastes. Khamli is simpler and broader — it trades zero-knowledge encryption for a 4-character code that is easy to read aloud, built-in file sharing up to 500 MB, and a managed service you don't have to host yourself. Khamli encrypts in transit but stores plaintext server-side until expiry.

Choose Khamli when you want zero setup, need to share files or images, or prefer a short code over a long URL — and you don't require zero-knowledge encryption.

PrivateBin may be better when you need strong zero-knowledge encryption, want to self-host, or require burn-after-reading for sensitive text.