Skip to the comparison
PasteOkay
Create a paste
Menu

Pastebins · Comparison

PasteOkay vs dpaste: expiry presets, privacy and the Django pastebin

dpaste is what a pastebin looks like when the feature list is honest and short. PasteOkay adds a privacy model on top of the same basic idea.

Updated · 4 min read · PasteOkay is our own product, so read this as a vendor comparison. Features were checked in October 2026.

In short

  • Choose PasteOkay when a paste needs a password, browser encryption or a manageable link rather than a public listing.
  • Choose dpaste when you want a mature, no-nonsense paste page with predictable expiry and syntax highlighting.
  • Features and prices were checked in October 2026; verify the current details with each provider.

PasteOkay

Choose PasteOkay when a paste needs a password, browser encryption or a manageable link rather than a public listing.

  • No public paste list and no advertising
  • Password gate, encryption and burn after reading
  • Manage link for edits, deletion and expiry awareness
Create a paste

dpaste

Choose dpaste when you want a mature, no-nonsense paste page with predictable expiry and syntax highlighting.

  • Simple expiry presets and a clean raw view
  • Stable Django implementation familiar to Python developers
  • Quick to use with no account
Visit dpaste

Side by side

PasteOkay and dpaste compared
Capability PasteOkay dpaste
Account required No No
Expiry control 10 minutes to 30 days Preset choices
Client-side encryption Yes No
Password protection Yes No
Burn after reading Yes No
Public directory No Yes, recent pastes
Edit or delete later Manage link Not built in
Price Free, PRO $5 once Free

A dash means the feature is not offered in the standard flow. Plans and limits change; verify the current details with each provider before relying on them.

The same core, a different privacy posture

dpaste does the fundamentals well: paste text, choose how long it lives, get a URL, view the raw text. It is built on Django, the code is approachable and the interface has not been bloated by years of feature requests. For a public snippet it is a reliable choice.

The difference is what happens around the paste. dpaste lists recent public pastes, has no password form and does not encrypt in the browser. PasteOkay treats the paste as private by default, keeps it out of any directory and gives the author tools to end its life early.

Expiry is not the same as control

Both services offer expiry presets, but PasteOkay also shows the remaining lifetime on the paste page and lets the author replace or delete the content with a manage link. That is useful when a paste was created in a hurry and contains one line too many.

dpaste's expiry is enforced by the server, which is the important part. The practical gap is the absence of a sender-controlled deletion path and the lack of a password gate for the window before expiry.

When dpaste is the better answer

If you are pasting a public traceback into an issue, dpaste is perfectly adequate. The same applies to a snippet you want to keep for a few days and share openly. Reach for PasteOkay when the paste is part of a private workflow rather than a public conversation.

Which one should you choose?

Choose PasteOkay if

  • You want the paste to stay out of a public recent list
  • A password or browser encryption is part of the requirement
  • You need to delete the paste before its timer expires

Choose dpaste if

  • You want a public paste with a stable raw URL
  • You prefer a minimal Django-based tool
  • The content has no sensitive value

Frequently asked questions

Does dpaste support client-side encryption?

dpaste is a server-rendered pastebin and does not provide a browser-held encryption key in its standard flow. PasteOkay offers both encryption at rest and optional encryption in the browser.

Can I password protect a dpaste paste?

The standard dpaste form is built around public or unlisted links rather than a password gate. PasteOkay adds a password field that is derived in the browser.

Is PasteOkay free?

Yes. The free plan covers 512 KB pastes, thirty pastes an hour and expiry up to seven days. PRO is a one-time five dollar upgrade for larger pastes, a higher rate and thirty-day expiry.

Which service is better for Python developers?

dpaste is familiar and easy to run if you already work with Django. PasteOkay is language-agnostic and adds privacy controls that a shared public pastebin usually lacks.

More comparisons

Pastebins

PasteOkay vs Hastebin

Hastebin is a small open-source paste tool loved for its speed. We compare its limits, expiry behaviour and privacy with PasteOkay.

Read the comparison

Pastebins

PasteOkay vs PrivateBin

PrivateBin is the best known open-source encrypted pastebin. We compare its self-hosting model, attachments, expiry and interface with PasteOkay.

Read the comparison

Code and docs

PasteOkay vs GitHub Gist

GitHub Gist is where developers keep snippets. We compare its version history, public discovery and account requirement with PasteOkay's private, expiring pastes.

Read the comparison

Try the paste that expires

No account. Choose a lifetime, add a password if you need one, and encrypt in your browser when the text should never reach the server in readable form.

Create a paste All comparisons