Skip to the comparison
PasteOkay
Create a paste
Menu

Pastebins · Comparison

PasteOkay vs ix.io: command-line pastes compared

ix.io lives in your shell history. PasteOkay lives in a link you can send to anyone, with controls a curl one-liner cannot offer.

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 the recipient is a person, not a script, and the text needs privacy or an expiry.
  • Choose ix.io when you want to POST a file from a terminal and get a URL without leaving the shell.
  • Features and prices were checked in October 2026; verify the current details with each provider.

PasteOkay

Choose PasteOkay when the recipient is a person, not a script, and the text needs privacy or an expiry.

  • A page designed for reading, with syntax highlighting
  • Password, encryption and burn after reading
  • A manage link for later edits and deletion
Create a paste

ix.io

Choose ix.io when you want to POST a file from a terminal and get a URL without leaving the shell.

  • curl or a small shell function is the whole client
  • Works on machines with no graphical interface
  • No account and almost no overhead
Visit ix.io

Side by side

PasteOkay and ix.io compared
Capability PasteOkay ix.io
Account required No No
Expiry control 10 minutes to 30 days Operator-defined
Client-side encryption Yes No
Password protection Yes No
Burn after reading Yes No
Web editor Yes No
Edit or delete later Manage link Limited
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.

A shell tool and a web product

ix.io is built for the moment when you already have a file open in a terminal. You send it, you get a URL, you paste that URL into a chat. The simplicity is the point: no account, no browser, no state to manage.

PasteOkay is built for the recipient. The link opens a readable page with metadata, an expiry countdown, an optional password prompt and a copy button. That matters when the person on the other side is not a developer.

The privacy gap

A command-line paste is plaintext in transit and plaintext at rest from the service's perspective. There is no password gate and no key held by the sender. PasteOkay encrypts the stored blob and can additionally encrypt in the browser so the server only sees ciphertext.

For a public stack trace, the difference is academic. For a configuration file with a database URL, it is the reason to choose one tool over the other.

A workflow that uses both

Send the raw log with ix.io when speed matters and the content is public. When the log needs redaction, paste it into PasteOkay, set a one-hour expiry, add a password and send both the link and the password through different channels.

Which one should you choose?

Choose PasteOkay if

  • The recipient needs a readable page rather than raw text
  • You want a password or browser encryption
  • The paste should expire or be deletable

Choose ix.io if

  • You are working entirely in a terminal
  • The text is public and disposable
  • You already have a shell function that posts to ix.io

Frequently asked questions

Is ix.io encrypted?

The service accepts plain text through a command-line request. It does not provide a browser-held encryption key like PasteOkay does.

Can I password protect an ix.io paste?

The workflow is command-line first and does not include a password prompt on the paste page. PasteOkay adds a password gate derived in the browser.

Which is easier to share with a non-developer?

PasteOkay. The link opens a normal page with a title, expiry information and a clear text area. ix.io returns raw text.

Does PasteOkay have a command-line client?

There is no official CLI. The API is documented, and a script can create a paste, but the product is designed around the browser because the password and encryption steps happen there.

More comparisons

Pastebins

PasteOkay vs termbin

termbin turns a netcat command into a paste URL. We compare its terminal workflow, retention and total absence of privacy controls with PasteOkay.

Read the comparison

Pastebins

PasteOkay vs 0x0.st

0x0.st is a minimalist file and text host with size-based retention. We compare its retention model, privacy limits and command-line workflow with PasteOkay.

Read the comparison

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

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