How to Self-Host MicroBin with Docker Compose

What Is MicroBin?

MicroBin is a tiny, self-hosted pastebin that also handles file uploads, URL shortening, and raw text serving. It’s written in Rust, compiles to a single binary, and uses under 10 MB of RAM. Think of it as a private Pastebin.com + Hastebin + file drop in one minimal package. Official site

Prerequisites

• A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+ recommended)
• Docker and Docker Compose installed (guide)
• 100 MB of free disk space (plus storage for uploads)
• 64 MB of RAM minimum

Docker Compose Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  microbin:
    image: danielszabo99/microbin:2.1.0
    container_name: microbin
    environment:
      - MICROBIN_PORT=8080
      - MICROBIN_BIND=0.0.0.0
      - MICROBIN_PRIVATE=true               # Require login to view pastes
      - MICROBIN_EDITABLE=true               # Allow editing pastes
      - MICROBIN_HIGHLIGHTSYNTAX=true        # Syntax highlighting
      - MICROBIN_ENABLE_BURN_AFTER=true      # Self-destructing pastes
      - MICROBIN_ENABLE_READONLY=true        # Read-only paste option
      - MICROBIN_DEFAULT_EXPIRY=24hour       # Default paste expiry
      - MICROBIN_ADMIN_USERNAME=admin        # Admin username
      - MICROBIN_ADMIN_PASSWORD=change-this  # Admin password - CHANGE THIS
      - MICROBIN_HASH_IDS=true              # Use hashed IDs instead of sequential
      - MICROBIN_TITLE=MicroBin             # Page title
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/microbin_data
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    restart: unless-stopped

Key environment variables:

Variable	Purpose	Default
MICROBIN_PRIVATE	Require auth to view pastes	false
MICROBIN_EDITABLE	Allow editing existing pastes	false
MICROBIN_ENABLE_BURN_AFTER	Enable self-destructing pastes	false
MICROBIN_DEFAULT_EXPIRY	Default expiration (never, 10min, 1hour, 24hour, 1week)	never
MICROBIN_ADMIN_USERNAME	Admin login	none
MICROBIN_ADMIN_PASSWORD	Admin password	none — must set
MICROBIN_HASH_IDS	Use random hashes instead of sequential IDs	false
MICROBIN_HIGHLIGHTSYNTAX	Enable syntax highlighting	false

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Initial Setup

1. Open http://your-server-ip:8080
2. The paste form is immediately available
3. Log in with admin credentials to access the admin panel
4. Create your first paste — enter text, set expiration, and submit

Configuration

Paste Features

Each paste can have:

• Expiration: Never, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours, 1 week, or custom
• Burn after reading: Self-destructs after first view
• Read-only: Cannot be edited after creation
• Password protection: Encrypts paste content
• Syntax highlighting: Auto-detects language
• Raw mode: Serve plain text at /raw/[id]

File Uploads

MicroBin supports file uploads alongside text pastes. Files are stored in the microbin_data volume. Set MICROBIN_MAX_FILE_SIZE_UNENCRYPTED_MB and MICROBIN_MAX_FILE_SIZE_ENCRYPTED_MB to control limits.

URL Shortening

Create a paste with just a URL — MicroBin stores it and provides a short link that redirects. Enable with MICROBIN_ENABLE_URL_SHORTENING=true.

Advanced Configuration (Optional)

Encryption

MicroBin supports client-side encryption for pastes:

environment:
  - MICROBIN_ENCRYPTION_CLIENT_SIDE=true
  - MICROBIN_ENCRYPTION_SERVER_SIDE=true

Client-side encryption means the server never sees the plaintext — the encryption key is in the URL fragment.

Custom Footer and Branding

environment:
  - MICROBIN_TITLE=My Paste Service
  - MICROBIN_FOOTER_TEXT=Powered by MicroBin
  - MICROBIN_HIDE_LOGO=false
  - MICROBIN_HIDE_HEADER=false
  - MICROBIN_HIDE_FOOTER=false

Public vs Private Instance

For a team pastebin: set MICROBIN_PRIVATE=true and distribute the admin credentials. For a public pastebin: keep MICROBIN_PRIVATE=false but enable MICROBIN_HASH_IDS=true to prevent enumeration.

Reverse Proxy

Example Nginx Proxy Manager configuration:

• Scheme: http
• Forward Hostname: microbin
• Forward Port: 8080

Reverse Proxy Setup

Backup

tar -czf microbin-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ./data

Backup Strategy

Troubleshooting

Pastes Disappearing

Symptom: Pastes vanish unexpectedly. Fix: Check the default expiry setting. If MICROBIN_DEFAULT_EXPIRY is set to 24hour, pastes expire after 24 hours unless manually set to “never.” Also check if “burn after reading” was accidentally enabled.

Large File Uploads Failing

Symptom: File uploads fail silently or return errors. Fix: Set MICROBIN_MAX_FILE_SIZE_UNENCRYPTED_MB and MICROBIN_MAX_FILE_SIZE_ENCRYPTED_MB to appropriate values. If behind a reverse proxy, also increase the proxy’s client_max_body_size.

Syntax Highlighting Not Working

Symptom: Code pastes show as plain text. Fix: Ensure MICROBIN_HIGHLIGHTSYNTAX=true is set. The language is auto-detected — for better results, set the language manually in the paste form.

Resource Requirements

• RAM: ~10-20 MB (extremely lightweight)
• CPU: Negligible
• Disk: ~5 MB for the application, grows with stored pastes and files

Verdict

MicroBin is the lightest self-hosted pastebin available. Under 10 MB of RAM, no database dependency, and a single container. For personal or small-team use where you need a quick place to share text, code, and files, MicroBin is hard to beat. For a more feature-rich alternative with zero-knowledge encryption as the primary focus, use PrivateBin.

FAQ

MicroBin vs PrivateBin?

MicroBin: lighter, more features (file uploads, URL shortening, editing), simpler. PrivateBin: zero-knowledge encryption by design (server never sees plaintext), more security-focused, more mature. Choose MicroBin for convenience; PrivateBin for privacy.

Is MicroBin suitable for sensitive data?

With client-side encryption enabled, yes. Without encryption, pastes are stored in plaintext on disk. For sensitive data, always enable MICROBIN_ENCRYPTION_CLIENT_SIDE=true.

Can I use MicroBin as an API?

MicroBin has a basic API for creating pastes programmatically. Use curl to POST to the paste endpoint. The API is simple but functional.

Related

• PrivateBin vs MicroBin: Self-Hosted Pastebins Compared
• How to Self-Host PrivateBin
• How to Self-Host YOURLS
• How to Self-Host Shlink
• Docker Compose Basics
• Reverse Proxy Setup
• Backup Strategy
• Security Basics for Self-Hosting