Compare
CodeThis vs Pastebin.com
Pastebin.com: The original pastebin, in ~2008 form.
TL;DR
Pastebin is what you used in 2008. CodeThis is what a pastebin should look like in 2026 — clean editor, rich markdown, MDC components, modern OG previews, and an API that isn't walled behind a "Pro" upsell on every page.
At a glance
| Feature | CodeThis | Pastebin.com |
|---|---|---|
| Modern editor (CodeMirror 6) | ✓ | — |
| Rich markdown + MDC | ✓ | — |
| Syntax highlighting | 100+ languages | 200+ syntaxes (many legacy) |
| Ad-free experience | ✓ | — |
| Anonymous sharing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Password protection | ✓ | Pro only |
| Link expiration | ✓ | ✓ |
| REST API | Pro | separate Pro tier |
| MCP server | ✓ | — |
| Dynamic OG images | ✓ | — |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
Where Pastebin.com wins
Brand recognition. "Pastebin" is practically a generic term, and the URLs have been posted in the same forums for 15+ years. That's a real network effect for existing links.
Where CodeThis wins
Everything else — the editor, the rendering, the aesthetics, the developer surface — has not aged well on pastebin.com. CodeThis is a ground-up rewrite of what that experience should feel like.
A modern editor, not a textarea
CodeMirror 6 with language-aware autocomplete, bracket matching, search, and keyboard shortcuts. Pastebin is a `<textarea>`.
Rich markdown + MDC
Share a runbook, a postmortem, or a tutorial with alerts, callouts, steps, and tabs — all from plain markdown. Pastebin treats everything as raw text.
No ads, anywhere
CodeThis is subscription-funded. Pastebin ships ads on free accounts and has for its entire existence.
A developer API you don't have to beg for
REST API with bearer tokens on Pro. Pastebin's API requires a separate Pro account on top of your regular one and is API-key-per-user.
Dynamic OG images per paste
Share a link on Twitter or Slack and get a proper preview card with the paste title, language, and author — not a generic site logo.
Pick CodeThis if…
- You want the experience of pasting to feel like 2026, not 2008.
- You need markdown-rich docs, not just raw code.
- You want to share links on modern platforms with real preview cards.
- You're building automation and want a clean, scriptable API.
Stick with Pastebin.com if…
- You're linking to a paste inside a community that has used Pastebin URLs for years and doesn't want to click anywhere new.
Switching from Pastebin.com
Most people don't migrate old Pastebin links — they just stop creating new ones. Every new paste you create on CodeThis is one less ad view on pastebin.com.
Take a paste for a spin. No signup, 7 days free.