Comparison

    LinkPilot vs PrivateBin

    A hosted, team-grade alternative to PrivateBin — audit logs, revocation, and short links without running your own instance.

    PrivateBin is an open-source, client-side-encrypted pastebin. The server stores only ciphertext — the decryption key travels in the URL fragment and never reaches the server. If zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption is a hard requirement and you can self-host, it is an excellent tool.

    What PrivateBin doesn't try to be is a team product. There is no dashboard of active shares, no revocation from a console, no per-secret audit timeline, no roles, and running it means operating and patching your own instance.

    LinkPilot uses the same encryption model for text secrets — AES-GCM-256 in the browser, key in the URL fragment, ciphertext on the server — and wraps it in a hosted workspace: burn-after-read, per-secret audit timelines, revocation, file attachments, and branded short links with analytics. The honest differences that remain are hosting and auditability, not encryption: PrivateBin is open source and self-hosted so you can verify the client yourself, LinkPilot is closed-source SaaS.

    LinkPilot is different from a pure secret-sharing tool. It pairs a first-class burn-after-read primitive (passphrase-protected, expiring, file attachments, atomic row-locked reveal) with a full short-link platform — branded domains, real-time analytics, audit logs, RBAC, and an API — all in the same tenant-isolated workspace. Secret contents are kept on a separate workflow from analytics, so passwords and tokens never enter campaign data.

    Feature comparison

    Feature LinkPilot PrivateBin
    Encryption model

    Same model for text secrets. PrivateBin is open source, so you can audit its client; LinkPilot’s is not. Both encrypt attachments client-side too.

    		 Client-side end-to-end (browser AES-GCM-256) Client-side end-to-end (browser AES)
    Burn-after-read Yes — atomic, row-locked
    Passphrase protection Yes — hashed client-side
    Configurable expiry 5 minutes to 30 days Configurable (instance-dependent)
    Manual revoke before view Delete link only
    Per-secret audit timeline Created, viewed, burned, revoked
    Team workspaces + RBAC 5 built-in roles
    File attachments Yes — signed URLs Yes (instance-dependent)
    Notification on view
    Branded short links in same workspace
    Link analytics Privacy-first
    Public API Limited
    Hosting Hosted SaaS Self-hosted (open source)
    Maintenance burden None You patch and operate the instance
    Hashed-IP recipient privacy Instance-dependent

    Pricing tiers, side by side

    PrivateBin details as published July 2026 — plans change; verify current pricing with the vendor.

    Free

    LinkPilot

    Secret links + short links + analytics

    PrivateBin

    Free (self-hosted or public instances)

    Starter

    LinkPilot

    Higher secret cap + branded domain

    PrivateBin

    Your hosting costs

    Growth

    LinkPilot

    RBAC + audit logs + file attachments

    PrivateBin

    Not offered

    Agency

    LinkPilot

    Multi-workspace + white-label

    PrivateBin

    Not offered

    Which should you pick?

    Choose LinkPilot if…

    • You want a hosted product with no instance to run, patch, or back up.
    • You need team roles, audit timelines, and revocation from a dashboard.
    • You also want branded short links and analytics in the same workspace.
    • You need delivery events and notification on view for ops or support.

    Choose PrivateBin if…

    • You need to audit the encryption client yourself, or encrypt file attachments end to end.
    • You can self-host and maintain the instance (or trust a public one).
    • You only need pastebin-style text snippets, not a team workflow.

    Why teams switch

    • No instance to operate — hosted, patched, and backed by rate limiting and RLS isolation.
    • Per-secret audit timeline and dashboard revocation that a static pastebin can't provide.
    • File attachments, team roles, and notification on view in the same product.
    • Branded short links and privacy-first analytics on a strictly separate workflow.

    The verdict

    The encryption row is now a tie for text secrets — both encrypt in the browser and neither server sees a key. PrivateBin still wins if you need to read the client source yourself, self-host, or encrypt attachments end to end. LinkPilot wins on everything around the secret: hosting, auditability, revocation, teams, and the surrounding link platform.

    FAQ

    Does LinkPilot offer end-to-end encryption like PrivateBin?

    Yes, for text secrets, and by the same method: AES-GCM-256 in your browser with the key in the URL fragment, so the server only ever holds ciphertext. Two differences we will not paper over — PrivateBin is open source so you can audit its client, and PrivateBin's client is auditable in a way ours is not. Our security architecture page spells out the exact model.

    Why pick LinkPilot if PrivateBin is open source and free?

    You trade self-hosting effort for a hosted workspace: team roles, audit timelines, revocation, file attachments, notification on view, and branded short links with analytics — none of which PrivateBin provides.

    Can I revoke a secret after sending it?

    Yes — unread secrets can be revoked from the dashboard at any time, and the revocation is recorded in the audit timeline.

    Are secrets used for analytics?

    Never. Secret contents are kept on a separate workflow from short-link analytics and are excluded from profiling and AI features.

    Can I attach files?

    Yes. File attachments sit behind the same burn, passphrase and expiry controls as text secrets and are served via short-lived signed URLs. They are encrypted in your browser like the text payload, with a key derived from the same link.

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