Building paste.zhd.app — Why I Built My Own Pastebin
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Zahid Ul Islam
Mozilla Pastebin was part of my daily workflow until it was deprecated. Instead of switching tools, I built paste.zhd.app—a fast, privacy-first pastebin designed for sharing code and text without friction, accounts, or unnecessary features.
Case Study
paste.zhd.app - A fast, privacy-first pastebin for developers
A modern, self-hosted alternative to Mozilla Pastebin—built for sharing code, configs, and text securely with expiry, syntax highlighting, and zero friction.
Next.jsTypescriptMongoDBshadcn/uiTailwind CSS
For years, Mozilla Pastebin was the quiet hero of my daily workflow. It was the perfect utility: I could share snippets, move configs between devices, or temporarily store code without polluting my notes. It was fast, simple, and unobtrusive.
When it was deprecated, I found myself adrift. I tested alternatives, but the landscape had changed. Most tools were either bloated, demanded account sign-ups, or didn’t prioritize privacy. I didn’t want a "platform"; I just wanted a utility.
So, rather than forcing my workflow to fit a new tool, I built a tool that fit my workflow.
The Philosophy: Frictionless Utility The goal for paste.zhd.app was clear: if a feature doesn't reduce friction, it doesn't belong. There are no splashy UI elements, no forced logins, and no permanent storage by default. The experience is designed to be: Paste. Share. Done.
Core Capabilities I focused on features that enhance the developer experience without adding clutter:
- Syntax-Awareness: Colored highlighting so shared code remains readable.
- Security First: Password protection and "Burn After Read" options for sensitive data.
- Device Agnostic: QR code generation for instant mobile-to-desktop sharing.
- Flexible Exports: Download pastes as raw files (.ts, .json, .txt) instantly.
The Tech Stack I chose a "modern but boring" stack to ensure stability and speed: Next.js (App Router), TypeScript, MongoDB, shadcn/ui, and Tailwind CSS.
Final Thoughts Building this project reinforced a core belief: the best software often comes from solving your own frustration.
paste.zhd.app isn’t trying to be the next big social platform. It’s a tool designed to do its job quietly, respect the user, and disappear when it’s done.