deed is a free, open source command line program for Nostr, the decentralized social protocol. It is made for developers, relay operators and AI agents that need to create, read and verify Nostr events without opening a graphical app. If you want a fast, small tool that runs in a terminal, this is the Windows program to look at.
The project positions itself as the fastest and smallest Nostr command line available, and its goal is simple: make signed records, read them back and prove where they came from. The code is released under the MIT license, so anyone can inspect it, reuse it or build it themselves. The latest release, v0.5.1, and recent code updates show that the project is actively maintained.
What Is a Nostr Event and Why Signatures Matter
A Nostr event is a small data record. It holds content, a timestamp, the author's public key and a signature made with the matching private key. Anyone who receives the event can check that signature and confirm who wrote it, without asking a central server for permission. That property is what makes events useful beyond a single app.
Think of a signed event as a record that holds its author to what it says. Once the signature is attached, the text cannot be quietly changed without the check failing. A tool that creates, reads and verifies these records lets you work with that proof directly, instead of trusting whatever a screen displays.
Signatures also help when you move between clients. Because the identity lives in the key rather than in one company's account system, the same signed history can be checked from different software.
Who Is deed For and When It Fits
deed suits people who already work comfortably in a terminal. Developers building Nostr features can use it to generate test events and see how a relay responds to them. Anyone debugging a client that shows the wrong author or stale content can inspect the raw event data directly.
Relay operators can use the serve mode to test authentication before exposing a service to the public. Starting with a closed setup and checking that unauthenticated requests get no answer is a practical first step. AI agents that need to publish or verify Nostr activity can call deed from a script, which keeps the workflow repeatable.
The tool is less suitable for someone who mainly wants a feed reader with profiles, images and notifications. Those needs are better served by a graphical client, and deed is most useful as a companion to one.
Practical Scenarios for Signed Nostr Records
Consider a small team that runs a Nostr relay for internal notes. Before opening it to outside users, they can use deed to publish test events, confirm that unsigned requests are refused, and confirm that signed events come back intact. Each check produces a result that can be saved in a log.
Another scenario is a bot that posts scheduled updates. Before the bot goes live, its developer can generate its events with deed, review the output and verify the signatures. This catches formatting mistakes early and makes it easier to explain later what the bot published.
A third case is archiving. Someone who wants to keep a copy of a post can save the signed event and check it later against the same public key. The saved record shows the content and the signer at the time it was written.
Key features
Event creation and signing
Reading and verification
Small and fast by design
Relay mode with authentication
Built for people and AI agents
Supported coins
The documentation names Nostr as the network the program works with. deed is a messaging and identity tool rather than a wallet or miner, so it does not manage coins or mining workloads. Its supported platforms are Windows, macOS and Linux.
How to install Deed on Windows
- 1
Get the file from the official source
Download only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page at github.com/zig-nostr/deed. Avoid mirrors and file-sharing sites, even when they look convenient.
- 2
Pick the Windows build
Open the latest release, which is v0.5.1 at the time of writing, and choose the Windows build or installer. Read the release notes first so you know what changed.
- 3
Verify the checksum
Calculate the SHA-256 hash of the downloaded file, for example with Get-FileHash in PowerShell, and compare it with the value published on the release page. If a signature is also published, check it. Do not run a file whose hash does not match.
-
Install and confirm it starts
Run the installer, or extract the build into a folder you control. Open a new PowerShell or Command Prompt window and type deed to confirm the program starts. If Windows reports that the command is not found, add the program's folder to your PATH.
How to use Deed
Once installed, deed works like most terminal tools: you type a command, it performs one job and prints the result. A typical session starts with reading and verifying events, then moves on to creating and signing them. Most people test on a throwaway key before using their main identity.
- Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and confirm the program runs by typing deed.
- Check the built-in help to see which commands your version supports.
- Store your Nostr private key in a protected location and load it only in the session where you need it.
- Create a signed event from a short test message, then review the output before sending it anywhere.
- Read events from a relay and check that each signature is valid.
- To run your own relay that answers only authenticated clients, start it with deed serve --auth-required. The server sends a NIP-42 challenge before it answers any request.
Keep key files out of shared folders and cloud sync directories, and test relay settings on a local setup before you open them to others.
Pros & cons
- Free and released under the MIT license, so the source code is open to review
- Designed for speed and a small footprint
- Works for manual use and for scripts or AI agents
- Includes a relay mode with NIP-42 authentication
- Available for Windows, macOS and Linux
- Command line only, so there is no visual feed or profile view
- Best suited to people who are comfortable with terminals
- Focused on Nostr, so it does not cover other social networks
- Running a relay requires understanding authentication before going live
Is Deed safe?
Get deed only from the official website or the project's GitHub Releases page at github.com/zig-nostr/deed. Before running the file, compare its SHA-256 checksum with the value published alongside the release, and verify a signature if the project publishes one. Never enter your private key (nsec) on a third-party site, in a chat window or through a link someone sent you. Windows security tools can flag unfamiliar command line binaries, so confirm the source before you run anything. The MIT-licensed code is public, so you can review it or build it yourself. Before installing, check the latest version on the official website.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/zig-nostr/deed. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Most Nostr software you may have seen is built for reading and posting in a window. Amethyst, Gossip and Vega are graphical clients, so they suit daily browsing, notifications and profiles. deed takes the opposite approach: it is a terminal tool for creating, reading and proving events, and it fits into scripts more naturally than a window does.
NAK and Nostr Commander RS are also command line tools, so deed's closest relatives are in the terminal too. The difference lies in focus. deed emphasizes speed, a small footprint and a relay mode that requires authentication before it answers requests. If you want a console tool for signing and checking events, deed is a strong candidate. If you want a full messaging workflow in a terminal, compare the options before choosing.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- MIT
- Latest version
- v0.5.1
- Last update
- 11 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/zig-nostr/deed
Frequently asked questions
Yes. deed is free and released under the MIT license, which permits use, copying and modification. Because the source code is public, you can read exactly how it signs and verifies events before trusting it with a key.
It can be, if you get it from the official source and check the file. Download only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page, compare the SHA-256 checksum, and never paste a private key into a third-party website. Open source code lets you review the project, but you still need to protect your own key files.
Nostr is an open protocol for decentralized social networking. Users sign messages, called events, with a private key, and relays store and pass them along. Because no single company controls the network, you can move between apps while keeping the same identity and signed history.
No. The project lists Windows, macOS and Linux as supported platforms. This page covers the Windows build or installer, so Windows users can follow the installation steps here. Users on other systems should follow the instructions the project provides for their platform.
No. deed is a command line program, so you work with it by typing commands in a terminal. If you prefer a window with feeds and profiles, a desktop or mobile client such as Gossip or Amethyst may suit you better. Many people use a client for daily reading and deed for scripts and checks.
When you run deed serve with the auth-required option, the relay sends a NIP-42 challenge to each connecting client. Nothing is answered until the client proves it controls a key. This keeps a relay you run from serving content to anonymous visitors, which is useful for private or internal setups.
Yes. The project describes deed as built for AI agents as well as people. Because it is a plain command line tool, an agent can call it from a script, read the output and act on it. Keep agent keys separate from personal keys and limit what each agent is allowed to sign.
Verdict
deed is a good fit for Windows users who are comfortable in a terminal and want a free, open source tool for creating, reading and verifying Nostr events. It suits developers, relay operators and anyone building automated workflows, including AI agents. If you mainly want a visual feed, pair it with a graphical Nostr client rather than expecting one program to do everything. Start with a test key, review the code if you have the time, and check the latest version on the official website before you rely on it.