Electron Nostr is a free, open source desktop client for the Nostr protocol, aimed at developers and curious users who want a small codebase for testing decentralized ratings and web of trust ideas. The project was refactored in early 2023 and development moved to Pretty Good Apps, and its last code update dates to June 2023, so it should be treated as a learning tool rather than a maintained everyday app.
Electron Nostr for Windows is less a finished product than a template. The app is built on the electron-react-boilerplate starter, which is why its main value lies in the code itself. This guide explains what the program does, how it is installed, what to check before downloading, and how it compares with other Nostr clients that are still in active use.
What Is Electron Nostr Built With?
Electron Nostr is written in JavaScript and TypeScript and runs on Electron, a framework that packages web technologies into a desktop application. Its foundation is electron-react-boilerplate, a widely used starter template that provides the build tooling, project layout and conventions a React-based desktop app needs. That is the reason the project describes itself as a template rather than a finished client.
For developers, this matters in practice. You can read the source, change how the interface talks to the network, and rebuild the app without rewriting the surrounding plumbing. The MIT license allows you to use, copy, modify and redistribute the code, including in your own experiments, as long as the license notice is kept.
If you have never built an Electron app, the code is a reasonable place to see how one is organized. Start with the entry points and the components for the feed and profile screens, then trace how the app connects to relays. Expect a small codebase that has been reshaped by several refactors, so keep notes as you go.
Who Electron Nostr Is For
The program suits three kinds of readers. The first is a developer who wants a small Nostr client to fork and extend. The second is a researcher or hobbyist interested in reputation systems, who can use the three feed modes to see how filtering changes what appears on screen. The third is someone who wants to understand the protocol by working with a minimal client rather than a full-featured app.
A typical scenario: you want to test how a web of trust ranking would look. You create two profiles, follow a handful of accounts under one of them, and compare the following feed with the firehose. The difference shows how much curation is doing the work in a busy network.
It is a poor fit for someone who wants a daily driver with a polished interface and a wide set of features. Mature clients cover those needs better. Electron Nostr is most useful as a learning tool and a starting point for your own ideas.
How Decentralized Reputation Fits Into Nostr
Nostr is an open protocol in which posts are signed with a key pair and shared through relays rather than stored on one central server. Because anyone can publish, the hard question becomes which voices to trust. A web of trust is one answer: you give more weight to accounts that people you already trust also endorse, and you give less weight to accounts with no connections to your network.
The project's own notes point to a specification called Decentralized Curation of Simple Lists, which describes a protocol for decentralized reputation. The notes say that protocol is implemented in the Pretty Good Apps client, which makes that successor the natural next step for readers following this line of work.
Electron Nostr touches the topic through its feed modes. Following shows only direct connections, Extended following adds the connections of those accounts, and the firehose shows everything. Those three views are a small but concrete way to see the effect of trust-based filtering on what you read.
Key features
Key generation and import
Multiple profiles
Three feed modes
Posting, replies and following
Basic thread viewer
YouTube video playback
Supported coins
The project documentation names the Lightning Network and Nostr. Nostr is the protocol the client is built around, while Lightning appears as part of the wider ecosystem. The feature list does not include payment functions, so treat the Lightning reference as context for the network rather than a built-in wallet capability.
How to install Electron Nostr on Windows
- 1
Check the project status first
Before downloading, open the source repository and the Pretty Good Apps project to see which builds are current. The latest version listed is v0.3.1-alpha, and the last code update in the repository dates to June 2023. Knowing this helps you set realistic expectations.
- 2
Download from the official source
Download only from the official website or the project's GitHub Releases page, linked from the source repository. Avoid mirror sites and file-sharing links that repackage the program, since a modified installer can look identical to the original.
- 3
Verify the file
Calculate the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded file and compare it with the value published alongside the release. If a signature is published, check that as well. Do not run the installer if the values do not match.
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Install and launch
Run the installer if one is provided for your build, accept the default location, and launch the program. The project's notes describe the Windows release as not yet functional, so if the app fails to start, treat that as an expected limitation of the current build rather than a fault in your system.
How to use Electron Nostr
Once the app launches, the core workflow takes only a few minutes. The steps below assume you are testing with a new identity. If you import an existing key, skip the generation step and use the import option instead.
- Launch the app and create a profile, or import a key pair you already have.
- Open your profile settings and add a name and a picture URL so your test account is easy to recognize.
- Create a second profile if you want to compare how feeds look from different identities.
- Choose a feed mode: following, extended following or firehose. Start with following to see your direct connections.
- Open another user's profile and press the follow button if you want their posts in your feed. Use unfollow to remove them.
- Write a post from the main screen, or reply to an existing note to start a conversation.
- Open a thread to read replies in order, keeping in mind that the viewer is basic.
- Play any YouTube video linked in a post directly inside the client when you want to watch it.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Automatic key generation plus the option to import existing keys
- Multiple profiles in one installation for side-by-side testing
- Three feed modes make it easy to compare filtering approaches
- Compact codebase that suits developers experimenting with reputation ideas
- Development has moved to Pretty Good Apps, and the last code update dates to June 2023
- The project notes describe the Windows release as not yet functional
- The thread viewer is very basic
- The version listed is alpha-stage, with a limited feature set
Is Electron Nostr safe?
Electron Nostr generates a private key for each profile, and that key controls the identity it represents, so treat it with the same care as any account credential. Download only from the official website or the project's GitHub Releases page, check the SHA-256 checksum or signature against the published value, and never enter a private key or seed phrase on third-party websites or into a program you have not verified. The project has been moved to Pretty Good Apps and has not received code updates since June 2023, so it may not receive security fixes. Check the latest version on the official website before installing, and use a separate test profile rather than a key tied to valuable accounts.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/wds4/electron-react-boilerplate-nostr. 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
Electron Nostr is one of several desktop Nostr clients, and it differs mainly in purpose. Prettygood is a desktop client motivated by building a decentralized web of trust, and the project's notes point to Pretty Good Apps as the continuation of this code, so it is the closer successor for trust-focused experiments. Nostrid offers binaries for Windows, macOS and Linux, which makes it a more direct choice for installing a ready-made app. Amethyst is a Nostr client, Vega is a cross-platform desktop client, and Notedeck is a Rust-based desktop browser from Damus. Choose Electron Nostr for its small codebase, and choose another client when you need a working installer.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- MIT
- Latest version
- v0.3.1-alpha
- Last update
- 6 Jun 2023
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/wds4/electron-react-boilerplate-nostr
Frequently asked questions
Electron Nostr is a free, open source desktop client for the Nostr protocol, built with Electron and the electron-react-boilerplate template. It was designed as an easy base for experimenting with decentralized ratings, reputation and web of trust ideas. The code was refactored in early 2023 and development moved to Pretty Good Apps, so treat it as a learning tool rather than a maintained everyday app. It is licensed under MIT.
Its safety depends on where you get it and how you handle keys. Obtain it only from the project's official sources, check the SHA-256 checksum or signature, and never type a private key into a third-party website. Because the program generates and stores keys, use a test profile first rather than a key tied to valuable accounts. The project has not had code updates since June 2023, so it may lack security fixes.
Yes. The program is free, and its MIT license allows you to use, study, modify and redistribute the source code, as long as the license notice is kept. Being free does not make it a finished product, so weigh the time you spend on setup and testing against the features on offer.
Windows is listed as a supported platform, but the project's own notes say the Windows and Linux releases are not yet functional, while the macOS release is. Expect the Windows build to be unstable or incomplete, and check the GitHub repository for the current state of releases before trying to install it.
Nostr is an open protocol for social networking in which users sign their posts with a key pair and publish them to relays. No central company controls the network, so an identity can be used across different apps. Electron Nostr is one of many clients that read from and write to this network.
The program supports importing a private key and public key you already hold, as well as generating a new pair automatically. Use the import option the app provides, and keep a secure backup of the key before you start. Avoid pasting keys into any site or tool other than the program itself.
The main feed can run in three modes. Following shows posts from accounts you follow, Extended following adds the accounts those people follow, and firehose shows completely unfiltered content from the network. Switching between modes is a quick way to see how much filtering changes what you read.
Yes, the program includes YouTube video playback, so videos linked in posts can be watched inside the client. This is a convenience feature rather than a full media player, so expect a simple experience compared with a dedicated video app.
Verdict
Electron Nostr is a free, MIT-licensed starting point for developers and curious users who want a small Nostr desktop client to study or extend. It is not a polished everyday app. Development has moved to Pretty Good Apps, the last code update dates to June 2023, and the project notes describe the Windows release as not yet functional. Use it to learn how feeds, profiles and trust-based filtering work, and choose a maintained client for regular use.