NAK is a free, open-source command-line tool for Nostr, the decentralized social protocol. It is built for developers, system administrators and power users who prefer working from a terminal to clicking through a graphical app. Think of it as a Swiss-army knife: one program that bundles many Nostr-related operations, so you can explore the protocol without writing your own code from scratch.
This page covers how NAK runs on Windows, where to install it from, how to get started, and when a graphical client may suit you better. The project is written in Go and released under the Unlicense, and its code was updated recently, which points to active maintenance. Windows users can install it with a single Scoop command.
What Is NAK and Where It Fits
NAK sits in a different spot than most Nostr software. Many Nostr programs are clients: apps where you read posts, follow people and write notes through a visual interface. NAK is a toolkit instead. It gives you direct access to the protocol from the command line, which is useful when you want to test a relay, prepare an event by hand or automate a repetitive task.
The program works like a Swiss-army knife for Nostr, with a single tool offering many small functions, each useful on its own. You do not need to memorize every option on day one. Start with the built-in help text, pick the one function you need, and expand from there.
Because NAK lives in the terminal, its output is plain text that other programs can read. That makes it easy to combine with scripts or to pipe into formatting tools when you need a cleaner view of the results.
How Nostr Works Under the Hood
Nostr is a decentralized protocol. Instead of one company running a server that holds all the data, users publish signed messages, usually called events, to relays. Relays are servers that store and forward those events, and anyone can run one. A user is identified by a public key, while the matching secret key is used to sign each event.
This model explains why a command-line tool can be so revealing. An event is structured data: an author key, a timestamp, content and a signature. When you create or inspect events from a terminal, you see exactly what goes out, which makes the protocol easier to understand than a polished app that hides the details.
The key terms you will meet are public key, the identifier others use to find you; secret key, which proves you are the author and must stay private; relay, a server that stores and shares events; and event, the signed message itself. Keeping these terms clear helps you avoid common beginner mistakes, such as sharing a secret key by accident.
Who Is NAK For and Real-World Use Cases
NAK suits people who are already comfortable with a terminal. Developers building Nostr apps can use it to generate sample events, check how a relay responds or debug a message format before writing code. Hobbyists who run their own tools may use it to script small tasks and check the output.
Here are a few realistic scenarios. A developer tests whether a new client displays a specific event type correctly by creating that event in NAK and comparing the result. Someone maintaining a small community writes a short script that reads recent events and saves them to a text file for review. A curious user follows a tutorial about the protocol and runs each example to see what changes.
If your goal is simply to post and read on your phone or desktop, NAK is probably not the right first tool. A graphical client will be more comfortable for daily use. Treat NAK as a companion: the program you open when you want to look under the hood.
Key features
Many tools in one program
Built-in help as the main guide
Windows installation through Scoop
Several installation routes
Open source under the Unlicense
Supported coins
NAK is built around Nostr, the protocol it works with, and the project names Nostr as the network it supports. It is a protocol tool rather than a cryptocurrency wallet, so it is not the place to store or move coins. Its focus is events and relays on the Nostr side.
How to install NAK on Windows
PS> scoop install nak- 1
Install with Scoop (recommended on Windows)
If you already use Scoop, open PowerShell and run scoop install nak. If you do not have Scoop yet, install it first from its official website, then run the same command. Download only from the official website and avoid unofficial installer bundles. Scoop places NAK on your PATH, so you can call it from any new terminal window.
- 2
Open a new terminal and confirm the install
Close any terminal that was open during installation and start a fresh PowerShell or Windows Terminal window. Then ask NAK for its built-in help text. If the help text appears, the program is ready to use.
- 3
Optional: install with Go
If you have Go installed, you can run go install github.com/fiatjaf/nak@latest. This route compiles the program on your machine, so Go is needed only for this method. Most Windows users will not need it.
- 4
Optional: download a binary or use Docker
You can download a binary manually from the project's GitHub Releases page. Alternatively, build and run a Docker image with docker build -t nak . && docker run nak event. Docker is useful if you want to keep the tool isolated from the rest of your system.
-
Other platforms
On macOS, install NAK with brew install nak through Homebrew. On Arch Linux, yay -S nak-bin installs the package, and Nix users can run nix-env --install nak. These routes are useful if you work across several operating systems.
How to use NAK
Once NAK is installed, the fastest way to learn it is to work through the built-in help text and try one small task at a time. Keep a test key or throwaway identity for practice, so nothing you care about is exposed while you experiment. The steps below follow that approach.
- Open a terminal and run NAK with the help option to read the list of available functions.
- Pick one function that matches your goal, such as creating an event, and read its options before running it.
- Run the command with a test key and check the output carefully before sending anything to a relay.
- If you want to reshape the output, install jq separately, since some usage examples pipe results through it.
- Save commands that work into a script file so you can repeat them without retyping.
- Review the help text again after each new release, because options can change between versions.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, with the code published under the Unlicense
- Installs on Windows with one Scoop command
- Bundles many Nostr operations into one command-line program
- Built-in help text serves as a reference inside the program
- Several install routes, including Go, Docker, Homebrew and Nix
- Recent code update shows the project is actively maintained
- No graphical interface, so it is unsuitable for casual posting
- Assumes comfort with the terminal and basic Nostr concepts
- Some usage examples depend on jq, a separate tool you install yourself
- Windows setup relies on Scoop, which you may need to set up first
Is NAK safe?
NAK works with Nostr keys, so treat it with the same care as any tool that signs messages on your behalf. Download only from the official website, which for this project means the GitHub repository and its Releases page, or the Scoop route. After downloading, verify the SHA-256 checksum or signature against the values the project publishes. Never paste a secret key into a third-party website or an online converter, and keep secret keys out of shared scripts and screenshots. The project is not marked deprecated and its code was updated recently, but check the latest version on the official website before installing, and review the open source code if you want to see exactly what it does.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/fiatjaf/nak. 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
NAK is a command-line toolkit, while most Nostr projects in this catalog are graphical or desktop clients. Amethyst and Coop focus on everyday messaging and reading, Gossip is a desktop client written in Rust, and Vega offers a cross-platform desktop interface. Nostr Commander RS is the closest relative because it is also CLI-based, but it is presented as a client, whereas NAK works more like a general-purpose toolkit for experimenting with events. Choose a client for daily use and NAK for inspection, testing and scripting. Many people end up using both.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- Unlicense
- Latest version
- 0.22.0
- Last update
- 29 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- Yes (available via Scoop)
- Source code
- github.com/fiatjaf/nak
- Install command
- scoop install nak
Frequently asked questions
Yes. NAK is free and open source, released under the Unlicense, which places the code in the public domain. You can download it, use it and modify the source code without paying a license fee. On Windows the simplest route is the Scoop package manager, using scoop install nak. The source code is published on GitHub, so you can review it before you run it.
Install it with Scoop by running scoop install nak in PowerShell, after Scoop itself is set up. Then open a new terminal so the program is available on your path. If you already have Go, you can alternatively use go install github.com/fiatjaf/nak@latest. Most Windows users will find the Scoop route the quickest option.
NAK is open source, not marked deprecated, and its code was updated recently, which is a good sign for a maintained tool. Safety still depends on where you get the file. Download it from the official GitHub repository or through Scoop, check the SHA-256 checksum or signature, and never enter a secret key on a third-party site.
NAK is used for working with the Nostr protocol from the command line. People use it to create and inspect events, test how relays respond, debug message formats and script small repetitive tasks. It suits developers and technically inclined users rather than people who only want a visual app for everyday posting.
No. Go is needed only if you choose the go install route, which compiles the program from source on your machine. The Scoop installation does not require Go, so most Windows users can skip it entirely. Go is a build-time dependency, not a requirement for running the ready-made program.
NAK is a command-line program, so you run it from PowerShell, Windows Terminal or another terminal. It does not come with a window or buttons. If you prefer a graphical interface, look at the graphical Nostr clients in this catalog, such as Gossip for desktop use.
No, jq is optional. Some usage examples pipe results through jq, a separate command-line utility for handling JSON, so you will need to install it yourself if you want to follow those examples exactly. NAK itself can be used without it, and you can add jq later when a specific task calls for it.
Verdict
NAK is a solid pick if you want a free, open-source command-line toolkit for Nostr on Windows and you are comfortable working in a terminal. It is maintained, licensed generously and easy to install with Scoop. It is not a good first app for casual posting, and it does not replace a graphical client for daily use. Start with the built-in help text, practice with throwaway keys and keep your secret keys private. Developers, researchers and power users will get the most value from it.