Nostr Proxy is a free, open-source program for developers and technically minded users who want to send Nostr events through a single point and collect responses from several relays at once. It runs on Windows through a ready-made build or installer and is released under the MIT license. Nostr is an open protocol in which users publish signed events to relays, which are servers that store and forward them.
Keep in mind that the project has not received a code update since February 2023, which is more than two years ago. Treat it as an unmaintained tool: it can still help with testing and learning, but it may not keep pace with newer Nostr features or security fixes. The sections below explain what it does, how to install it safely and where it fits among other Nostr tools.
What Is a Nostr Proxy and Why Use One?
Nostr is built around relays, simple servers that accept signed messages from users and pass them along to others. A single app may be connected to several relays at the same time, and each one may hold a slightly different set of events. Managing those connections by hand quickly becomes tedious.
A proxy sits between your software and the relays. Your app talks to one address, and the proxy handles the fan-out to the relays behind it. This is the core role of Nostr Proxy: it accepts events you want to publish and returns events you request, so your tools do not need separate logic for every server.
For a developer, this separation is useful. You can change the relay list without rewriting the client, and you can test how a feature behaves when some relays respond quickly and others do not. Nostr Proxy is not an end-user app with a timeline. It is infrastructure, and it is most valuable when you understand that role from the start.
Who Is Nostr Proxy For?
The most natural audience is developers building small Nostr tools, bots or experiments who want a predictable way to reach several relays. Someone writing a script that posts a test note and reads back replies will spend less time on connection code when the proxy handles it.
Students and hobbyists learning the Nostr protocol can also benefit. Watching how events travel from one point to several relays makes the protocol's design easier to grasp than reading specifications alone.
Everyday readers who only want to browse posts are better served by a client application. Nostr Proxy assumes you are comfortable with configuration files, terminal output or code, and it does not offer a polished interface for social feeds. Knowing this before installing saves frustration and keeps expectations realistic.
How Relay Aggregation Works in Practice
Imagine you are checking whether a post has reached the network. Querying one relay might show nothing, not because the post is missing but because that server has not stored it. Querying several relays through a proxy gives a broader picture in one request.
The trade-off is that aggregation depends on the relays you choose. If every relay in your list is slow or limited, the combined result is slow too. Choosing a mix of servers, and removing ones that consistently fail, makes a noticeable difference.
Duplicate events are another practical point. The same post may arrive from several relays, so a good workflow checks event IDs before counting results. Keeping this in mind helps you read the output correctly and avoid mistakes when testing your own tools.
Key features
Single entry point for events
Results from multiple relays
Open-source MIT codebase
Supported coins
The project documentation names Nostr as its network. Nostr is an open protocol for signed messages rather than a cryptocurrency, so there is no coin list to review. The program works with relays that follow the protocol.
How to install Nostr Proxy on Windows
- 1
Get the program
Download the Windows build or installer only from the official website or the project's GitHub Releases page. Pick the file that matches the version you want, and avoid mirrors or file-sharing sites that repackage the software.
- 2
Verify the file
Compute the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded file and compare it with the value published by the project. If the checksum does not match, delete the file and download it again. Where a signature is offered, check it as well.
-
Install and launch
Run the installer, or extract the Windows build to a folder you control. Start the program once to confirm it opens, then read the documentation on GitHub before connecting any other software to it.
How to use Nostr Proxy
Nostr Proxy works best as a link between your own software and the relays you already trust. The steps below describe the general workflow. Exact settings depend on the version you install and are explained in the project documentation on GitHub.
- Start the program and confirm it is running before you connect anything to it.
- Review the configuration and list the relays you want to query, starting with two or three.
- Point your Nostr client or script at the proxy address, not at each relay individually.
- Publish a simple test event and check that it reaches the relays you configured.
- Request events through the proxy and compare the combined results with a direct query to one relay.
- Remove relays that are slow or unreliable, and stop the program when you finish testing.
Pros & cons
- Free to use and released under the MIT license
- Open source, so the code can be inspected before running it
- Combines results from several Nostr relays in one place
- Written in JavaScript and TypeScript, familiar to web developers
- Offered as a Windows build or installer
- No code update since February 2023, so it is effectively unmaintained
- Aimed at technical users rather than everyday readers
- Focused on Nostr only, not a general-purpose tool
- Compatibility with newer Nostr features is uncertain
Is Nostr Proxy safe?
Get Nostr Proxy only from the official website or its GitHub Releases page, never from mirrors or file-sharing sites. Check the SHA-256 checksum or signature against the value the publisher provides before running the file, and stop the installation if they do not match. Keep your Nostr private key out of third-party websites and online converters, and do not paste it into any tool you have not verified. Because the last code update was in February 2023, assume that known or newly found bugs may remain unpatched, and avoid using it on a machine that holds sensitive data. Before installing, check the latest version on the official website.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/dolu89/nostr-proxy. 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
Nostr Proxy is not a direct replacement for the other tools in this catalog. Amethyst and Coop are client applications for reading, posting and messaging. Gossip and Vega are desktop clients for everyday use. NAK and Nostr Commander RS are command-line tools, which is closer to what Nostr Proxy offers, though they focus on different tasks. Nostr VPN and Blockcore Notes take different approaches altogether. If you want a visual feed, choose a client. If you want a middle layer for your own code, Nostr Proxy is the more direct fit.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- MIT
- Latest version
- —
- Last update
- 18 Feb 2023
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/dolu89/nostr-proxy
Frequently asked questions
Nostr Proxy is used to send Nostr events to a single proxy address and collect responses from several relays. It suits developers who want to avoid managing each relay connection separately in their own tools. It is not a social media app with a feed, so most people will prefer a client for daily reading.
Yes, Nostr Proxy is free. It is released under the MIT license, which permits you to read, modify and reuse its source code, provided you keep the license notice. The source is published on GitHub, so you can review it yourself before running the program.
Yes. The project offers a Windows build or installer, so you can run it on a Windows PC without compiling it yourself. Check the GitHub Releases page for the file that fits your setup, and verify the checksum before running it.
Not in an active sense. The last code update was on February 18, 2023, more than two years ago. The code remains available and usable for experiments, but you should not expect new fixes or features on a regular schedule.
It can be used safely if you take normal precautions. Check the file's checksum or signature before running it, keep your private keys away from third-party sites, and avoid sensitive work given the age of the code. Treat it as a testing tool rather than critical infrastructure.
Some technical comfort is helpful. The program suits people who can edit configuration, read terminal output or write small scripts. Without those skills, a Nostr client with a graphical interface will be easier to start with.
A Nostr relay is a server that receives signed events from users and stores or forwards them to others. Relays are run independently, so different servers may hold different events. Nostr Proxy helps you query several of them at once instead of one at a time.
Verdict
Nostr Proxy suits developers and curious technical users who want one endpoint for pushing and retrieving Nostr events across several relays. It is free, MIT-licensed and open to inspection. However, its last code update came in February 2023, so it is best treated as a learning or testing tool rather than a long-term foundation. If you need an everyday Nostr app, look at the alternatives listed on this page instead.