Notary is a free, open source remote signer for Nostr, built for people who want their secret key to stay on a machine they control instead of inside every app they use. It runs as a local daemon and signs for your apps over NIP-46, so each client asks for a signature rather than holding the key. The program is written in Zig and released under the MIT license.
The project describes Notary as a native signer for macOS and Linux. Windows is mentioned in its documentation, but we have not verified a working Windows build, so check the release notes before planning around it. The current release is v0.11.4. Keys are stored encrypted with NIP-49, and a passphrase is required to use them.
What Is a Remote Signer for Nostr?
Nostr is a protocol for social and messaging apps built on public relays. Every post, reaction and direct message is signed with a private key, which proves who wrote it. The difficulty is that most apps want that key, and every app holding a copy is another place it could leak from.
A remote signer separates the two jobs. The key stays with one program, and apps send it a request, such as a note to sign, then receive the signature back. In Nostr circles such a service is often called a bunker. NIP-46 is the specification that describes this exchange, passing messages through relays so the signer can run on a different device from the app.
Notary is one implementation of that idea. It aims for a narrower job than a full wallet: hold the key, answer requests, and make each decision visible to you.
Who Is Notary For?
Notary suits people who already use Nostr clients and want to stop pasting secret keys into every new app. Developers testing NIP-46 support in their own software can use it as a reference signer on a machine they control. Power users who run several clients can keep one key in a single place.
Consider someone who posts from a desktop client and reads through another app on the same machine. Instead of giving both programs the key, they keep it in Notary and approve each signature in its window as the apps ask.
It is less suited to readers who expect a point-and-click consumer experience. Setting up a daemon, a passphrase and a connection to a client takes patience, and a 0.x version number usually signals an interface still in flux.
How a Signing Request Moves Through Notary
The flow starts when a client builds an event, such as a short text note, and sends a signing request to your signer through relays. Notary receives the request and displays the client's name along with the event content it would sign.
You then choose how far the approval reaches. A single answer covers that one request. A daily answer covers the same client and kind for the rest of the day. A permanent answer covers that client and kind until you change it.
After approval, the signature returns to the client, and the key itself never leaves the signer unless you have explicitly asked for it. Reviewing these prompts carefully is the main habit that makes remote signing worthwhile.
Key features
Key kept in a local daemon
Encryption with NIP-49
A window for every request
Scoped approvals
Interface without a browser engine
Supported coins
The project documentation names Nostr as the network Notary works with. Notary is a signer for Nostr keys rather than a crypto wallet or miner, so it does not hold coins or run mining algorithms such as SHA-256.
How to install Notary on Windows
- 1
Get the release from the official source
Download only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page for the project at github.com/zig-nostr/notary. Avoid mirrors and links shared in chat groups. Building from source is possible through the repository, but that route requires developer tools and is not covered here.
- 2
Verify the file before running it
Compare the SHA-256 checksum published with the release against your downloaded file, or check the signature if one is provided. If the values do not match, delete the file and download it again from the official source.
-
Install and start the daemon
Run the installer or extract the program as the release notes describe, then start the Notary daemon. The first launch asks you to set a passphrase before any key is loaded. On Windows, check the release notes for the version you plan to install, since Windows is not verified here.
How to use Notary
Once Notary is installed, the setup takes only a few minutes, but it is worth going slowly the first time. The goal is to have one place where your key lives and one clear prompt for every action.
- Start the Notary daemon and set a strong passphrase.
- Load the secret key you want Notary to hold, and keep your own offline record of it before you proceed.
- Copy the connection details from Notary into a Nostr app that supports NIP-46.
- Send a test action from that app, such as a short note you can delete afterward.
- Read the request window carefully, checking the client name and the event type.
- Choose the approval scope: once, for the day, or always for this client and kind.
- Revisit your approvals now and then, and revoke any scope you no longer need.
Pros & cons
- Keeps the secret key on a machine you control, encrypted with NIP-49
- Every signature needs your explicit answer, with scoped choices
- Free to use and released under the MIT license, so the source is open to inspection
- Native interface without Electron or a WebView
- Recent code update and a tagged v0.11.4 release
- Windows is mentioned in the documentation but has not been verified here
- The project describes native support for macOS and Linux
- Only apps that support NIP-46 can connect to it
- A passphrase is required, so a forgotten passphrase blocks access to the key
- Signing stops when the daemon is not running, such as when the machine is off or asleep
- A 0.x version signals an early-stage interface
Is Notary safe?
Notary holds a secret key, so treat the download as a security decision. Get the program only from the official GitHub repository or the official website, and never from a link in a message or an advertisement. Verify the SHA-256 checksum or signature before running anything.
Never type your secret key, nsec string or passphrase into a third-party website, including sites that offer a web version or a faster signer. A legitimate signer never needs your key typed into a browser form.
The project shows recent code activity and is not described as deprecated, but that does not replace your own checks. Windows is unverified, so confirm platform support on the official website before relying on it.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/zig-nostr/notary. 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 programs in this catalog are Nostr clients, the apps you read and post with. Notary is a different kind of tool: it is a signer that sits behind those apps and holds the key. Clients that support NIP-46 can, in principle, connect to a signer like Notary, so the two are complementary rather than direct rivals.
Amethyst and Gossip are full clients for everyday reading and posting. Coop focuses on private messages, while NAK is a command-line toolkit for building and sending events, which suits developers more than daily users. If you want one app that handles everything, a client with built-in key storage may be simpler. If you want the key separated from every app, a remote signer such as Notary fits better.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- MIT
- Latest version
- v0.11.4
- Last update
- 14 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- Unverified (Windows mentioned in docs)
- Source code
- github.com/zig-nostr/notary
Frequently asked questions
Notary is designed to keep your secret key on your own machine, encrypted under NIP-49 and protected by a passphrase, and it asks for your approval before signing anything. Safety still depends on where you get the program and what you enter. Check the checksum or signature, and never type your key or passphrase into a third-party website.
Windows is mentioned in the project documentation, but the native signer is described for macOS and Linux. Treat Windows as unverified and check the release notes for the version you plan to install. If you need a tool confirmed on your system, review the alternatives listed in this catalog.
NIP-46 is a Nostr specification for remote signing. An app sends a signing request through relays to a signer that holds the private key, and the signer returns the signature. The app never needs to store the key itself, which reduces the number of places a key can be copied.
The key is stored in the local daemon on the machine running Notary, encrypted under NIP-49. The key does not leave the signer unless you explicitly ask for it. Because the passphrase protects that stored form, keep it somewhere safe and do not share it.
Yes, Notary is free to use. It is released under the MIT license, which lets you read, modify and redistribute the source code under the license terms. Free use does not change your own responsibility for backing up your key and protecting your passphrase.
Yes. Signing requests are answered by the local daemon, so it must be running when an app needs a signature. If the machine is off or asleep, apps cannot get signatures until the daemon is back online. Plan your workflow around that limit.
Verdict
Notary is a focused, free tool for people who want their Nostr key kept apart from the apps they use. Its request window and scoped approvals give finer control than most setups, and the MIT license keeps the code open for review. It fits developers and experienced Nostr users on macOS or Linux. If you need a turnkey experience or confirmed Windows support, wait for clearer platform notes or choose a client from this catalog instead.