v0.11.0 — Embedded personal relay is here

Vega

The cross-platform desktop Nostr client the ecosystem deserves. Beautiful UI, deep Lightning integration, and first-class long-form writing.

Download for Free View on GitHub
60+
Features
20
NIPs Supported
3
Platforms
7
Themes
Built with Tauri 2.0 + React + TypeScript  ·  MIT Licensed  ·  Made in Slovenia 🇸🇮
✦ FOR NEWCOMERS

What is Nostr?

New to Nostr? You're in the right place. Nostr is a simple, open protocol that enables truly censorship-resistant global communication. No company controls it. No one can ban you. Your identity is yours forever.

🔑

Your Keys, Your Identity

On Nostr, your identity is a cryptographic key pair — like a passport that no government or company can revoke. Your public key (npub) is your username, and your private key (nsec) is your password. Guard it well, share your npub freely.

🌐

Relays, Not Servers

Instead of one company's servers, your posts are sent to relays — independent servers run by anyone. You choose which relays to use. If one goes down or censors you, your data lives on others. True decentralization.

🔓

Censorship Resistant

No single entity can silence you on Nostr. There's no central authority, no algorithm deciding who sees your posts, no shadow banning. Your words reach your followers directly through the relays you and they choose.

⚡

Native Money (Zaps)

Nostr has built-in Bitcoin Lightning payments called Zaps. Send real money to anyone with a single click — no payment processors, no fees to platforms. Reward great content directly.

How does it all work?

1

Get a Client

Download Vega (or any Nostr client). Clients are apps that let you interact with the Nostr network — like how email apps connect to email servers.

2

Create Your Keys

Vega generates your key pair for you with a simple backup phrase. No email, no phone number, no personal info needed.

3

Start Posting

Write notes, follow people, read articles, zap great content. You're now part of an open, global, censorship-resistant social network.

4

Own Your Data

Switch clients anytime — your follows, posts, and identity come with you. No lock-in, no walled gardens, just open protocols.

Where does Vega fit in?

Vega is a desktop client for Nostr — like Thunderbird is for email. It connects you to the Nostr network with a beautiful, native-feeling interface, powerful features for writers and readers, and deep Lightning integration for sending and receiving zaps.

Get Vega Now →
✦ POWERFUL

Everything You Need, Nothing You Don't

60+ features packed into a fast, beautiful desktop app. Here are the highlights.

🛠️

Embedded Personal Relay Experimental

Built-in strfry relay runs locally inside Vega. Your notes are always available — even when remote relays are slow or offline. On startup, it syncs with the network so you never lose anything. This is the foundation of true data sovereignty on Nostr.

strfryLocal-firstOffline-readyNew in v0.11.0
✍️

Long-Form Writing

Full markdown editor with toolbar, keyboard shortcuts, multi-draft management, cover images, and a dedicated article feed. The best article writing experience on Nostr.

NIP-23MarkdownDrafts
⚡

Lightning Zaps

Connect your wallet with a guided wizard (Alby Hub, Phoenix, etc.), send zaps with presets or custom amounts, and track your zap history with sent/received tabs.

NWCNIP-47NIP-57
🔐

Identity & Security

In-app key generation with plain-language backup, NIP-46 remote signer support (nsecBunker, Amber), multi-account switching, and OS-native keychain storage.

NIP-46KeychainMulti-Account
🔍

Advanced Search

Search by author, mentions, kind, hashtag, date ranges, exact phrases, and boolean operators. Full-text search across notes, articles, and people.

NIP-50OperatorsResilient
📡

Relay Management

Color-coded relay status, health checker with WebSocket latency, relay recommendations from your network, and NIP-65 outbox model for optimal delivery.

NIP-11NIP-65Health Check
💬

DMs & Notifications

Encrypted direct messages with NIP-17 gift wrap privacy, OS-native push notifications, unread badges, and a complete notification center for mentions, zaps, and new followers.

NIP-17NIP-04OS Alerts
🌊

Live Feeds

Real-time streaming from persistent relay subscriptions. Following, global, trending (with time-decay scoring), and media feeds with video/image/audio tabs.

TrendingMediaReal-time
🎨

7 Beautiful Themes

Midnight, Light, Catppuccin Mocha, Sepia, Gruvbox, Nord Frost, and Hackerman. Plus adjustable font sizes from Small to Extra Large.

DarkLightCatppuccin
🚀

Blazing Performance

SQLite-powered note cache for instant startup, Tauri 2.0 Rust backend for native speed, auto-updater, system tray, collapsible sidebar, and full keyboard shortcuts.

SQLiteTauri 2.0Rust
Midnight
Light
Catppuccin
Sepia
Gruvbox
Nord Frost
Hackerman

Protocol Support

Vega implements 20 Nostr Implementation Possibilities

NIP-01 NIP-02 NIP-04 NIP-05 NIP-10 NIP-11 NIP-17 NIP-18 NIP-19 NIP-21 NIP-23 NIP-25 NIP-27 NIP-46 NIP-47 NIP-50 NIP-51 NIP-57 NIP-65 NIP-98
✦ GET VEGA

Download Vega

Free, open-source, and available for every major platform. v0.11.0 is the latest release.

🍎

macOS

Apple Silicon
DMG Image 8.94 MB →
View all releases on GitHub →
v0.11.0 changelog →
✦ GET STARTED

Installation Guide

Step-by-step instructions for every platform.

🏗️ Arch Linux / Manjaro (AUR)

Vega is available in the AUR as vega-nostr-git. Install it with your preferred AUR helper:

# Using yay (recommended)
yay -S vega-nostr-git

# Or using paru
paru -S vega-nostr-git

This builds from source and installs all dependencies automatically:

# Runtime dependencies (installed automatically)
gtk3 libayatana-appindicator openssl webkit2gtk-4.1

# Build dependencies
git nodejs npm rust

For video and audio playback, install GStreamer plugins:

sudo pacman -S gst-plugins-base gst-plugins-good gst-libav
💡 Tip: The AUR package builds from the latest git source, so you always get the newest features. Updates come through your normal yay -Syu workflow.

📦 Ubuntu / Debian / Linux Mint

Download the .deb package and install:

# Download
wget https://github.com/hoornet/vega/releases/download/v0.11.0/Vega_0.11.0_amd64.deb

# Install
sudo dpkg -i Vega_0.11.0_amd64.deb

For video/audio playback:

sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-plugins-base gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-libav

🎩 Fedora

Download the .rpm package and install:

# Download
wget https://github.com/hoornet/vega/releases/download/v0.11.0/Vega-0.11.0-1.x86_64.rpm

# Install
sudo rpm -i Vega-0.11.0-1.x86_64.rpm

For video/audio playback:

sudo dnf install gstreamer1-plugins-base gstreamer1-plugins-good gstreamer1-libav

🦎 openSUSE

Download the .rpm package and install:

# Download
wget https://github.com/hoornet/vega/releases/download/v0.11.0/Vega-0.11.0-1.x86_64.rpm

# Install
sudo zypper install Vega-0.11.0-1.x86_64.rpm

For video/audio playback:

sudo zypper install gstreamer-plugins-base gstreamer-plugins-good gstreamer-plugins-libav

🪟 Windows

Download and run the installer:

  1. Download Vega_0.11.0_x64-setup.exe
  2. Run the installer
  3. Launch Vega from the Start Menu
⚠️ SmartScreen Warning: Vega is not yet code-signed. Windows may show a SmartScreen warning. Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed. This is safe — the app is open-source and you can verify the code on GitHub.

Alternatively, use the MSI installer: Vega_0.11.0_x64_en-US.msi

🍎 macOS (Apple Silicon)

Download and install:

  1. Download Vega_0.11.0_aarch64.dmg (8.94 MB)
  2. Open the DMG file
  3. Drag Vega to your Applications folder
  4. Launch from Applications or Spotlight
💡 Note: Currently available for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) Macs only.
✦ QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know to get started.

Do I need Bitcoin or a Lightning wallet to use Vega? ▾
No! Lightning/zaps are completely optional. You can use Vega for reading, writing, following people, and all social features without any wallet. If you want to send or receive zaps later, Vega has a guided wizard to connect wallets like Alby Hub or Phoenix.
Is Vega free? ▾
Yes, completely. Vega is free, open-source software under the MIT license. No subscriptions, no ads, no tracking. You can view, modify, and distribute the source code freely on GitHub.
Can I use my existing Nostr account? ▾
Absolutely! Log in with your nsec (private key) for full access, or your npub (public key) for read-only mode. You can also use NIP-46 remote signers like nsecBunker or Amber for enhanced security. All your follows, posts, and profile come with you.
What makes Vega different from other Nostr clients? ▾
Vega is purpose-built as a desktop application using Tauri 2.0 (Rust backend), so it feels native and fast — not a web app in a wrapper. It has an embedded personal relay (strfry) so your notes are always available locally, first-class long-form article support with a full markdown editor, 7 beautiful themes, deep Lightning integration, advanced search, and 60+ features. It's designed for people who want a premium desktop experience with true data sovereignty.
Is my private key safe? ▾
Vega stores your private key in your operating system's native keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, or Linux Secret Service). Your key never leaves your device and is never sent to any server. For maximum security, use a NIP-46 remote signer.
What is "Nostr" and why should I care? ▾
Nostr stands for "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays." It's an open protocol (like email or HTTP) for decentralized social networking. Unlike Twitter/X, Facebook, or Threads, no company owns it, no one can ban your account, and you truly own your identity and data. It's the social web as it should have been built.
Can I switch to another Nostr client later? ▾
Yes! That's the beauty of Nostr. Your identity (keys), follows, posts, and data are on the protocol — not locked into any app. You can use Vega on desktop and a different client on mobile, or switch entirely. Popular alternatives include Damus (iOS), Amethyst (Android), and Primal (web).
Why is it named "Vega"? ▾
Vega is named after Jurij Vega (1754–1802), a Slovenian mathematician who made knowledge accessible to the world through his pioneering logarithm tables. Just as he democratized mathematical knowledge, Vega the client makes writing and communication accessible on Nostr. It's also one of the brightest stars in the night sky ✦
✦ SUPPORT

Support the Project

Vega is built with love by Jure Sršen in Slovenia. Here's how you can help.

⭐

Star on GitHub

Help with visibility and grant applications
💖

GitHub Sponsors

Recurring support for development
☕

Ko-fi

Buy the developer a coffee
⚡

Zap via Lightning

harpos@getalby.com

₿

Bitcoin

bc1qcgaupf80j28ca537xjlcs9dm9s03khezjs7crp