Specialized Clients
Beyond general social media, Nostr powers many specialized applications. Here's what's available.
Long-Form Content
For writers, bloggers, and journalists.
Habla
- URL: habla.news
- Write and publish articles (NIP-23)
- Markdown support
- Clean reading experience
- Comments via Nostr
Yakihonne
- URL: yakihonne.com
- Beautiful article layouts
- Newsletter features
- Curated content
- Publication tools
Best for: Writers who want a Medium-like experience
Media & Photography
For visual content.
Olas
- URL: olas.app
- Instagram-style photo sharing
- Gallery views
- Photo stories
- Mobile-first design
Nostragram
- Photo sharing focused
- Grid layouts
- Visual discovery
Best for: Photographers, visual creators
Live Streaming
For content creators who stream.
Zap.stream
- URL: zap.stream
- Live video streaming
- Zaps during streams
- Chat integration
- VOD (video on demand)
Best for: Streamers, live content creators
Audio & Podcasts
For listeners and audio creators.
Fountain
- URL: fountain.fm
- Podcast app with Nostr integration
- Zap clips to podcasters
- Social features
- Episode comments
Wavlake
- URL: wavlake.com
- Music streaming
- Artist payments via Lightning
- Nostr comments and discovery
Best for: Podcast listeners, music fans
Chat & Messaging
For private and group conversations.
0xchat
- Download: 0xchat.com
- Encrypted private messaging
- Group chats
- Voice messages
- Mobile-first
Blowater
- Private messaging
- Clean interface
- Focus on conversation
Best for: Direct messaging, group chats
Communities & Forums
For group discussions.
Flotilla
- URL: flotilla.social
- Discord-like experience on Nostr
- "Relays as groups" concept
- Rooms, channels, and chat
- DM alerts and notifications
Satellite
- URL: satellite.earth
- Reddit-style communities (NIP-72)
- Topic-based discussions
- Moderated spaces
Chachi
Chachi is a relay-based group chat client implementing NIP-29, built by Verbiricha (creator of Habla.news). It's designed to be mobile-friendly, bandwidth efficient, and interoperable with all kinds of content.
- URL: chachi.chat
- Source: git.v0l.io/verbiricha/chachi
- License: MIT (Open Source)
What Makes Chachi Different
Unlike traditional chat apps, Chachi uses NIP-29 relay-based groups:
| Traditional Chat | Chachi (NIP-29) |
|---|---|
| Company controls your data | Community chooses where data lives |
| Locked to one platform | Interoperable with other NIP-29 clients |
| Lose access if banned | Move groups to different relays |
| Centralized servers | Decentralized relay infrastructure |
Core Features
Group Management:
- Create, edit, join, and leave groups
- Bookmark favorite groups
- Accept/reject membership requests (for admins)
- Delete events and moderate content
- Role-based administration
Chat & Content:
- Real-time messaging with threading
- Posts with NIP-22 comment support
- Unread message counters
- Support for text notes, polls, highlights
- Custom emoji support
Planned Features (OpenSats Grant):
- Long-form content, video, audio, wikis
- Calendar events for group scheduling
- NIP-17 direct messages
- PWA for mobile installation
- Zaps integration
- NIP-46/NIP-55 login methods
How NIP-29 Groups Work
Groups are hosted on relays and identified like: groups.0xchat.com'groupname
Group Types:
- Public/Open — Anyone can read and join freely
- Public/Closed — Anyone can read, but joining requires approval
- Private/Open — Members only read, anyone can request to join
- Private/Closed — Members only, admin approval required
Getting Started with Chachi
- Visit chachi.chat
- Login with your Nostr key (or browser extension)
- Browse available groups or create your own
- Join the official Chachi group:
chachi.chat/groups.0xchat.com/chachi
Use Cases
- Open source projects — Coordinate development
- Local meetups — Organize events and discussions
- Topic communities — Create spaces around interests
- Private teams — Secure team communication
- Study groups — Collaborative learning
Chachi uses Blossom for file hosting, so your media is also decentralized and censorship-resistant.
Zapddit
- Reddit-style client for Nostr
- Follow topics like subreddits
- Upzap/downzap with sats
- Mute topics you don't like
Best for: Group discussions, forums, team chat
Marketplaces
For buying and selling.
Shopstr
- URL: shopstr.store
- Peer-to-peer marketplace
- Bitcoin/Lightning payments
- Direct seller contact
Plebeian Market
- Decentralized marketplace
- Auction support
- Escrow features
Best for: Buying/selling goods
Games & Entertainment
Jester (Chess)
- URL: jesterui.github.io
- Play chess with anyone over Nostr
- No account needed - just share a link
- Decentralized game state
POGN (Poker)
- URL: GitHub
- Poker and other games on Nostr
- Peer-to-peer card games
- Mental poker implementation
Nostr Nests
- Audio spaces (like Twitter Spaces/Clubhouse)
- Live audio conversations
- Zap speakers in real-time
Best for: Gaming and social audio
P2P Exchange
Mostro
- URL: mostro.network
- Lightning Network P2P exchange
- No KYC required
- Censorship-resistant trading
- Escrow protection
- Buy/sell Bitcoin for any currency
Best for: Private, decentralized Bitcoin trading
Media Hosting
Blossom
Blossom is a protocol for decentralized media hosting on Nostr.
How it works:
- Upload images/videos to Blossom-compatible servers
- Files are addressed by sha256 hash
- Mirror to multiple servers for redundancy
- If one server censors you, switch to another
Blossom Servers:
- nostr.build - Popular, free hosting
- blosstr.com - Enterprise-grade hosting
- nostrmedia.com - Image & video hosting
Best for: Censorship-resistant media storage
Code Collaboration
GitWorkshop
- URL: gitworkshop.dev
- Decentralized GitHub alternative
- Issues and pull requests over Nostr
- Repository discovery
- NIP-34 compliant
Gitstr
- URL: GitHub
- Send and receive git patches over Nostr
- No central server needed
- Announce repos to relays
Best for: Developers wanting decentralized code collaboration
Developer Tools
Njump
- URL: njump.me
- View any Nostr event
- Share links to non-Nostr users
- Event inspector
Nostr.band
- URL: nostr.band
- Search engine for Nostr
- Statistics and trends
- API access
Client Directory
For a complete list of Nostr apps:
- Nostr Apps: nostrapps.com
- Nostr.net: nostr.net
Summary Table
| Category | App | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form | Habla, Yakihonne | Web |
| Photos | Olas | Mobile/Web |
| Streaming | Zap.stream | Web |
| Podcasts | Fountain | Mobile |
| Music | Wavlake | Web |
| Chat | 0xchat, Flotilla | Mobile/Web |
| Group Chat | Chachi (NIP-29) | Web/PWA |
| Communities | Satellite, Zapddit | Web |
| Marketplace | Shopstr, Mostro | Web |
| Gaming | Jester, POGN | Web |
| Media Hosting | Blossom servers | Web |
| Code | GitWorkshop | Web |
One Account for Everything
Remember: your Nostr keys work in all these apps!
- Post on Damus
- Write on Habla
- Share photos on Olas
- Chat on 0xchat
- Stream on Zap.stream
- Listen on Fountain
All with the same identity!
Next Steps
- Using Zaps - Lightning payments
- Direct Messages - Private communication
- Understanding Relays