---

``bash
npx fonstr
`

That's it. You now have a Nostr relay running at ws://localhost:4444/relay

No config files. No dependencies. No Docker. No setup. It just works.

---

📱 Yes, Even on Your Phone

Run a Nostr relay on your Android phone with Termux:

`bash
npx fonstr
`

Under 90 seconds from zero to running relay. On a phone. In your pocket.

---

🤯 What You Get

Type one command. Get all of this:

$3

- ✅ NIP-01 compliant (EVENT, REQ, CLOSE, EOSE)
- ✅ NIP-11 relay information endpoint
- ✅ NIP-98 HTTP authentication with Nostr keys
- ✅ Event filtering, subscriptions, real-time updates
- ✅ Rate limiting & memory protection
- ✅ WebSocket (ws://) and secure WebSocket (wss://)

$3

- ✅ Serve your relay's landing page
- ✅ Static file hosting (HTML, CSS, JS, images)
- ✅ REST APIs
- ✅ HTTPS support
- ✅ CORS enabled

$3

- ✅ Android/Termux (install in under 90 seconds!)
- ✅ Windows (no build tools needed!)
- ✅ macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi
- ✅ Pure JavaScript (no compilation, no native modules)
- ✅ Node.js 18+ only requirement

---

🎯 Quick Examples

$3

`bash
npx fonstr
`

Done. Your relay is live at:
- Nostr relay: ws://localhost:4444/relay
- Web interface: http://localhost:4444

$3

`bash
npx fonstr 8080
`

Relay now at ws://localhost:8080/relay

$3

`bash
mkdir fonstr-data
cat > fonstr-data/index.html << 'EOF'









⚡ Welcome to My Relay

Connect with any Nostr client:

ws://localhost:4444/relay


EOF

npx fonstr
`

Visit http://localhost:4444 → See your beautiful landing page
Connect to ws://localhost:4444/relay → Use your relay

$3

`bash


Put your SSL certs in current directory:

- fullchain.pem

- privkey.pem

npx fonstr --https
`

Now you have wss:// (secure WebSocket) for production use.

---

💪 Why fonstr?

| Other Relays | fonstr |
|-------------|--------|
| Install dependencies | ✅ Zero install (npx) |
| Configure settings | ✅ Zero config (sensible defaults) |
| Setup database | ✅ Zero setup (works out of box) |
| Compile native code | ✅ Pure JavaScript (no compilation) |
| Read documentation | ✅ One command to start |
| 5-30 minutes | ✅ 10 seconds |

---

📊 Performance

Don't let "easy" fool you. fonstr is fast:

- ⚡ Startup: ~3 seconds
- ⚡ Response time: Sub-millisecond
- ⚡ Throughput: 1,500+ requests/second
- ⚡ Install (Android): Under 90 seconds from scratch
- ⚡ Memory: ~80MB (efficient)

---

🧪 Test Your Relay

Connect from any Nostr client, or test with JavaScript:

`javascript
// Connect to your relay
const relay = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:4444/relay')

relay.onopen = () => {
// Subscribe to notes
relay.send(JSON.stringify([
'REQ',
'my-sub',
{ kinds: [1], limit: 10 }
]))
}

relay.onmessage = (msg) => {
const [type, ...data] = JSON.parse(msg.data)
console.log('Received:', type, data)
}
`

---

🎨 Customize Everything

$3

`bash
PORT=8080 npx fonstr # Custom port
DATA_ROOT=/var/fonstr npx fonstr # Custom data directory
`

$3

`bash
npx fonstr --help # Show all options
npx fonstr --port 8080 # Custom port
npx fonstr --root ./data # Custom data directory
npx fonstr --https # Enable HTTPS/WSS
npx fonstr --multiuser # Multi-user mode
npx fonstr --no-auth # Disable authentication
`

---

🌟 Beyond Relays

Powered by JavaScriptSolidServer, fonstr can do more when you need it:

$3

- 🔐 WebAuthn/Passkeys: Passwordless authentication
- 🌐 Solid Protocol: Decentralized personal data pods
- 🐘 ActivityPub: Federate with Mastodon/Pleroma
- 🆔 OIDC Provider: OpenID Connect identity server
- 👥 Multi-user: Host relays for multiple users

Enable via command-line flags when needed. Default is simple relay mode.

---

🎯 Use Cases

$3

Run your own relay. Keep your notes. Own your data.

`bash
npx fonstr
`

$3

Test your Nostr app against a local relay.

`bash
npx fonstr 4444


Develop your app

Stop relay (Ctrl+C)

`

$3

Run a relay for your community with a custom landing page.

`bash
mkdir my-relay-site
cd my-relay-site


Add index.html, logo.png, etc.


DATA_ROOT=. npx fonstr
`

$3

Run a relay on your Android phone. Take it anywhere.

`bash


On Android with Termux


pkg install nodejs-lts
npx fonstr
`

$3

Scale to thousands of users with HTTPS/WSS.

`bash
npx fonstr --https --port 443
`

---

🐳 Docker (Optional)

Prefer Docker? We got you:

`bash
docker run -d -p 4444:4444 ghcr.io/nostrapps/fonstr:latest
`

Or build locally:

`bash
git clone https://github.com/nostrapps/fonstr.git
cd fonstr
docker build -t fonstr .
docker run -d -p 4444:4444 fonstr
`

---

🔗 Relay Endpoints

Once running, your relay exposes:

| Endpoint | Purpose | Example |
|----------|---------|---------|
| ws://localhost:4444/relay | Nostr relay WebSocket | Connect with any client |
| http://localhost:4444/relay/info | NIP-11 relay info (JSON) | Relay metadata |
| http://localhost:4444/ | Web server root | Serve your landing page |

---

🚀 From Zero to Relay in Under 90 Seconds (Android)

Proof: Install fonstr on a fresh Android phone with Termux:

`bash


1. Install Termux from F-Droid

2. Open Termux, run:

pkg update && pkg install nodejs-lts
npx fonstr

Done. Under 90 seconds total.

`

No other relay can do this.

---

🛠️ Advanced Configuration

$3

`bash


Store events to disk (optional)


npx fonstr --solid-storage
`

$3

`bash


1. Get SSL cert (Let's Encrypt)

2. Put fullchain.pem and privkey.pem in current directory

3. Run with HTTPS

npx fonstr --https --port 443
`

Now accessible at wss://yourdomain.com/relay

$3

`nginx


/etc/nginx/sites-available/relay

upstream fonstr {
server 127.0.0.1:4444;
}

server {
listen 80;
server_name relay.yourdomain.com;

location / {
proxy_pass http://fonstr;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
}
}
`

---

📚 Learn More

$3

- Nostr Protocol - Core protocol
- NIPs - Protocol specs
- Awesome Nostr - Ecosystem

$3

- Blog Post - Run relay on phone
- JavaScriptSolidServer - Underlying engine
- Issues - Report bugs, request features

---

❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need to install anything?
A: No. npx downloads and runs fonstr temporarily. Node.js 18+ is the only requirement.

Q: Where are events stored?
A: In memory by default. Use --solid-storage to persist to disk.

Q: Can I use this in production?
A: Yes! Use --https for WSS support. fonstr handles 1,500+ req/sec.

Q: What's the difference from other relays?
A: fonstr is the easiest to install and run. Zero config, zero setup, works everywhere.

Q: Can I run multiple relays?
A: Yes. Use different ports: npx fonstr 4444 and npx fonstr 5555

Q: Does it support NIP-XX?
A: Supports NIP-01 (core), NIP-11 (info), NIP-98 (auth). More NIPs coming soon.

Q: Can I contribute?
A: Yes! PRs welcome. See Contributing.

---

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions!

- 🐛 Bug reports: Open an issue
- 💡 Feature requests: Start a discussion
- 🔧 Pull requests: Fork, change, PR
- 📖 Documentation: Help improve docs

For relay engine bugs, report to JavaScriptSolidServer.

---

📄 License

MIT License - Use freely, commercially or personally.

See LICENSE for details.

---

🙏 Built With

- JavaScriptSolidServer - Full-featured Solid + Nostr server
- nostr-tools - Nostr protocol utilities
- Fastify - Fast web framework

---

---

fonstr - The easiest way to run a Nostr relay. Period.