A modern, cross-platform email encryption tool that bridges Nostr and email protocols. Discover contacts through the decentralized social key registry and send encrypted emails with a single click.
Everything you need to take control of your email communications, with the power of Nostr's decentralized key infrastructure.
Emails are encrypted using NIP-44 (or NIP-04) with secp256k1 key pairs. Only the sender and recipient can read the content -- not even your email server.
Built with Tauri for native performance on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. One codebase, every platform.
Discover contacts through Nostr's decentralized social key registry. No manual key exchange -- just follow someone and start sending encrypted mail.
Send and receive encrypted direct messages through the Nostr relay network, alongside your email -- all from one interface.
Sign outgoing emails with Schnorr signatures so recipients can verify authenticity and detect tampering.
Hybrid encryption for file attachments: AES-256 encrypts the payload, and NIP-44 protects the symmetric key.
A modern, clean interface with dark and light themes. Responsive design looks great on desktops and mobile devices alike.
SQLite local storage caches contacts, profiles, and messages so you can work offline and sync when you reconnect.
Works alongside existing Nostr clients like Amethyst, Damus, and others. Your keys, your network, your choice of tools.
Bridging the gap between Nostr's key infrastructure and email's ubiquity.
Use your existing Nostr keypair (nsec) or generate a new one. Your private key never leaves your device.
Your Nostr follow list is loaded automatically. Each contact's public key is fetched from relays -- no manual key exchange needed.
Write your email as usual. nostr-mail derives a shared secret from your private key and the recipient's public key, then encrypts the message.
The encrypted payload is delivered through your configured SMTP server. Optionally, the subject is also sent as a Nostr direct message to notify the recipient.
The recipient's nostr-mail client fetches the email via IMAP, derives the same shared secret from their private key and the sender's public key, and decrypts the message.
Nostr and email each solve problems the other can't. nostr-mail combines the best of both.
| Feature | Nostr | nostr-mail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Key Registry | |||
| PGP Encryption | |||
| Long Form Content | |||
| Archival Storage | |||
| Ubiquitous |
Another project, Nmail, shares the name “Nostr Mail” and a similar goal, but takes a different architectural approach. Nmail uses Nostr relays as the primary transport layer. Our approach embeds Nostr identity and end-to-end encryption inside the existing email ecosystem (SMTP/IMAP). Both designs are valid—they just optimize for different tradeoffs.
| Aspect | nostr-mail | Nmail (nostrmail.org) |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | E2E across arbitrary email providers (Gmail ↔ Outlook ↔ Proton, etc.) | E2E within the Nostr network; messages leaving via SMTP bridges are typically plaintext after the bridge |
| Transport | Standard SMTP & IMAP | Nostr relays (custom event kinds, e.g. 1301) |
| Existing inbox | Native — works directly in Gmail, Outlook, any IMAP client | Requires a bridge service for traditional inboxes |
| Metadata hiding | Subject + body encrypted and encoded as natural-looking text (Glossia) | Full envelope hidden via NIP-59; relays see minimal metadata |
| Discovery | Email address published via profile (kind 0) | NIP-05 (user@domain → pubkey) |
| Attachments | AES-256 + NIP-44 key wrapping, embedded in MIME | Out-of-band storage (e.g., Blossom servers) |
| Archival storage | Backed by existing email providers (IMAP folders, search, retention) | Depends on relay availability and retention |
| Legacy SMTP interop | Built-in — can reach any email address globally | Requires bridging to reach SMTP users |
We’re exploring hybrid models that combine both approaches—using Nostr relay transport (e.g. NIP-59 gift wrapping) for metadata privacy, while retaining SMTP/IMAP compatibility for universal reach. In that model, our end-to-end encryption layer can ride inside relay-wrapped messages when needed, giving users a spectrum between maximum interoperability and maximum privacy.
No framework bloat. Built on a lean, auditable stack you can trust.
Get started with nostr-mail today. Open source, free forever, and built for people who care about owning their communications.
