Gossip

Native desktop Nostr client. Privacy-focused with intelligent relay management.

Overview

Gossip is a desktop Nostr client written in Rust, known for pioneering the outbox model for relay selection. It provides a native, performant experience with strong privacy features.

Key Features

Outbox Model Pioneer

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Outbox Model                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                          │
│  Traditional:                                           │
│  Connect to fixed list of popular relays               │
│  Hope everyone you follow is there                     │
│                                                          │
│  Gossip Outbox Model:                                   │
│  1. Read user's relay list (NIP-65)                    │
│  2. Connect to their write relays                      │
│  3. Fetch their content directly                       │
│                                                          │
│  Result: Better decentralization, less missing content │
│                                                          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Native Desktop

Feature	Benefit
Rust	Fast, memory-safe
Native UI	OS-integrated
Local storage	Your data stays local
No browser	Direct relay connections

Privacy Features

• Local key storage — Never leaves your machine
• Selective relay connections — Only connect where needed
• No tracking — No analytics or telemetry
• Tor support — Optional onion routing

Core Features

Feature	Description
Feed	Chronological timeline
Threads	Full conversation view
DMs	Encrypted messages
Profiles	View and edit
Relay management	Fine-grained control
Zaps	Lightning payments

Installation

Linux

# Flatpak
flatpak install flathub com.mikedilger.gossip

# Or build from source
git clone https://github.com/mikedilger/gossip.git
cd gossip
cargo build --release

macOS

Download from GitHub releases or build from source.

Windows

Download installer from GitHub releases.

Configuration

Key Import

Settings → Identity → Import nsec

Relay Settings

Settings → Relays

Write relays: Where your posts go
Read relays: Where to fetch others' posts
Advertise relays: Published in NIP-65

Privacy Options

Settings → Privacy

□ Use Tor
□ Verify signatures only for followed
□ Prefer local cache

Outbox Implementation

Gossip reads NIP-65 relay lists:

{
  "kind": 10002,
  "tags": [
    ["r", "wss://relay.damus.io", "write"],
    ["r", "wss://nos.lol", "read"],
    ["r", "wss://relay.nostr.band"]
  ]
}

Then connects strategically:

• Write to your write relays
• Read from follows' write relays
• Discover relays as needed

Comparison

Feature	Gossip	Damus	Web clients
Platform	Desktop	iOS	Browser
Language	Rust	Swift	JS
Outbox model	Pioneer	Yes	Varies
Local storage	Full	App	IndexedDB
Privacy	High	Medium	Varies

Links

• GitHub: mikedilger/gossip
• Releases: GitHub releases page
• Developer: Mike Dilger

See Also

• Nostr Protocol — The protocol
• Amethyst — Also uses outbox
• Coracle — Web client with outbox
• NDK — Library with outbox support