Provider at a glance
- Category
- SocialFi
- Entity
- Not verified
- Official website
- nostr.com
Independent rankingchecked How it works
Details
Scored 82 out of 100 under methodology 2026.10.18, from the evidence read in September 2026.
Nostr
Open social protocol built on keypairs
SocialFi
#1 Overall
Ranked #1 of 8 SocialFi in the published ranking
82
ChainChoice Score
The ChainChoice Score, shown against 100: published scores run from 41 to 99.- High evidence confidence
Is Nostr right for you?
Right for you if these matter most
- If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine?10/10, the category best
- Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to?9/10, the category best
- Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it?10/10, the category best
Look elsewhere if these come first
- Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down?6/10 here; friend.tech scores 9
Not yet tested for your country. Markets it lists: Global.
to test where you can use it.
The rank above is the published one, the same for every reader. Find my best SocialFi platform shows where it lands for you.
What will Nostr cost you?
Not priced on this basis
- Your monthly volume
- $1k
How safe is Nostr?
- Evidence: verified4 of 4 criteria rest on quoted, sourced receipts. Read September 2026.
- LicenceMiCA (EU): no register record on file here.
Alternatives to Nostr
Compare all 4- 2friend.tech4 points below · stronger on earnings waterfall (9 against 6)78
- 3Lens Protocol12 points below · weaker on who outranks my keys (2 against 10)70
- 4Bluesky / AT Protocol14 points below · weaker on handle and graph custody (6 against 10)68
For your setup
Find out if Nostr fits you
The rank above is the published one — the same for every visitor. Answer the category's questions and this section shows where Nostr lands for you, which criteria your answers weight up, and which stated needs the record does or does not meet. The published rank stays beside it.
- A few questions
- No account required
- Ranking-blind: no commercial input
- Personalised in under 60 seconds
Find my best SocialFi platformNothing is inferred from clicks, popularity or commercial value.
Why it leads
Why Nostr ranks #1
Each strength is read from evidence on a 0–10 ladder and weighted as the published methodology states. The 32 objective points these produce (27.9 here) sit inside the score; availability, friction, trust record and measured data add the rest. Best in this ranking on 3 of 4.
4 published criteria · Σ weight 100
CriterionWeightStrength · 0–10ScoreContrib.MedianBestRankEvidence
3210+10.246.510#1/8Loading evidence…
279+7.787.09#1/8Loading evidence…
256+4.805.59#2/8Loading evidence…
1610+5.124.010#1/8Loading evidence…
Hairline = best in this ranking · tick = its median · a missing bar is "not scored", never zero
Margin+4over friend.tech, #2
RobustnessHoldsacross a one-point change to each of its 4 criterion scores, the re-run scores 81–82 and stays #1
Evidence4 of 4 scored4 quoted, 4 with a source link
What would move the rank
Each line is the ranking run again with one of Nostr’s criterion scores changed and every other value held: the smallest whole-point change on that criterion that moves its rank, and where the re-run puts it. Up to 4 climbs and 3 falls are listed, smallest change first. Nothing here is a forecast.
If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine? 10 → 7 on its ladder · friend.tech passes it−379#1 → #2
Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to? 9 → 6 on its ladder · friend.tech passes it−380#1 → #2
Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down? 6 → 3 on its ladder · friend.tech passes it−381#1 → #2
Strengths
3 from the score dataWhere it leads
Best for readers who weight
- If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine? — 10/10, the category best
- Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to? — 9/10, the category best
- Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it? — 10/10, the category best
Tradeoffs
1 from the score dataWhere it trails
Not for readers who put first
- Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down? — 6/10 against a category best of 9/10
Record watch-outs
- NOBODY OWES YOU DURABILITY, AND NOBODY PAYS YOU. The two failures are the same failure — there is no counterparty. On storage, the protocol's own export route is stated conditionally: "If one believes a relay will store their events for sufficient time, they can use this kind-3 event to backup their following list and recover on a different device." (https://nips.nostr.com/2). A relay may drop your history tomorrow with no notice, no SLA and no appeal, and "These relays can be hosted by anyone and have any rule or internal policy they want." (github.com/nostr-protocol/nostr) is the whole of the guarantee. You keep the key that proves the notes were yours; you may not keep the notes. On money, a buyer who came to monetise an audience finds no earnings rail with a published rate at all — NIP-57 zaps are peer-to-peer Lightning into whatever lnurl server the creator chose, so the take is set by a third party the protocol never names. And the practical cost lands the wrong way round: paid relays charge YOU to be carried (nostr.wine, 18,888 sats admission, read 2026-08-17), so the only priced flow in the system is outbound.
Competitive position
Where Nostr leads and where it trails
Rank on every objective dimension among the rows scored on it. A criterion in the top third of its pool is listed as a lead, the bottom third as a trail; the middle is neither. Popularity, size and commercial terms are not dimensions.
Availability#1 / 814.0 of 20 · constant here
Published criteria#1 / 821.0 of 30 · pool best
Friction#1 / 82.7 of 10 · constant here
Trust record#1 / 83.2 of 8 · constant here
Measured data#1 / 88.3 of 18 · constant here
Where Nostr leads
- If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine?#1 / 8
- Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to?#1 / 8
- Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down?#2 / 8
- Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it?#1 / 8
Where it trailsNo criterion in the bottom third of its pool.
Closest alternatives
The 3 nearest rows by score
Nearest by published score in either direction. Each card states the criteria on which the two rows differ and the cost difference under the same scenario inputs; the compare arithmetic below shows why the higher one ranks higher.
friend.tech#2 of 8 · score 78 · 4.0 points behind
Nostr leads on
- If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine?10 vs 9
- Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to?9 vs 6
- Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it?10 vs 8
friend.tech leads on
- Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down?9 vs 6
Largest single reason Nostr is ahead: published criteria (+4.4 display points).Scenario cost: friend.tech has no verified pricing for this scenario.
Lens Protocol#3 of 8 · score 70 · 12.0 points behind
Nostr leads on
- If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine?10 vs 9
- Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to?9 vs 8
- Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it?10 vs 2
Lens Protocol leads onNo scored criterion
Largest single reason Nostr is ahead: published criteria (+11.7 display points).Scenario cost: Lens Protocol has no verified pricing for this scenario.
Bluesky / AT Protocol#4 of 8 · score 68 · 14.0 points behind
Nostr leads on
- If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine?10 vs 6
- Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down?6 vs 5
- Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it?10 vs 6
Bluesky / AT Protocol leads onNo scored criterion
Largest single reason Nostr is ahead: published criteria (+13.8 display points).Scenario cost: Bluesky / AT Protocol has no verified pricing for this scenario.
Against #2
82 vs 78 · gap 4.0Why Nostr ranks above friend.tech
DimensionThisfriend.techGap share
Availability · 23% weight · constant here14.014.0same
Published criteria · 35% weight21.019.3+4.4, better
Friction · 12% weight · constant here2.72.7same
Trust record · 9% weight · constant here3.23.2same
Measured data · 21% weight · constant here8.38.3same
Published criterionThisfriend.techPoints
If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine? · w32109+1.02, better
Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to? · w2796+2.59, better
Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down? · w2569−2.40, worse
Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it? · w16108+1.02, better
Net8278+4.0
Your scenario
Nostr is not priced for this scenario
Marketplace fee on your volume for a year. Excludes network gas and any withdrawal fee. Change an input and every figure recomputes from the published rate; the published rank does not move.
your cost/yr · default scenario — set your own
Your monthly volume · your input$1k
Rate read from the provider’s published pricing ↗ on 28 September 2026.
your cost/yrCost is stated as your cost/yr in USD; it is never a yield, never annualised, and it does not enter the score.
Not priced on this basis
Under the default inputs · USDCategory medianNot priced0 of 8 rows priced
Cheapest pricedNone pricedDifference not stated · availability not applied — set your country to filter
8 of 8 rows in this ranking have no verified rate for this scenario and are absent from the median, not counted as free.
Evidence
Evidence read 28 September 2026
One row per published criterion: the page each strength was read from, its source type by domain, the reading date and whether the file and the published table agree. Open a row for the quote and the receipt.
4 of 4 cells scored
Score evidenceVerified4 of 4 criteria reconstruct from receipts
4 of 4 criteria reconstruct from a quoted, sourced receipt equal to the published strength.Public receiptsReading…4 quoted with a source URL
The receipt file has not been read yet.Evidence confidenceHighcoverage and corroboration, never freshness
4/4 criteria scored, with 4 dated sources quoted.RobustnessHoldsrank #1 across every one-point re-run
Whether the position holds when one criterion score is changed by one point and the ranking is run again. It is always a re-run of the ranking, never an estimate.The newest evidence read on the platform is 3 November 2026; this category's reading is older. The scores stand as read on 28 September 2026.
Reading the evidence ledger…
CriterionSourceTypeReadFreshnessStatusReceipt
If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine?strength 10 · weight 32Report an error—28 September 2026*
Unknown
No reading date is recorded for this cell or its category.No receipt
A strength is published but no quote or source page is on file for it.Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to?strength 9 · weight 27Report an error—28 September 2026*
Unknown
No reading date is recorded for this cell or its category.No receipt
A strength is published but no quote or source page is on file for it.Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down?strength 6 · weight 25Report an error—28 September 2026*
Unknown
No reading date is recorded for this cell or its category.No receipt
A strength is published but no quote or source page is on file for it.Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it?strength 10 · weight 16Report an error—28 September 2026*
Unknown
No reading date is recorded for this cell or its category.No receipt
A strength is published but no quote or source page is on file for it.How you can lose money here, and what the ranking scores
- Control failure (Nostr 10/10): a key or vote changes the rules, freezes or mints.Scored by Whose key can override mine — and what exactly can they do with it? · 16%
- Custody failure (Nostr 10/10): whoever holds the assets loses or withholds them.Scored by If this company shuts down tomorrow, is my handle and my follower list still mine? · 32%
- Exit failure (Nostr 9/10): you cannot get out at par, on time, or with what is yours.Scored by Can I actually walk out with my audience — and is there anywhere to walk to? · 27%
Not assessed by this ranking: Contract failure, Regulatory failure, Execution failure, Information failure. A high place says nothing about these; the Methodology tab says what each means. Also scored, as cost, quality or a summary of several families: Who takes a cut of what I earn here, and is the number actually written down? (25%).
Facts
facts, not scoresWhat the record publishes
- Pricing
- NO FIRST-PARTY PRICE EXISTS, AND THIS IS THE PAGE THAT WOULD CARRY ONE. https://
nostr .com /info (HTTP 200, fetched 28 September 2026) states "Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays) is a free and open network that nobody owns or controls." and carries no fee, price, subscription or take rate; its six "fee" substrings are all "feed" or "feeds". The protocol repository https:// github .com /nostr-protocol /nostr (HTTP 200, 28 September 2026) gives its licence as "Public domain." The only prices in the system are set by individual relays, and the protocol standardises how they are disclosed: https:// nips .nostr .com /11 (HTTP 200, 28 September 2026), "Relays that require payments may want to expose their fee schedules." A live example, https:// nostr .wine read with Accept: application/nostr+json on 28 September 2026 (HTTP 200): "fees":{"admission":[{"amount":18888000,"unit":"msats"}]} with "payment_required":true and "payments_url":"https:// nostr .wine /invoices" - a one-off admission of 18888000 millisatoshis to that one relay (arithmetic: 18,888 satoshis), unchanged from August. No number was invented.Nostr — official pricing page ↗ · 28 September 2026 - Prices published in
- USDNostr — official pricing page ↗ · 28 September 2026
- Licences held
- Not published
- Compliance level
- partial
- Regulatory note
- Not published
- Supported chains
- Multi-chain
- Markets served
- global
- Primary markets
- Not published
- Restricted markets
- Not published
- Operating limits
- Not published
- Availability note
- Neither a market restriction nor an OFAC representation: there is no geographic language of any kind, and the absence is structural rather than an oversight. https://
nostr .com / and https:// nostr .com /info (both read 17 August 2026) publish no terms of service, no eligibility clause, no sanctions representation and no restricted-jurisdiction list; there is no operator to make one, the protocol being under "Public domain." This is the rare case where the standard crypto OFAC/sanctions boilerplate is genuinely absent rather than present-but-irrelevant, so it must not be confused with either category. The only geography that surfaces anywhere is per-relay and self-declared: nostr.wine's NIP-11 document (read 17 August 2026) emits "relay_countries":["*"] and "language_tags":["*"], i.e. no restriction. Note honestly that relay_countries is NOT a field defined in the NIP-11 text rendered at https:// nips .nostr .com /11 — it is a de facto extension. Regional access is therefore a property of whichever relay a user picks, and any individual relay could in principle restrict, but no restriction is published at the protocol level. Marked global on that basis.
No confirmed legal entity is on file for this record. Nothing is inferred from the brand name.
If something goes wrong with Nostr: where to complain, and where to report a scam
Loading the routes for your country.
How this page is reviewed
Reviewed means this product in this category was read against its sources on or after that date; every ranked category is re-read at least every 45 days. Models research, extract and parse. A deterministic engine ranks. Every quote passes an adversarial refute pass.
Accountable for this review: Mathias Siemonsmeier, Founder.
How we review · Review calendar · Corrections log · How we make money
History
What the record carries
Changes to published ranks are recorded in a ledger; every step and its cause is listed on the rank-history page. The entries below begin with the current verified snapshot, then the methodology versions whose changes applied to this category, newest first.
9 methodology entries
- 28 September 2026Current verified snapshot · methodology 2026.10.18Score 82, #1 of 8. 4 of 4 criteria scored. History starts here; earlier values are not interpolated.
- 10 October 2026
2026.10.8When nothing serves your country, the list shown for reference is the published ranking · platform-wide- fixed The reference list shown when nothing serves your country is the published order with the published scores, and a build check now fails any such list out of that order or with a score the ranking does not publish.
- fixed The explorer prints an overall rank only for a row the published ranking holds; a country entrant such as Coinbase Commerce for US merchants shows no overall rank.
- changed Published orders do not move. Country results change only where nothing serves the country: in India bill pay keeps Bitcoin Well first and now shows Strike second, as published; 35 such runs across all categories and countries now match the published list exactly.
- 10 October 2026
2026.10.6A criterion you require re-scores the rows that meet it · platform-wide- changed The explorer sends each criterion you require, at any band, as fit_required with your other answers; region, licence, chain and fact filters stay filters. On /best, a required criterion joins For you as a marked preference does, which needs your country; Overall stays the published ranking, filtered.
- added Every published criterion has a golden case as the explorer sends it (require:<criterion>), so the order a requirement gives is replayed and gated as the published order is, and a change to it needs an entry here.
- 16 September 2026
2026.09.15Dimension scores carry tenths, and eleven more categories are re-read from primary sources · platform-wide- changed Dimension scores resolve to tenths of a point (O-04b), and weightedTotal is rounded to six decimal places before the order is read. 518 published scores move across 107 categories that were not re-read; none of them moves by more than 4 points, and most move by 1.
- fixed 66 published scores change in the eleven re-read categories, against a verbatim source each. The largest moves are Reflexer RAI (−16), Beefy and Unrekt (−11), Aztec (−10) and Golem (+9) — all of them rows whose sources had moved since their last read.
- changed Published order moves in 38 of 119 categories and three #1s change: smart_contract_audits (Zellic → Certora) and travel_rule_compliance (Sumsub Travel Rule → CodeVASP) on the finer resolution, kyc_compliance (Veriff → Sumsub) on the re-read.
- added availabilitySource (O-04g): for a reader who states a country, a row whose availability in that country rests on a region tag its record gives no source for sorts below every sourced row. It is inert in every order published here, which states no country.
Methodology 2026.10.18, the same published run every visitor sees · receipt socialfi:nostr:2026.10.18:4f61424dedef
Are you Nostr? Reply to this verdict, or send evidence, ask for a correction or claim the listing. Every message gets a public ticket number; none of it changes a rank unless a public page or a signed statement supports it.