How it all works, in plain English — and why you only ever need one login.
There's no sign-up form, no email, and no password. You log in with the Nostr account you already have — the same one your Nostr app uses. When you log in, your app asks you to approve it, and you tap yes. That approval is all we get. We never see or hold the secret that controls your account, so we can't log in as you or post as you.
The first time you log in, we make a free account for you automatically. That's it — you're registered.
After that, everything is in one place: the portal.
Your free account already comes with space to store photos and videos, a free Nostr name (like
you@sovbit.host), and a safe backup of your profile. You're always in charge of your own
profile — your name, your picture, your short bio, the things people recognize you by. You make the
changes; we just keep a copy you can put back if you ever need it. Paying for the relay simply gives you
more space and access to the members-only relay. It's the same account either way.
Log in at the portal → we create a free account for you automatically → manage your relay, photos, videos, Nostr name, zaps, and profile, all in one place.
You log in with the Nostr account you already use. If you're brand new to Nostr and don't have one yet, start with our Nostr guide — it walks you through getting set up.
A relay is the server your posts travel through. Add ours to your Nostr app's relay list:
wss://freelay.sovbit.host. It's open to everyone, free, and spam-filtered — great for
trying things out or as a backup.
A cleaner, members-only relay — spam stays out because it costs a little to get in. Subscribe in the
portal (pay with Lightning), then add wss://relay.sovbit.host to your app. A subscription
also bumps your storage to 10 GB and includes a you@sovbit.host name.
Just log in — free accounts get 500 MB of space, subscribers get 10 GB. Upload right from the portal, or straight from any Nostr app that lets you post photos. There's no separate sign-up.
Upload a video in the portal and get a link you can share in any Nostr app. Free accounts stream at standard quality; subscribers get HD and a link that never expires. Videos use your storage space.
Get a friendly name like you@sovbit.host so people can find you by name instead of a long
string of letters. Free for anyone — we just send you a quick message to confirm it's you. Subscribers
can set theirs right in the portal.
Update your profile — the name, picture, and bio people know you by — and keep a safe backup of it and your follow list. You make every change yourself; we only keep a copy you can restore. Your secret login is never involved.
Let people tip you on Nostr (these tips are called "zaps") at a clean you@sovbit.host
address that sends the money straight to your own wallet. You keep your own money — it's just an
address that points at it. Set it up in the portal. (Advanced: you bring your own wallet or node.)
Free (made for you the first time you log in): the free relay, 500 MB of space for photos and video (standard quality), a free Nostr name, and a backup of your profile and follows.
Paid subscription: everything above, plus the members-only relay, 10 GB of space, HD video with a permanent link, and a Nostr name you can set yourself. Pay with Lightning, and renew whenever you like from the portal.
No. You log in with the Nostr account you already have, and we make a free account for you the first time. No form, no email, no password.
No. When you log in, your own Nostr app simply approves it, and that approval is all we get. We never see or store the secret that controls your account, so we can't log in as you or post anything as you.
It lets your Nostr app confirm the account is really yours and starts your session so the portal can show your stuff. Nothing gets posted to Nostr. The first time, it also creates your free account.
No. A free account can store photos and video right away, up to 500 MB (video at standard quality). A subscription raises that to 10 GB and unlocks HD video with a permanent link.
All in the portal — your subscription, photos, videos, Nostr name, tipping address, and profile backup.
Pay with Lightning in the portal. If a subscription runs out, your account just goes back to the free level — you don't lose your login or anything in your free account.
Log in with the Nostr account you already have — we'll create your free account on the spot.