Is Alby Hub open source?

Yes — Alby Hub's core is OSI-licensed open source: free to audit, fork and redistribute.

What hardware does Alby Hub run on?

Alby Hub runs on Self-hosted (Docker/desktop) or Alby cloud. A Lightning node is included/managed out of the box.

Best for A Lightning-first node for daily payments. Difficulty level: beginner. A self-custodial Lightning hub that connects apps via Nostr Wallet Connect — node-lite, payments-heavy.

Node OS · beginner

Alby Hub

A self-custodial Lightning hub that connects apps via Nostr Wallet Connect — node-lite, payments-heavy.

TypeNode OS

Open sourceYes (OSI-licensed core)

HardwareSelf-hosted (Docker/desktop) or Alby cloud

Lightning includedYes

App storeNo

Pricingfree self-hosted + paid cloud

Difficultybeginner

The longer story

Alby Hub is node-lite, payments-heavy: a self-custodial Lightning hub that connects wallets, apps and websites through Nostr Wallet Connect, so your Lightning balance works everywhere without each app holding keys. It is the piece that makes self-custodial Lightning practical for daily use.

It suits Lightning-first users who want self-custody without operating a full routing node. It deliberately isn’t a full node stack — pair it with one from this list (or a hosted backend) depending on how deep your verification goes.

Official site @getalby

Quick answers

Is Alby Hub open source?: Yes — Alby Hub's core is OSI-licensed open source: free to audit, fork and redistribute.
What hardware does Alby Hub run on?: Alby Hub runs on Self-hosted (Docker/desktop) or Alby cloud. A Lightning node is included/managed out of the box.
Who is Alby Hub for?: Best for A Lightning-first node for daily payments. Difficulty level: beginner. A self-custodial Lightning hub that connects apps via Nostr Wallet Connect — node-lite, payments-heavy.

Compare & alternatives

alby-hub vs umbrel Umbrel Start9 (StartOS)RaspiBlitz myNode

All node stacks → · Why run a node at all → · What your node verifies, counted live →