Frequently asked questions

Yes. Noxstream is completely free with no paywall, no premium tier and no checkout. Every feature is included on both the web app and the Windows desktop build. Donating is welcome but optional and unlocks nothing, because everything is already free for everyone.

Noxstream is a free media center and player built on the addon protocol. It is a client, not a content store, and it hosts no content of its own: you add the addon catalogs you choose by manifest URL, then browse, track and play from them in an immersive player, in the browser or on the Windows desktop.

Yes. The Noxstream app shows no ads, runs no analytics on your activity and needs no account. It is local-first, so your library stays on your device unless you opt into end-to-end-encrypted sync. The marketing website uses basic analytics, but the app never sees, sells or profiles what you watch.

No. Noxstream is fully usable signed out, with everything stored locally on your device. An account is optional and only enables end-to-end encrypted sync across devices. You can watch, build a library and track progress without ever signing up.

No. Noxstream hosts no content and ships with none. It is a player and library that talks to the addons you choose to install through the open addon protocol. What is available to watch depends entirely on those third-party addons, not on Noxstream.

They are the same product with the same features. The web app runs in any modern browser at no cost and needs no install. The Windows desktop build adds native window integration and runs offline. With an account, your library syncs between both.

Any addon that follows the open addon protocol. Paste a manifest URL to add catalogs, metadata and stream sources. Noxstream ships with the official Cinemeta (metadata) and OpenSubtitles addons enabled on first run, so it works the moment you open it.

Noxstream plays direct video files, HLS streams and torrents in one immersive player. You can resume or restart, switch audio and quality tracks, load subtitles, adjust the aspect ratio and boost the volume, all without leaving what you are watching.

Yes. Kids profiles give each person their own library, progress and settings, and hide mature genres across the app. An optional PIN gates settings, addons and profile switching, so children stay inside a safe, age-appropriate view of your catalogs.

Yes, optionally. Connect Trakt to scrobble what you watch, pull your watched history into your library and import your watchlist. Trakt is entirely optional and can be toggled on or off per profile, so it never gets in the way if you do not use it.

Sync is optional and end-to-end encrypted. When you create an account, your library, progress and settings are encrypted on your device before upload, so the server only ever stores ciphertext it cannot read. Sign in on another device and your data decrypts locally.

No. Noxstream uses end-to-end encryption, so your data is encrypted on your device with a key derived from your password before it leaves. The server stores only ciphertext and never sees your key, meaning nobody operating the service can read your library or activity.

Yes. The sync backend is a small encrypted transport, and you can point Noxstream at your own server. It runs on Postgres and stores only encrypted records it cannot read, so you can run your own private instance with full control over your data.

No ads, and the app runs no analytics on what you do. Noxstream is local-first, so your library and activity stay on your device unless you opt into end-to-end-encrypted sync. The marketing website uses basic, aggregate analytics to improve the pages; it never runs in the app or sees what you watch.

Yes. Noxstream is free with no ads, no in-app tracking and no account required, and it installs per-user without an admin prompt. Because it is closed source it is distributed directly rather than from a public repo, so download it only from the official site and you are getting the genuine build.

Because the installer is not yet code-signed. Windows may show a "Windows protected your PC" notice for any new app that has not built up a signing reputation. Choose More info, then Run anyway to continue. It is expected for an unsigned build, not a sign of anything harmful.

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, with roughly 250 MB of disk space. The install is per-user and needs no administrator prompt. If you would rather not install anything, the web app runs the same product in any modern browser, on any operating system.

Automatically. Installed builds check for updates on launch, download them in the background and install them on quit, so you stay on the latest version without reinstalling. You never have to track down a new installer by hand.

Today Noxstream ships as a Windows desktop app and a web app, and the web app runs on macOS, Linux, ChromeOS and mobile browsers with nothing to install. Native apps for mobile and the living-room TV are on the roadmap; a dedicated macOS or Linux desktop build is not available yet.

Donations are a thank-you, never a requirement. Noxstream stays free for everyone whether or not you give. Voluntary support funds development time and the mobile and TV roadmap. If Noxstream is useful to you and you can spare a little, it genuinely helps the project keep going.

No, and that is on purpose. Donating unlocks no features, tiers, badges or early access, because gating anything behind payment would break the promise that Noxstream is 100% free. Everyone gets the complete app. A donation simply supports the work behind it.

Donations go toward development time and the future mobile and TV apps. Hosting costs are near zero because Noxstream is local-first and stores only encrypted data. There are no salaries, marketing budgets or investors, so your support goes directly into building and maintaining the app.