View the timeline without an account or JavaScript
You can stop ads and tracking scripts from loading every time you open Twitter in your browser. Nitter is an alternative frontend that generates pages on the server. It lets you read a clean timeline without creating a separate account, while maintaining an environment where you are not tracked by your IP address or browser fingerprint.
A project continuing despite legal pressure
On August 24, 2026, X Corp sent a certified letter demanding the permanent deletion of Nitter instances and the repository. The project team decided to continue the project after legal consultation, with details to be announced later. This change serves as a reminder to consider legal risks when operating or using Nitter.
How it bypasses Twitter's restrictions
Since 2024, Twitter blocks access when JavaScript is disabled and requires account registration. Additionally, users can no longer control the transmission of their data to advertisers. Nitter bypasses these restrictions by handling them on the server side. Since all requests are processed through the backend, the client does not communicate directly with Twitter. This blocks IP-based tracking and JavaScript fingerprinting.
Lightweight pages and open-source principles
Nitter is written in the Nim language and operates lightly. It provides lightweight pages of about 60KB compared to the official Twitter site's 784KB. On average, it is about 15 times lighter than Twitter, and timeline loading speed is 2 to 4 times faster. It requires no JavaScript, has no ads, and supports RSS feeds, themes, and mobile responsive design. It follows the AGPLv3 license, and operating private instances is not allowed.
Preparations for self-hosting
To operate Nitter directly, you need the Nim compiler, libpcre, libsass, and either Redis or Valkey. Redis is used for caching, and since it is no longer open source after 2024, using Valkey is recommended. Even when using a Docker image, Redis must be installed separately. You must enter the hostname, port, HMAC key, HTTPS settings, and Redis information in the configuration file nitter.conf. For security and performance, it is recommended to run it behind a reverse proxy like Nginx or Apache. When using Docker commands, if the file to be mounted does not exist, a directory is created and an error occurs, so you must ensure the file exists.
Points to check before operating
Since X Corp's legal response is in progress, you must determine whether you can accept the legal consequences when operating an instance. Also, because it uses an unofficial API rather than the official one, the service may be interrupted due to changes in Twitter's policies. The account system is still under development, and currently, the timeline follow feature is limited. A list of community-managed instances can be found in the wiki, but RSS feed support may vary by instance.
