primal is unique among nostr apps in that it relies on a super relay: a caching server

the caching server pulls notes and events from all known relays, the app then reads from the server rather than relays directly

this setup provides both performance and privacy improvements

users do not have to trust the caching server with message integrity because all events are signed but users do trust the caching server to show all events

similar to traditional relays, anyone can run a caching server, users can easily change which server they use in settings

the caching server is not used when broadcasting notes, broadcasts are sent directly to relays chosen by users

the primal stack is open source, anyone can verify, run, or modify the code without permission

nostr identities are transportable, all users can use any nostr app at will and are never locked in to primal