mfahampshire
64 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
64 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
---
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title: "Choosing an Approach"
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description: "Decide which Nym integration path fits your project. Compare nym-sdk, smolmix, mix-fetch, and the TypeScript SDK by runtime environment and architecture."
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schemaType: "TechArticle"
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section: "Developers"
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lastUpdated: "2026-05-12"
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---
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import { Callout } from 'nextra/components';
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# Choosing an Approach
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Any application that integrates with Nym sends its traffic through the Mixnet via a Nym client. The right product depends on two factors: your **environment** (where your code runs) and your **architecture** (whether you control both sides of the communication).
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## At a glance
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| | **End-to-end** (both sides run Nym) | **Proxy mode** (Nym → clearnet exit) |
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|---|---|---|
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| **Rust** (native / desktop / CLI) | [`nym-sdk`](/developers/rust) (Stream, Mixnet, Client Pool) | [`smolmix`](/developers/smolmix) (TCP / UDP) · [`nym-sdk`](/developers/rust) SOCKS client |
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| **TypeScript** (browser) | [TypeScript SDK](/developers/typescript) (WASM Mixnet Client, messaging only) | [`mix-fetch`](/developers/mix-fetch) (HTTP) |
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| **Mobile** (iOS / Android) | via [`nym-vpn-client`](#mobile) (uniffi + cargo-swift / cargo-ndk) | via [`nym-vpn-client`](#mobile) (uniffi + cargo-swift / cargo-ndk) |
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## Environment
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Different runtimes have different transport constraints: a browser cannot open raw sockets or access the filesystem, while a desktop app can.
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- **Native / Desktop / CLI**: full access to system networking and persistent storage. Use [`nym-sdk`](/developers/rust) (the Rust SDK) for E2E messaging or byte streams, or [`smolmix`](/developers/smolmix) for TCP/UDP socket-shaped access in proxy mode.
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- **Browser**: restricted to WebSockets, Web Transport, and `fetch`; HTTPS-only mixed-content rules; no filesystem access. Use [`mix-fetch`](/developers/mix-fetch) for HTTP(S) requests, or the [TypeScript SDK](/developers/typescript)'s WASM Mixnet Client for raw message passing.
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### Mobile
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There is no first-party mobile SDK, but [`nym-vpn-client`](https://github.com/nymtech/nym-vpn-client) ships production iOS and Android apps built around the Nym stack and is the reference we'd point you at. The relevant pieces are `nym-vpn-core/crates/nym-vpn-lib-uniffi` ([`uniffi`](https://mozilla.github.io/uniffi-rs/) FFI wrapper), `nym-vpn-core/iOS.mk` ([`cargo-swift`](https://github.com/antoniusnaumann/cargo-swift) → XCFramework + SwiftPM), and `nym-vpn-core/Android.mk` ([`cargo-ndk`](https://github.com/bbqsrc/cargo-ndk) → `jniLibs/`, driven from Gradle).
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If you try this and hit (or solve) blockers, drop a note in the [Nym dev channel on Matrix](https://matrix.to/#/#dev:nymtech.chat) or open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/nymtech/nym).
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## Architecture
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The second factor is whether you control both sides of the communication.
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**End-to-end (E2E)**: both sides run Nym clients. All traffic stays Sphinx-encrypted the entire way. Appropriate for peer-to-peer setups or any case where you control both endpoints.
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**Proxy**: only the client side runs Nym. Traffic exits the Mixnet at an Exit Gateway and continues to the destination over the public internet. The mixnet anonymises the sender; payload protection (TLS, Noise, etc.) is your application's job, as on a direct connection. Appropriate when connecting to third-party services such as blockchain RPCs or external APIs.
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<Callout type="warning">
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Once traffic leaves the Exit Gateway, it travels over the public internet to the destination, exactly like any other server-initiated connection. The mixnet anonymises the sender but does not encrypt the payload past the gateway. Use TLS or another application-layer cipher as you would on a direct connection. See [Exit Gateway Services](/network/infrastructure/exit-services) for what the exit can and cannot observe.
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</Callout>
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**Browser apps**: both proxy and E2E modes work slightly differently in a browser setting. The Nym client runs as a WASM blob inside a Web Worker, and your application communicates with it via JS bindings rather than direct function calls. The mixnet behaviour is identical; the integration shape differs.
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## Where to go next
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- **Rust, E2E messaging or byte streams**: [`nym-sdk`](/developers/rust)
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- **Rust, TCP/UDP socket replacements**: [`smolmix`](/developers/smolmix)
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- **Browser, HTTP(S) requests**: [`mix-fetch`](/developers/mix-fetch)
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- **Browser, raw mixnet messaging or Nyx smart contracts**: [TypeScript SDK](/developers/typescript)
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- **Background on Sphinx, gateways, and the mixnet itself**: [Key Concepts](/developers/concepts)
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