Best Ngrok Alternatives In 2025

When developing web applications, APIs, or webhooks, exposing your localhost to the internet is often necessary for testing, sharing, or integrating with third-party services. While Ngrok has been a popular choice for years, many developers are now exploring alternatives due to pricing changes, feature limitations, or a desire for open-source solutions.

This guide explores the best Ngrok alternatives in 2025, with a special focus on open-source options that give you greater flexibility and control.

What Makes a Good Tunneling Service?

Before diving into the alternatives, let's understand what features are most important in a tunneling solution:

• Reliability: Stable connections with minimal downtime
• Performance: Low latency and good throughput
• Security: Encrypted connections and authentication options
• Custom domains: Ability to use your own domain names
• Protocol support: HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, UDP, and WebSockets
• Dashboard and analytics: Monitoring tools and request inspection
• Pricing model: Free tier limits, subscription costs, and self-hosting options

Top Ngrok Alternatives

Open-Source Options

These solutions are fully open-source, allowing for self-hosting and greater customization:

1. Localtunnel

Localtunnel is a simple, open-source alternative to Ngrok.

Key Features:

• Completely open-source (MIT license)
• Simple command-line interface
• Custom subdomain support
• WebSocket support
• Self-hostable

Bash
Copy
# Installation
npm install -g localtunnel

# Usage
lt --port 3000

Best For: Developers needing a lightweight, no-frills tunneling solution.

2. frp (Fast Reverse Proxy)

frp is a powerful open-source proxy solution.

Key Features:

• Fully open-source (Apache-2.0 license)
• Support for multiple protocols (TCP/UDP/HTTP/HTTPS/WebSocket)
• Load balancing capabilities
• Custom domains and encryption
• Dashboard for monitoring
• Plugin system for extensibility

Best For: Developers requiring advanced networking features and high customization.

3. Expose

Expose is a developer-friendly open-source alternative.

Key Features:

• Fully open-source (MIT license)
• Custom subdomains
• Request logging and sharing
• Real-time dashboard
• Laravel integration (but works with any framework)
• Docker-based self-hosting

Best For: Web developers, especially those working with PHP/Laravel.

4. Telebit

Telebit is an open-source tunneling solution focused on security and ease of use.

Key Features:

• Open-source (AGPL-3.0 license)
• Automatic HTTPS with Let's Encrypt
• SSH tunnels
• Custom domains support
• Simple CLI interface
• Self-hosted option

Best For: Security-focused developers requiring HTTPS tunneling.

5. Bore

Bore is a minimal, lightning-fast tunneling solution that's easy to self-host.

Key Features:

• Fully open-source (MIT license)
• Written in Rust for high performance
• Minimal resource requirements
• Simple client/server architecture
• Quick setup

Bash
Copy
# Server setup
cargo install bore-cli
bore server

# Client usage
bore local 8000 --to bore-server-address:7835

Best For: Developers who need a lightweight, self-hosted solution.

6. sish

sish is a simple SSH-based tunneling solution that's easy to deploy.

Key Features:

• Open-source (MIT license)
• SSH for authentication
• HTTP, HTTPS, and TCP tunneling
• Custom domains
• WebSocket support

Best For: Those comfortable with SSH who need a simple self-hosted solution.

Commercial Services with Free Tiers

These are commercial solutions that offer free tiers, suitable for developers who prefer managed services:

7. Pinggy

Pinggy is a leading Ngrok alternative, offering an impressive balance of features, simplicity, and affordability.

Key Features:

• No installation required (works directly in browser)
• Generous free tier with HTTPS support
• TCP, TLS, and WebSocket tunneling
• In-browser request inspection and debug tools
• Real-time logs with filtering options
• Custom domains support
• End-to-end encryption

Best For: Developers seeking a zero-setup solution with powerful inspection tools.

8. Cloudflare Tunnel (formerly Argo Tunnel)

Cloudflare Tunnel offers a generous free tier with superior performance.

Key Features:

• Zero-trust security model
• Seamless Cloudflare integration (DNS, SSL, DDoS protection)
• No bandwidth limits on free plan
• Built-in analytics
• Custom domain support

Best For: Developers already in the Cloudflare ecosystem or requiring enterprise-grade security.

9. inlets

inlets offers both open-source core components and commercial options for tunneling solutions.

Key Features:

• Open-source core components (MIT license)
• Commercial Pro version for advanced features
• Support for HTTP and TCP traffic
• Kubernetes integration
• Automatic SSL with Let's Encrypt
• Works behind restrictive firewalls
• Self-hosted option

Best For: Cloud-native development teams and Kubernetes users.

10. Pagekite

Pagekite is a mature tunneling solution with a focus on simplicity and reliability.

Key Features:

• Simple configuration
• Custom domains
• HTTPS support
• Self-hosted option (open core model)
• Pay-what-you-want pricing model

Best For: Users looking for a reliable, straightforward solution with flexible pricing.

11. Tunnelto

A modern alternative to Ngrok with competitive pricing.

Key Features:

• Real-time traffic inspector
• Custom subdomains
• TCP tunneling
• API integration
• Team collaboration features

Best For: Teams requiring collaborative features and API integrations.

12. Serveo

A simple alternative that doesn't require any installation.

Key Features:

• No client installation required (uses SSH)
• Custom subdomain support
• HTTP and TCP forwarding
• Free to use (with limitations)

Best For: Quick, no-setup tunneling needs.

How to Choose the Right Alternative for You

When selecting a Ngrok alternative, consider these factors:

1. Open Source vs. Commercial: Open-source solutions provide flexibility and cost savings but may require more technical knowledge to set up and maintain
2. Traffic volume: How much bandwidth do you need?
3. Protocol requirements: Do you need more than HTTP/HTTPS?
4. Technical expertise: Self-hosted solutions require more management
5. Budget: Commercial alternatives range from free tiers to premium plans
6. Security needs: Some solutions offer enhanced security features
7. Integration requirements: Consider compatibility with your existing tools

Comparison Table of Ngrok Alternatives

Conclusion

While Ngrok remains a popular choice for exposing local servers to the internet, the alternatives we've covered offer compelling features, especially for those seeking open-source or self-hosted solutions. In 2025, developers have more choices than ever, with tools like frp, inlets, and Cloudflare Tunnel providing robust options for various use cases.

For those prioritizing truly open-source solutions, frp, Localtunnel, Expose and Telebit offer excellent feature sets. If you're comfortable with self-hosting, Bore and sish provide lightweight, efficient options that give you complete control.

Consider your specific requirements, technical expertise, and budget when choosing the right tunneling solution for your projects. Many of these alternatives allow you to start with a free tier and scale up as needed, making it easy to experiment and find the perfect fit.

Have you tried any of these Ngrok alternatives? Let us know your experiences in the comments below!