The Ultimate List of ngrok & Cloudflare Tunnel Alternatives

Need to expose a local server to the internet but tired of relying on ngrok or Cloudflare Tunnel? Whether you're self-hosting, testing webhooks, or building a demo, tunneling tools are a developer’s best friend. The awesome-tunneling GitHub repo is a goldmine of alternatives—many open-source and self-hostable.

What It Does

This curated list compiles tunneling software and services that help you expose local servers securely, often with HTTPS, even behind NATs or firewalls. It focuses on self-hosting and includes everything from lightweight CLI tools to GUI-managed solutions.

Why It’s Cool

• Self-Host Friendly: Many options let you run your own tunneling server, avoiding vendor lock-in.
• Feature-Rich: Some support UDP, P2P modes, automatic HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt), and even domain management.
• Diverse Tech Stack: Tools are written in Go, Rust, Python, and more—pick your flavor.

Standout Picks:

• frp: A production-ready, high-performance option with UDP and multiplexing support.
• bore: Minimalist Rust-based tunneling—great for quick debugging.
• boringproxy: The creator’s own project, aiming for a seamless GUI and automatic HTTPS.

How to Try It

1. Browse the full list for your use case.
2. For a quick test, bore is as simple as:

   # Install and run (client)  
   cargo install bore-cli  
   bore local 8000 --to bore.pub  
   

3. For self-hosting, frp or boringproxy offer detailed docs.

Final Thoughts

If you’re serious about self-hosting, this list is a treasure trove. While Cloudflare Tunnel is great for ease-of-use, projects like frp and boringproxy give you control without sacrificing functionality. Worth bookmarking for your next "how do I expose this locally?" moment.

Follow @githubprojects for more dev tools and open-source gems.