Ngrok — simple, reliable local-to-internet tunneling for developers
Ngrok provides an easy-to-use, secure tunnel to expose local services to the internet for testing webhooks, demos, and remote access, with a generous free tier and advanced features (custom domains, access controls, persistent tunnels) available on paid plans.
ngrok is a globally distributed reverse proxy that provides secure, tunneled access to applications and network services. It forwards HTTP, TLS and TCP traffic from public endpoints to services running behind NATs or firewalls, enabling exposure of local or private workloads to external clients.
- Use cases: webhook testing and local development tunnels; deployment as an API Gateway; integration as a Kubernetes Ingress; operation as an Identity-Aware Proxy.
- Protocol support: HTTP, TLS, TCP.
- Deployment modes: ephemeral developer tunnels for testing and persistent gateway deployments for production traffic.
- Connectivity: creates authenticated tunnels to services in customer networks or devices in the field to enable remote API access.
Operationally, ngrok includes configuration options for routing, authentication and TLS termination, and separates control and data planes to manage tunnels. The tool accommodates both local development workflows and integration with orchestration environments, though production use benefits from careful attention to access controls and network design.
Overview
Ngrok is a Commercial software in the category Development developed by ngrok, Inc..
The users of our client application UpdateStar have checked Ngrok for updates 94 times during the last month.
The latest version of Ngrok is 3.39.9.0, released on 10/06/2026. It was initially added to our database on 05/27/2026. The most prevalent version is 3.3.1, which is used by 67% of all installations.
Ngrok runs on the following operating systems: Windows.
Ngrok has not been rated by our users yet.
Pros
- Easy to set up and use — simple CLI and GUI make exposing local services to the internet fast for development and testing.
- Supports multiple protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and basic TCP tunneling) and provides automatic HTTPS tunnels for webhooks and web services.
- Request inspection and replay via its web-based inspection UI and local web dashboard — helpful for debugging HTTP requests and webhook payloads.
- Built-in authentication and basic access controls (token-based auth, HTTP basic auth for tunnels) improve security for exposed endpoints.
- Persistent (reserved) domains, custom domains, and TLS options available on paid plans enable more production-like setups.
- Integrates well with developer workflows and tools (CI, webhooks, local development servers) and has good documentation and examples.
- Cross-platform support (Linux, macOS, Windows) and an official Windows app (store listing) provide convenience for various developer environments.
- Commercial support and an active company behind the product — ongoing updates, stability, and paid features for teams and enterprises.
- Good for demoing, client previews, and short-lived public exposure of services without deploying to cloud infrastructure.
Cons
- Most advanced and production-ready features (reserved domains, custom subdomains, higher connection concurrency, enterprise features) require paid plans; free tier is limited (ephemeral domains, connection/time limits).
- Bandwidth, connection concurrency, and throughput can be limited by plan and pricing can get expensive for heavier or long-running production usage.
- Vendor lock-in risk — tooling and workflows built around ngrok subdomains/tokens require migrating or reconfiguring if switching providers.
- Closed-source and proprietary — limited ability to self-host or audit the full implementation compared with open-source alternatives.
- Potential security risk if used carelessly — exposing local services without proper authentication or network isolation can leak sensitive data; requires disciplined use of auth and access controls.
- The Windows Store app/packaged clients may be more limited than the raw CLI in terms of configurability and advanced options (some advanced features are primarily accessed through the CLI or web portal).
- For some high-security or compliance use cases, the hosted nature of ngrok (traffic routing through their infrastructure) may be unacceptable without enterprise contractual guarantees and controls.
- Some users report intermittent connectivity issues or rate limiting under heavy use; troubleshooting requires familiarity with ngrok’s diagnostics and logs.
FAQ
What is ngrok and what does it do?
ngrok is a tunneling service that creates secure, public URLs to expose local web servers, APIs, or services running on your machine to the internet for testing, development, demos, or webhooks.
How do I get started with ngrok on Windows?
Download the ngrok client for Windows from the ngrok website, unzip the executable, open a Command Prompt or PowerShell, and run 'ngrok authtoken <your-token>' to authenticate, then run 'ngrok http 8080' (replace 8080 with your local port) to create a tunnel.
What is an ngrok authtoken and how do I find it?
The authtoken links the local ngrok client to your account so you can use paid features and longer session limits. Get it from your ngrok dashboard after creating a free or paid account, then run 'ngrok authtoken <token>' locally.
Can I use ngrok for free and what are the limits?
Yes — ngrok offers a free tier with basic features like temporary public URLs and limited concurrent connections. Paid plans provide custom subdomains, reserved domains, more tunnels, higher connection limits, longer session durations, and additional features.
How do I use custom domains or subdomains with ngrok?
Custom subdomains (on ngrok.io) and reserved domains are available on paid plans. Configure them in the ngrok dashboard or via the YAML config file, and verify your domain (for custom domains) by following ngrok's DNS configuration steps.
What protocols does ngrok support (HTTP, TCP, TLS)?
ngrok supports HTTP/HTTPS tunnels for web traffic, TCP tunnels for raw TCP services (SSH, database ports), and TLS termination for secure connections, subject to plan features and configuration.
Is ngrok secure to expose my local service to the internet?
ngrok provides encrypted tunnels (HTTPS/TLS) and can require basic auth, IP restrictions, and inspectable request logs. However, you should still secure your exposed service (authentication, rate limiting) because publicly reachable endpoints increase attack surface.
How do I inspect request traffic and debugging info with ngrok?
ngrok includes a web inspection UI (usually at http://127.0.0.1:4040) that shows live request/response details, replay, and headers. The dashboard on the ngrok website also shows logs and metrics for authenticated accounts.
Can I expose multiple local services or ports at once?
Yes. You can run multiple ngrok tunnel commands in different terminals or use the ngrok configuration YAML to define multiple tunnels and run them together. Paid plans allow more concurrent tunnels and connections.
Where can I get help or report problems with ngrok?
Use the ngrok documentation and developer guides on the ngrok website, check FAQs and community forums, or contact ngrok support through your account dashboard for account- or billing-related issues.
Peter Salakani
I'm Peter, a software reviews author at UpdateStar and content specialist with a keen focus on usability and performance. With a background in both software development and content creation, I bring a unique perspective to evaluating and discussing general software topics. When I'm not reviewing software, I enjoy staying updated on the latest tech trends, experimenting with new applications, and finding innovative solutions to everyday tech challenges.
Latest Reviews by Peter Salakani
- Capture, edit, and share screenshots seamlessly with SnagIt!
- Vid Downloader: Video Saver — Minimal presence, functionality unclear
- Ngrok — simple, reliable local-to-internet tunneling for developers
- Screen Recorder Studio — OBS power wrapped in a simpler, Windows Store-friendly recorder
- AutoFill Discovery — useful identity tool with limited public info
Screenshots (Click to view larger)
Installations
Latest Reviews
NexSub
NexSub — Fully Offline Real-Time Video Subtitle Translator
UltraSearch
UltraSearch: Quickly Find Files on Your Computer
SnagIt
Capture, edit, and share screenshots seamlessly with SnagIt!
Camtasia Studio
Revolutionize Your Video Editing with Camtasia Studio!
FurMark
FurMark: The Ultimate Stress Test for GPUs
Corsair iCUE
Enhance Your Gaming Experience with Corsair iCUE!
|
UpdateStar Premium Edition
Keeping Your Software Updated Has Never Been Easier with UpdateStar Premium Edition! |
|
Google Chrome
Fast and Versatile Web Browser |
|
Microsoft Edge
A New Standard in Web Browsing |
|
Microsoft OneDrive
Streamline Your File Management with Microsoft OneDrive |
|
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Package
Boost your system performance with Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Package! |
|
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable
Essential Component for Running Visual C++ Applications |
Browse
Latest Updates
DuckDuckGo 0.174.8.0
DuckDuckGo: Privacy-First Search EngineNoteastic | Handwritten Note-Taking 1.10.2.0
Noteastic is a Windows-focused handwritten note-taking application aimed at pen-based workflows. It integrates slide import and on-page annotation with a straightforward organization model and PDF export.
DictaFlow 2.7.9.0
DictaFlow — streamlined dictation and transcription workflow with room to improve
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai 0.174.8.0
DuckDuckGo positions its browser and search engine as an alternative focused on minimizing data collection. The product combines a built-in search service that does not track queries with browser-level protections that block third-party …
Sherlock: Detective Hidden Object & Match 3 Game 1.75.7500.0
A narrative-driven casual puzzle game that casts Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson into a series of investigations where classic novels have been altered and villains begin to prevail.
