Tools: Top 10 Cloudflare Tunnel Alternatives in 2026: A Practical Guide for Developers

Overview of Cloudflare Tunnel (Quick Refresher) ## Pros of Cloudflare Tunnel ## Cons of Cloudflare Tunnel ## Pricing ## List of the Best Cloudflare Tunnel Alternatives (2026) ## 1) Pinggy.io ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 2) Ngrok ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 3) Tailscale ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 4) LocalXpose ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 5) Zrok ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 6) Localtunnel ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 7) localhost.run ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 8) Rathole ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 9) Tunnelmole ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## 10) Frp (Fast Reverse Proxy) ## Installation / Command ## Pricing ## Conclusion ## Reference If you’ve ever tried to share a local web app, test a webhook, or run a demo from your laptop, you already know the biggest problem: localhost isn’t reachable from the outside world. That’s why tools like Cloudflare Tunnel have become so popular. They let you expose a local service to the internet without opening ports, configuring routers, or buying a public IP. But Cloudflare Tunnel isn’t always the perfect fit. Maybe you want UDP support, maybe you don’t want to be tied into one ecosystem, or maybe you simply want something lighter and faster for quick testing. Whatever the reason, the tunneling world in 2026 offers plenty of great alternatives. In this guide, we’ll cover the top 10 Cloudflare Tunnel alternatives, with uses, pros, cons, installation steps, and pricing, so you can pick the right one for your workflow. Cloudflare Tunnel (previously Argo Tunnel) creates a secure outbound connection from your local machine or server to Cloudflare’s network. This makes your application reachable from the internet without directly exposing your device. Cloudflare Tunnel works with Cloudflare’s free plan for basic use. Paid plans for advanced capabilities start at around $20/month depending on the tier. Now let’s go one by one. Pinggy is built for developers who just want a tunnel that works without unnecessary setup pain. It’s lightweight, terminal-friendly, and especially handy when you need to share an app fast. Example for exposing a React app running at localhost:3000: Ngrok is the most recognized tunneling tool for a reason. It provides a polished developer experience, powerful features, and excellent traffic inspection tools. Starts at $8/month, depending on features. Tailscale is technically not a tunneling tool in the traditional sense. Instead, it creates a private mesh VPN using WireGuard. But for many teams, it replaces tunnels entirely. LocalXpose stands out by offering a full GUI alongside tunneling features. It’s a good choice for users who want more visual control. Starts at $6/month, with a limited free tier. Zrok is an open-source tunneling alternative built with a strong focus on zero-trust networking. It’s for people who want control and security over convenience. Clone and follow setup guide: Free, but requires self-hosting. Localtunnel is one of the simplest tools for quickly sharing localhost. If your goal is speed and simplicity, it still holds up in 2026. localhost.run is for those moments when you don’t want to install anything at all. It works using SSH and gives you a tunnel instantly. Rathole is a high-performance reverse proxy written in Rust. It’s aimed at users who prefer self-hosting and want speed with strong encryption. Example client config: Free (you only pay for VPS hosting). Tunnelmole is a newer open-source tunneling tool designed for simplicity. If you want “just give me HTTPS and a URL,” it delivers. Free and open source. Frp is one of the strongest self-hosted tunneling tools. It supports multiple protocols and is widely used by DevOps teams for complex setups. Free and open source. Cloudflare Tunnel remains one of the cleanest solutions for secure tunneling with strong infrastructure behind it. But in real developer life, not everyone needs the same workflow. If you want the fastest “share my localhost now” experience, tools like Pinggy, localhost.run, and Localtunnel are hard to beat. If you need enterprise-grade security and monitoring, Ngrok is still a strong choice. If privacy is your priority and you want direct device-to-device connectivity, Tailscale can replace tunneling entirely. And for developers who want full control through self-hosting, Rathole and Frp remain excellent long-term investments. The best Cloudflare Tunnel alternative in 2026 isn’t about picking the “most famous” tool. It’s about choosing the one that fits your exact workflow: simplicity, security, control, protocol support, and cost. Top 10 Cloudflare Tunnel Alternatives in 2026 Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse COMMAND_BLOCK: ssh -p 443 -R0:localhost:3000 a.pinggy.io Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: ssh -p 443 -R0:localhost:3000 a.pinggy.io COMMAND_BLOCK: ssh -p 443 -R0:localhost:3000 a.pinggy.io CODE_BLOCK: ./ngrok http 8080 Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: ./ngrok http 8080 CODE_BLOCK: ./ngrok http 8080 COMMAND_BLOCK: sudo tailscale up Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: sudo tailscale up COMMAND_BLOCK: sudo tailscale up CODE_BLOCK: ./localxpose http 3000 Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: ./localxpose http 3000 CODE_BLOCK: ./localxpose http 3000 COMMAND_BLOCK: git clone https://github.com/openziti/zrok Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: git clone https://github.com/openziti/zrok COMMAND_BLOCK: git clone https://github.com/openziti/zrok COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g localtunnel lt --port 3000 Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g localtunnel lt --port 3000 COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g localtunnel lt --port 3000 COMMAND_BLOCK: ssh -R 80:localhost:3000 localhost.run Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: ssh -R 80:localhost:3000 localhost.run COMMAND_BLOCK: ssh -R 80:localhost:3000 localhost.run CODE_BLOCK: [client] remote_addr = "your-server-ip:2333" [client.services.myservice] local_addr = "127.0.0.1:3000" Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: [client] remote_addr = "your-server-ip:2333" [client.services.myservice] local_addr = "127.0.0.1:3000" CODE_BLOCK: [client] remote_addr = "your-server-ip:2333" [client.services.myservice] local_addr = "127.0.0.1:3000" CODE_BLOCK: ./rathole client.toml Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: ./rathole client.toml CODE_BLOCK: ./rathole client.toml COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g tunnelmole tmole 3000 Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g tunnelmole tmole 3000 COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g tunnelmole tmole 3000 CODE_BLOCK: ./frpc -c ./frpc.ini Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: ./frpc -c ./frpc.ini CODE_BLOCK: ./frpc -c ./frpc.ini - Strong built-in security, including firewall and DDoS protection - Simple setup with minimal configuration - SSL certificates included - Reliable routing using Cloudflare’s global infrastructure - Requires Cloudflare account and configuration - Can become costly at scale - Locks you into Cloudflare’s ecosystem - No UDP tunnels - Localtunnel - localhost.run - Sharing dev builds with teammates or clients - Testing webhooks - Quick demos and debugging - Exposing both TCP and UDP services - Very simple setup, no complicated installation - Terminal-based workflow (ideal for devs) - QR code generation for tunnel URLs - Built-in request inspection for HTTP traffic - Custom domain mapping support - Supports both TCP and UDP tunnels - Collaboration-friendly tunnel sharing - Budget-friendly compared to many alternatives - No OAuth 2.0 for tunnel visitor authentication - No global edge load balancing - Free tier: tunnels up to 60 minutes - Paid plans start at $2.50/month - API testing - Webhook development (Stripe, GitHub, Twilio, etc.) - Demo apps over HTTPS - Secure temporary deployments - Works on Windows, macOS, Linux - Strong security options: OAuth, JWT, IP whitelisting - Powerful dashboard for monitoring tunnels - API for automation and control - Excellent request/response inspection - Custom domains available - No UDP tunnels - Requires account signup - Free plan has limited bandwidth - Private access to internal tools - Connecting devices securely (laptop, cloud VM, NAS, phone) - Remote development environments - Team collaboration without exposing services publicly - Secure direct peer-to-peer connections - Simple setup and smooth UX - Runs on almost every platform, including mobile - Strong identity-based access control - Handles NAT traversal automatically - Easy device management - More of a private-network solution than a “public tunnel” - Might feel complex if you’re new to VPN tools - Free plan for personal use - Paid plans from $5/user/month - Sharing local websites easily - Remote access for non-technical users - File sharing through public URLs - Team tunnel collaboration - Supports HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, UDP - Custom domains supported - GUI makes tunnel control simple - Built-in file server - Wildcard domain support - Multi-user collaboration - Requires installation - Documentation isn’t as deep as older tools - Secure sharing of internal tools - Private access to services without exposing them publicly - Zero-trust file/resource sharing - Transparent and customizable (open source) - Secure access model with explicit permissions - Simplifies IP handling and connectivity - Supports file sharing - Supports TCP and UDP - Setup can feel complex for beginners - No built-in traffic inspection like Ngrok - Quick demos - Sharing frontend previews - Temporary public testing - Easy npm installation - Works on any platform with Node.js - Minimal setup, instant tunnel - Can choose subdomains - Community-supported project - No TCP support - No custom domains - Requires Node.js installed - One-time demos - Quick webhook tests - Temporary sharing of local apps - No installation required - No account needed - Works anywhere SSH works - Great for fast, disposable tunnels - Limited features - No TCP/UDP tunneling - No advanced monitoring - Home lab tunnels - Exposing services via VPS - Game servers or streaming services - High-throughput tunneling - Fast and lightweight (Rust) - Secure encryption using Noise Protocol - Open source - Cross-platform support - No bandwidth limits beyond your own server - Requires self-hosting with a public server - TOML-based config might feel less friendly than CLI-only tools - Webhook testing - Sharing localhost sites - Secure endpoint for temporary use - Open source client - Automatic HTTPS - Very lightweight - Easy installation - Smaller community compared to older tools - Fewer enterprise features - Secure exposure of internal services - Private network tunneling - High traffic production-like tunnels - Load-balanced reverse proxying - High performance tunneling - Supports TCP, UDP, HTTP, HTTPS - Highly configurable - Good documentation - Strong access controls - Requires server configuration - More setup steps than instant tools