ngrok
Secure tunnels and a universal gateway for local apps and APIs.
About
ngrok exposes local services to the internet through secure tunnels without touching router settings or DNS. The classic workflow is one command, ngrok http 3000, which returns a public HTTPS URL for demos, webhook development, and sharing in-progress work. Over 2025 and 2026 the company pivoted toward a Universal Gateway positioning, adding API gateway features, Kubernetes ingress, and enterprise security controls on top of the tunneling core.
Agent SDKs for Go, JavaScript, Python, and Rust let applications create endpoints programmatically, which suits AI agents that need to expose tools or receive callbacks. The trade-off of the enterprise pivot is a tightened free tier: community comparisons put it at 1 GB of bandwidth per month, one active endpoint, random domains, and a browser interstitial warning page. Teams wanting raw TCP or TLS tunneling, SSO, and compliance documentation are the intended audience for paid plans.
What it can do
- Instant HTTPS tunnels to localhost with one command
- TCP and TLS tunneling for databases, SSH, and IoT
- Universal Gateway: API gateway and Kubernetes ingress
- Agent SDKs to create endpoints programmatically
Setup
Install the ngrok agent (download, Homebrew, or package manager), authenticate with ngrok config add-authtoken, then run ngrok http <port>.
Prerequisites
A local service to expose; a free ngrok account for persistent config.
Use cases
Works with
Trust score — 8/10
Scored 8/10 (verified tier, metrics-v1). Evidence: Verified via vendor site/docs/GitHub and reputable coverage, wave 93; Trending score 80/100 from researcher assessment.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these sources. Where a claim comes from the provider and couldn't be independently verified, the text says so.