When you're building a web app on your local machine, sometimes you need to share it with someone online — maybe a teammate, client, or even for testing on your mobile device. But localhost only works on your computer.

That’s where tunneling tools come in! They create a secure public URL that maps to your local server. Below are three popular options:

1. 🌐 ngrok

Website: https://ngrok.com

How it works: You run a command like

ngrok http 3000

and ngrok gives you a public HTTPS link that forwards traffic to your localhost:3000.

Pros:

  • Very fast and reliable
  • Works well with webhooks (e.g., Stripe, GitHub)
  • Dashboard to inspect requests

Cons:

  • Free tier has time and region limits
  • Requires an account after initial use

2. 🌍 localtunnel

GitHub: https://github.com/localtunnel/localtunnel

How it works:
Install it globally with

npm i -g localtunnel

Then run

lt --port 3000

Pros:

  • Super simple and open source
  • No signup required

Cons:

  • Can be slower or less reliable than others
  • Fewer features, no UI

3. ☁️ Cloudflare Tunnel (formerly Argo Tunnel)

Docs: https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/connections/connect-apps/

How it works:
You install Cloudflare’s cloudflared CLI and connect your app through Cloudflare.

Pros:

  • Very secure
  • Great if you're already using Cloudflare DNS
  • Free with more generous limits than ngrok

Cons:

  • Slightly more setup steps
  • Best for advanced users or teams

🧠 Final Thoughts
These tunneling tools are a must-have in every web developer’s toolkit. They save time, help with collaboration, and enable real-time testing across devices or the internet.

Just pick the one that fits your workflow and you're good to go!

Thanks!