ngrok is a secure tunneling service that allows you to expose your local development server to the internet with a public URL.
Free tier available with premium plans starting at $5 per month
Best Chisel Alternatives ranked by AI · updated Aug 2026
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Chisel is an open-source TCP and SOCKS5 proxy that transports connections through HTTP and WebSocket connections. It is used by developers, administrators, and security teams for lightweight remote access through restrictive networks.
Top 6 Chisel alternatives
Tailscale is a managed mesh VPN built on WireGuard for connecting devices, users, and services across private networks. It targets teams, developers,...
Pros
- Much easier to deploy and operate than Headscale
- Broader support for ACLs, device posture, subnet routers, and identity providers
- Reliable managed control plane with polished clients
Cons
- Paid team features cost more than self-hosted Headscale
- Requires trusting Tailscale with control-plane metadata
- Less suitable when fully independent infrastructure is mandatory
Free for personal use; paid plans from $6/user/mo
Rathole is an open-source reverse proxy written in Rust that exposes services behind NAT or firewalls through a server with a public...
Pros
- Lower resource usage than many general-purpose tunneling tools
- Supports TCP, UDP, and Unix domain socket forwarding
- Self-hosted architecture avoids dependence on a hosted relay provider
Cons
- Requires operating and securing your own public server
- Smaller ecosystem and community than frp or ngrok
- Less polished than hosted services for sharing local web apps
Free, open source
frp is an open-source reverse proxy that forwards services from machines behind NAT or firewalls through a server with a public address....
Pros
- Supports a broad range of TCP, UDP, HTTP, and HTTPS forwarding modes
- Self-hosted and provider-neutral like inlets
- Mature project with extensive configuration options
Cons
- Requires provisioning, securing, and monitoring the public server
- Configuration is more manual than hosted alternatives
- Fewer integrated identity and access controls than Tailscale or Cloudflare
Free, open source
5
Cloudflare Tunnel
Cloudflare
Cloudflare Tunnel connects private applications to Cloudflare without requiring inbound firewall ports or a public IP. It is suited to teams that...
Pros
- No relay server to provision or maintain
- Strong integration with Cloudflare DNS, Access, WAF, and Zero Trust
- Free tier is generous for many personal and small-team deployments
Cons
- More dependent on Cloudflare's platform than inlets
- Configuration is less minimal for simple local development tunnels
- Some advanced identity and access features require paid plans
Free; paid Zero Trust features available
6
Bore
Dimitri Papadopoulos
Bore is a small open-source TCP tunnel that exposes local ports through a publicly reachable bore server. It is aimed at developers...
Pros
- Very small and straightforward command-line client
- Self-hostable public server with minimal operational overhead
- Good fit for raw TCP ports and quick development access
Cons
- TCP-focused and lacks the HTTP tooling found in ngrok
- No built-in request inspection, access portal, or identity system
- Requires a reachable bore server for production use
Free, open source
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