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Best inlets Alternatives ranked by AI · updated Aug 2026

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inlets is an open-source tunnel for exposing services on private networks through a public relay. It is aimed at developers and platform teams that need inbound access without opening firewall ports, with support for HTTP, TCP, and WebSocket traffic.

Developer: OpenFaaS Ltd Price: Free, self-hosted; commercial Pro options available 🎯 docs.inlets.dev
🛠️ Developer Tools 🔓 Open Source Reverse Proxy remote access tunneling

Top 6 inlets alternatives

1

Cloudflare Tunnel

Cloudflare

💡 Pick it for a managed, free tunnel with Cloudflare DNS, access policies, and edge security built in.

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

Alternatives to Cloudflare Tunnel → Visit site
2 ngrok logo

ngrok

💡 Pick it when you want the quickest developer tunnel plus polished inspection tools for APIs and webhooks.

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

Alternatives to ngrok → Visit site
3 Tailscale logo

Tailscale

Tailscale Inc.

💡 Pick it if you need identity-aware private networking as well as occasional public service exposure.

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

Alternatives to Tailscale → Visit site
4 frp logo

frp

fatedier

💡 Pick it for a feature-rich, fully self-hosted reverse proxy with broad TCP and UDP support.

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

Alternatives to frp → Visit site
5

Bore

Dimitri Papadopoulos

💡 Pick it for a tiny self-hosted TCP tunnel when HTTP inspection and enterprise controls are unnecessary.

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

Alternatives to Bore → Visit site
6 LocalXpose logo

LocalXpose

💡 Pick it for a hosted tunnel with TCP/UDP support and custom endpoints without managing your own relay.

LocalXpose is a tool that allows you to expose your localhost to the web with secure tunnels. It helps in testing webhooks,...

Free plan available with paid plans starting at $9/month

Alternatives to LocalXpose → Visit site

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