Best Rathole Alternatives ranked by AI · updated Aug 2026

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Rathole is an open-source reverse proxy written in Rust that exposes services behind NAT or firewalls through a server with a public address. It targets developers and self-hosters who need a lightweight, high-performance tunnel with configurable transport and authentication.

Developer: rapiz1 Price: Free, open source 🎯 github.com/rapiz1/rathole

🔓 Open Source Reverse Proxy self-hosted tunneling nat traversal

Top 6 Rathole alternatives

frp

fatedier

💡 Pick it for a more mature self-hosted tunnel with broader protocol support and a larger community.

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

ngrok

💡 Pick it when you want a polished hosted tunnel with HTTPS, webhook inspection, and no relay server to maintain.

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

Cloudflare Tunnel

Cloudflare

💡 Pick it for managed web ingress, identity-based access, and Cloudflare integration instead of running your own relay.

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

Tailscale

Tailscale Inc.

💡 Pick it when you need secure private networking first, with optional public sharing through Serve or Funnel.

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

Chisel

jpillora

💡 Pick it for a compact single-binary TCP or SOCKS5 tunnel that works over HTTP-compatible connections.

Chisel is an open-source TCP and SOCKS5 proxy that transports connections through HTTP and WebSocket connections. It is used by developers, administrators,...