Alternatives to zrok

An open-source tunneling tool for sharing local services and files publicly or privately, built on OpenZiti. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as zrok.

  • ngrok

    A tunnelling agent and gateway that exposes a local app to the internet with request inspection.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSCommand line

    ngrok is a closed-source freemium hosted service that gives a local app a public URL in one command, with traffic routed through ngrok's service and no self-hosting.

  • Cloudflare Tunnel

    Exposes a service on your machine to the internet through Cloudflare without opening a single port in your firewall.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    Cloudflare Tunnel is Apache-2.0 open source but requires a Cloudflare account and domain, with traffic passing through Cloudflare instead of infrastructure you run.

  • Tunnelmole

    An open-source tunneling tool that gives a server running on localhost a public HTTPS URL.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    Tunnelmole is an open-source, optionally self-hostable tool giving a local port a public HTTPS URL, installed by script or npm, without zrok's private sharing.

  • frp

    Reach private network services through a reverse proxy.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    frp is a fully self-hosted Apache-2.0 reverse proxy that needs you to configure your own reachable server, with no hosted service or OpenZiti infrastructure.

  • Pinggy

    A tunneling service that gives localhost a public URL over SSH, with a web debugger for traffic.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxWebCommand line

    Pinggy works over plain SSH without installing a client and includes a web debugger, but is a closed-source hosted service whose free URLs change on reconnect.

  • localhost.run

    A tunneling service that exposes a local web server to the internet using ordinary SSH.

    FreemiumProprietaryCommand line

    localhost.run uses the standard SSH client with no sign-up for free tunnels, but it is closed source and free domains are not stable between sessions.

  • LocalXpose

    A hosted tunneling service with a client binary that exposes local servers to the internet.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    LocalXpose is a closed-source freemium hosted service with a client binary and automatic TLS, requiring an account and offering no self-hosting.

  • bore

    Forward a local TCP port through a remote server.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    bore is a small MIT-licensed self-hostable TCP tunnel that forwards a local port through a remote server, without file sharing or private shares.

Also worth comparing

These listings name zrok as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Chisel

    Fast TCP and UDP tunnel carried over HTTP and secured with SSH.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    zrok, built on OpenZiti, offers public or private tunnels, hosted or self-hosted, but needs an invite and environment setup before sharing.

  • Expose

    A tunneling service with an open-source client that gives local sites a public URL.

    FreemiumOpen sourceCommand line

    zrok is open source, built on OpenZiti, supports private sharing and file sharing, and can be self-hosted, but requires an invite and environment setup.

  • LocalCan

    A macOS app that gives localhost a stable public URL for testing webhooks and sharing previews.

    PaidProprietarymacOSCommand line

    zrok is open source, built on OpenZiti, and supports private sharing and file sharing, with hosted or self-hosted options, but requires an invite to start.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.