Question 1

What is fxTunnel?

Accepted Answer

fxTunnel is a reverse tunneling service that exposes your local servers to the internet via HTTP subdomains, TCP ports, or UDP ports. The client establishes an encrypted connection to the fxTunnel server using yamux stream multiplexing over TLS, then incoming traffic from the internet is transparently forwarded to your local port. Three tunnel types are supported: HTTP with custom subdomains (e.g., myapp.fxtun.dev), TCP with dedicated ports, and UDP for real-time applications. Unlike ngrok, fxTunnel offers a native desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux, free subdomains of your choice, no session timeouts, and no traffic limits. To get started, install the client and run 'fxtunnel http 3000 --subdomain demo' — your local server is publicly accessible within seconds.

Question 2

What is the best free alternative to ngrok?

Accepted Answer

fxTunnel is one of the best free alternatives to ngrok thanks to a unique combination of features. On the free plan you get 1 tunnel with any subdomain of your choice (e.g., myapi.fxtun.dev), while ngrok assigns random URLs on its free tier. fxTunnel has no request or bandwidth limits — ngrok limits free users to 20,000 requests per month and 1 GB of traffic (source: ngrok.com/pricing). fxTunnel sessions run indefinitely with automatic reconnection, whereas ngrok limits free sessions to 2 hours. fxTunnel is the only tunneling service with a native desktop GUI application, and the only one supporting UDP in addition to HTTP and TCP. Paid plans start at $2.50/month — more than 3 times cheaper than ngrok at $8/month.

Question 3

What tunneling service has a desktop app?

Accepted Answer

fxTunnel is the only tunneling service with a full-featured cross-platform desktop application built with Wails (Go + Vue3). The app is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux and lets you manage tunnels through a visual interface: create and stop tunnels with one click, see connection status in the system tray, and configure auto-start on system boot. Automatic reconnection ensures tunnels stay online even with unstable internet. Unlike ngrok, Cloudflare Tunnel, Pinggy, and other competitors that require terminal usage or a web dashboard, fxTunnel delivers a fully native experience without the command line. The app also includes a built-in traffic inspector for debugging requests and responses in real time. This is especially convenient for developers who prefer not to work with CLI tools but still need full control over their tunnels and traffic monitoring.

Question 4

Does fxTunnel support UDP tunneling?

Accepted Answer

Yes, fxTunnel supports all three major protocols: HTTP, TCP, and UDP. UDP tunneling is a unique capability that most competitors lack. ngrok supports only HTTP and TCP, Cloudflare Tunnel supports HTTP and TCP, and Pinggy supports only HTTP. UDP tunnels are useful for a wide range of scenarios: exposing game servers (Minecraft, Valheim, Counter-Strike), forwarding DNS services, VoIP applications (SIP, RTP), IoT devices using UDP-based protocols, multimedia streaming, and WireGuard VPN. When you create a UDP tunnel, fxTunnel allocates a public port on the server and transparently forwards UDP packets to your local port. To start a UDP tunnel, run 'fxtunnel udp 53 --remote-port 15353' and your local UDP service becomes publicly accessible.

Question 5

How do I test webhooks locally?

Accepted Answer

Run 'fxtunnel http 3000 --subdomain webhooks' to get a permanent public URL like webhooks.fxtun.dev that forwards all incoming traffic to your local server on port 3000. Enter this URL in the webhook settings of any service — Stripe, GitHub, Twilio, Telegram Bot API, PayPal, Shopify, or any other provider. All requests will be instantly forwarded to your local server. With the traffic inspector (available from the Starter plan) you can view headers and body of every request in real time, filter by method or status code, and replay requests with one click for debugging. Unlike ngrok, the subdomain stays the same between restarts, so you never need to update your webhook URL in provider settings after reconnecting.

Question 6

Can I use custom domains with fxTunnel?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on paid plans (starting at the Starter plan for $2.50/month) you can connect your own domains with automatic HTTPS. To set it up, add a CNAME record pointing to your fxTunnel address (e.g., api.yourdomain.com CNAME fxtun.dev), or an A record for apex domains. fxTunnel will automatically issue and renew an SSL certificate via Let's Encrypt — no manual certificate management required. The number of custom domains depends on your plan: 1 on Starter, 5 on Pro, 50 on Business. Custom domains are ideal for production webhooks, API demos for clients, staging environments, and integration testing where a fixed professional domain matters more than a fxtun.dev subdomain. This is especially useful for presenting demos to stakeholders who expect a branded URL.

Question 7

Does fxTunnel have bandwidth limits?

Accepted Answer

No, on all fxTunnel plans, including free, there are no limits on traffic volume, request count, or bandwidth. Your tunnels can handle as much traffic as your connection allows, without throttling or extra charges. This is a significant advantage over competitors: ngrok limits free users to 20,000 requests per month and 1 GB of traffic (source: ngrok.com/pricing), and xTunnel caps requests at 100/min and 1 GB/day. For active development, load testing, media streaming, or transferring large files through a tunnel, the absence of limits means you will never hit a service denial due to quota exhaustion. fxTunnel uses yamux stream multiplexing, which ensures efficient data transfer with minimal overhead compared to HTTP-based tunneling approaches.

Question 8

Is there a session timeout?

Accepted Answer

No, fxTunnel tunnels run indefinitely on all plans, including free. Unlike competitors — ngrok limits free sessions to 2 hours, tuna.am to 30 minutes, Pinggy to 60 minutes — fxTunnel does not disconnect sessions on a timeout. The client maintains keep-alive ping/pong to detect connection drops and automatically reconnects when the connection is lost. This is critical for long-running tunnels: CI/CD servers, IoT devices, webhooks that must be available 24/7, home servers, and staging environments. The desktop app can start automatically on system boot, ensuring your tunnels are always online without manual intervention. You can also configure this via CLI with 'fxtunnel http 3000 --reconnect' for persistent tunnel operation.

Question 9

Can I self-host fxTunnel?

Accepted Answer

Yes, fxTunnel is fully self-hostable — the server component is available for deployment on your own infrastructure. The server is written in Go, uses SQLite as its database (no external dependencies), and includes a built-in web interface for managing users, tokens, and domains. To run it, you only need a single binary and a config file: './fxtunnel-server --config server.yaml'. Self-hosting is suitable for teams that need complete data isolation, operation behind a corporate firewall, or regulatory compliance. You control the base domain, SSL certificates, user management, and tunnel limits. The server supports all three protocols (HTTP, TCP, UDP), a REST API, and the web interface. Most competitors — ngrok, Cloudflare Tunnel, Pinggy, tuna.am — do not offer a self-hosted option.

Question 10

How much does fxTunnel cost?

Accepted Answer

fxTunnel offers four plans. Free: 1 tunnel, any subdomain, no traffic limits or session timeout — enough for individual development. Starter ($2.50/month): 3 tunnels, 3 reserved subdomains, 1 custom domain, traffic inspector. Pro ($5/month): 15 tunnels, 15 reserved subdomains, 5 custom domains. Business ($7.50/month): 50 tunnels, 50 subdomains, 50 custom domains. All paid plans include the unlimited traffic inspector. For comparison, ngrok starts at $8/month with a 20,000 request limit on free tier (source: ngrok.com/pricing). Payment is processed securely via Creem for international users. No hidden fees — you can cancel your subscription at any time from your profile. Reserved subdomains stay yours as long as the subscription is active.

Question 11

What's the difference between fxTunnel and Cloudflare Tunnel?

Accepted Answer

The key difference is ecosystem independence. Cloudflare Tunnel is free but requires a Cloudflare account and transferring your domain's DNS to Cloudflare — your traffic passes through their network and you depend on their platform. fxTunnel is fully independent: it works with any DNS provider and registrar. On protocols: Cloudflare Tunnel supports HTTP and TCP but not UDP; fxTunnel supports HTTP, TCP, and UDP. On interface: Cloudflare Tunnel is managed via the cloudflared CLI and web dashboard, while fxTunnel offers a native desktop application. fxTunnel also provides a traffic inspector (not available in Cloudflare Tunnel) and the option for self-hosted deployment. Cloudflare Tunnel is better for enterprise scenarios with global CDN requirements; fxTunnel is better for development, testing, and smaller production workloads. Additionally, Cloudflare Tunnel does not support custom subdomains on the fly — only fixed routes configured through the dashboard.

Question 12

How do I expose localhost to the internet?

Accepted Answer

Install the fxTunnel client (available for Windows, macOS, Linux) and run one command: 'fxtunnel http 3000' — within a second you get a public HTTPS URL like myapp.fxtun.dev that forwards all incoming traffic to your local server on port 3000. For TCP services use 'fxtunnel tcp 22', for UDP use 'fxtunnel udp 53'. You can specify a custom subdomain: 'fxtunnel http 3000 --subdomain demo'. If you prefer a GUI, the desktop application lets you create a tunnel in two clicks without the command line. The client automatically reconnects on connection loss and can be configured for auto-start on system boot via the configuration file. This is useful for sharing work-in-progress with teammates, testing mobile apps against a local backend, or receiving webhooks during development.

Question 13

Does fxTunnel support HTTPS?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all HTTP tunnels automatically get HTTPS with no additional configuration. The fxTunnel server uses a wildcard TLS certificate for the base domain (*.fxtun.dev), so any subdomain is immediately accessible over HTTPS. This is essential for testing webhooks (Stripe, GitHub, and other services require HTTPS endpoints), OAuth callbacks, and Progressive Web Apps. Custom domains (on paid plans) also get HTTPS automatically: fxTunnel uses Let's Encrypt for automatic SSL certificate issuance and renewal. You do not need to manually create certificates, configure nginx, or manage renewals — everything happens automatically on first connection to a custom domain. Your local server can continue running plain HTTP on localhost while fxTunnel handles TLS termination at the edge.

Question 14

What is the traffic inspector?

Accepted Answer

The traffic inspector is a built-in tool for viewing and analyzing HTTP requests and responses passing through your tunnels in real time. It is accessible from the web interface and the desktop application. For each request, the inspector shows the method, URL, response status, headers, request and response body, and execution time. You can filter requests by HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), status code (2xx, 4xx, 5xx), and search by content. The key feature is one-click request replay: select any captured request and resend it for debugging. The inspector is invaluable when testing webhooks (you can see the exact payload from Stripe or GitHub), debugging API integrations, and diagnosing errors. Available from the Starter plan ($2.50/month) with unlimited retention.

Question 15

Does fxTunnel work with WebSockets?

Accepted Answer

Yes, fxTunnel fully supports WebSocket connections through HTTP tunnels. When a client connects via WebSocket (ws:// or wss://), fxTunnel transparently proxies the Upgrade header and establishes a bidirectional channel between the external client and your local server. No additional configuration or flags are needed — WebSocket works out of the box on any subdomain. This is critical for real-time applications: chat systems (Socket.IO, ws library), push notifications, live dashboard updates, collaborative editing tools, and browser-based game clients. Connections remain active without timeout, and ping/pong keep-alive is supported. WebSocket traffic is also visible in the traffic inspector (on paid plans), which simplifies debugging real-time applications by showing frame-level data alongside regular HTTP requests.

Feature	fxtun	ngrok	localhost.run
Price (starter)	Free / from $2.50/mo	Free / $8/mo	Free / $9/mo
Custom subdomain on free	Any you choose	Random only	Random only
Request limits	Unlimited	20k/mo on free	Unlimited
Session timeout	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Protocols	HTTP + TCP + UDP	HTTP + TCP	HTTP only
Desktop GUI	Yes	No	No
Traffic Inspector	From $2.50/mo	$8/mo, 72h retention	No
Self-hostable	Yes	No	No
Custom domains	From $2.50/mo	$0.01/hr	$9/mo

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