Feature-by-feature comparison to help you choose the right tunneling tool.
Updated: March 2026
| Feature | fxTunnel | ngrok |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free / from $2.50/mo | Free / $8/mo |
| Custom subdomains | Any subdomain free | Random only (free) |
| Request limits | Unlimited | 20,000/mo (free) |
| Session timeout | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Protocols | HTTP + TCP + UDP | HTTP + TCP |
| Desktop GUI | Yes | No |
| Traffic inspector | From $2.50/mo | $8/mo, 72h retention |
| Self-hosted | Yes | No |
| Custom domains | From $2.50/mo | $0.01/connection-hr |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | 1 GB/mo (free) |
fxTunnel offers a free tier with 1 tunnel and any custom subdomain you want. Paid plans start at just $2.50/month. ngrok's free tier gives you random URLs only, and the first paid plan costs $8/month — over 3x more expensive (source: ngrok.com/pricing, March 2026). For teams and businesses, the savings add up fast: even on fxTunnel's minimum paid plan you get reserved subdomains, custom domains, and a traffic inspector. ngrok charges custom domains separately at $0.01 per connection-hour, which can quickly exceed a flat fxTunnel subscription with constant use.
On fxTunnel's free plan, you can pick any subdomain you want — like myapp.fxtun.dev. ngrok assigns random URLs like abc123.ngrok-free.app on the free plan, and custom subdomains require a paid subscription starting at $8/month. No more sharing ugly random links with clients and colleagues. This is especially important when demoing projects to stakeholders, integrating webhooks, or exposing public API endpoints — a readable and stable address makes a professional impression.
fxTunnel has zero request or bandwidth limits on any plan, including free. ngrok limits free users to 20,000 requests per month and 1 GB bandwidth (source: ngrok.com/pricing, March 2026). That's roughly 660 requests per day — easily exhausted in a couple of hours of active debugging. For webhook testing, demo sharing, or API development, hitting these limits can interrupt your workflow. ngrok's paid plans remove these caps, but at a significant premium.
fxTunnel supports HTTP, TCP, and UDP tunnels. ngrok supports HTTP and TCP but has no UDP support. If you need to expose game servers, DNS services, VoIP, or any UDP-based application, fxTunnel is your only choice among managed tunneling services. UDP tunnels in fxTunnel use a dedicated port that is assigned on creation and remains stable throughout the session, which is critical for protocols sensitive to address changes.
fxTunnel is the only tunneling service with a native desktop application. Manage tunnels visually, see connection status in the system tray, and enjoy auto-reconnect without touching the terminal. Perfect for developers who prefer a GUI workflow. The app is built with Wails (Go + Vue 3) and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Create, start, and stop tunnels with one click, view connection history, and switch between configurations instantly.
Both services offer traffic inspection, but fxTunnel makes it available from just $2.50/month with unlimited retention. ngrok charges $8/month and retains data for only 72 hours (source: ngrok.com/pricing, March 2026). The fxTunnel inspector supports real-time filtering, search, and one-click request replay. For debugging payment system webhooks, API integrations, and OAuth callbacks, the ability to replay a request without re-triggering the external service saves dozens of minutes per development cycle.
Choose fxTunnel if you want to save money without sacrificing functionality: free custom subdomains, no request or bandwidth limits, UDP support, and a desktop GUI make it the best choice for independent developers and small teams. Choose ngrok if you need a mature integration ecosystem, enterprise features like SSO and IP policies, and globally distributed infrastructure with years of proven reliability.