Top Localname Alternatives for Secure Local Development Access
Localname is a fantastic tool designed to provide secure access to your local development server, eliminating the headaches of router configurations, IP addresses, and ports by offering a single, functional URL. However, depending on your specific needs, budget, or preferred features, you might be looking for a Localname alternative. This article explores some of the best options available to help you find the perfect solution for exposing your local environment to the web securely and efficiently.
Best Localname Alternatives
Whether you're a solo developer, part of a small team, or building complex applications, there's a Localname alternative out there to suit your workflow. Let's dive into the top contenders that offer similar, and in some cases, enhanced capabilities for secure local server exposure.
ngrok
ngrok is a highly popular Localname alternative that exposes local servers behind NATs and firewalls to the public internet over secure tunnels. It's available on Freemium, Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and FreeBSD platforms, offering robust Networking and Lightweight features, making it a powerful choice for developers needing quick and reliable public access to their local projects.
ZEIT Now
ZEIT Now (Vercel) offers a powerful serverless platform that allows you to deploy with just one command. While primarily a deployment platform, its ability to quickly bring applications online makes it an indirect Localname alternative, especially for serverless architectures. It supports Freemium, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, and GitHub Gist platforms, with a core Serverless feature set.
Pagekite
Pagekite is an excellent open-source Localname alternative that gives your localhost servers names and makes them globally visible. It's compatible with any computer and works across Freemium, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and BSD platforms. Its key features include strong Networking capabilities and acting as a Web Server, making it a versatile tool for bringing local projects online.
Portmap.io
Portmap.io offers a reliable port forwarding service for exposing your local PC to the internet from behind a firewall or without a real IP address. It utilizes OpenVPN or SSH encrypted tunnels, providing a secure and efficient Localname alternative. Available on Freemium, Mac, Windows, and Linux, its features include No installation, OpenVPN, Based on OpenVPN, Port Forwarding, and REST API.
beame-insta-ssl
beame-insta-ssl is a free and open-source Localname alternative designed to simplify the use of encryption for web developers, enabling secure communications. It provides Ssl, Tunnel, AES encryption, and Networking features, and is compatible with Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, and Web platforms, making it an accessible choice for secure local development.
Yaler
Yaler provides secure remote Web and SSH access to embedded systems behind a firewall, NAT, or mobile network router, positioning itself as a robust Localname alternative for more specialized use cases. It is a Commercial and Open Source solution available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, featuring Embeddable, Networking, SSH, and SSH tunnel capabilities.
LocalXpose
LocalXpose is a reverse proxy that allows you to expose your localhost to the internet, serving as a direct Localname alternative. It offers Port Forwarding features and is available on Freemium, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iPhone platforms, making it highly accessible for a variety of users and devices.
Webhook Relay
Webhook Relay enables you to forward webhooks to localhost and expose servers behind firewalls and NATs without a public IP/domain, making it a versatile Localname alternative. It is a Freemium solution available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Raspberry Pi. Its extensive features include Custom domain, Dockerized, Jenkins integration, Jenkins Plugin, Lightweight, Networking, Port Forwarding, Security focused, Serverless, Support for NodeJS, and Support for TLS.
The landscape of tools for exposing local development servers is rich and varied. Each of these Localname alternatives brings its own strengths in terms of features, pricing models, and supported platforms. We encourage you to explore the options listed and consider their unique benefits to find the best fit for your specific development needs and workflow.