ngrok exposes local servers behind NATs and firewalls to the public internet over secure tunnels.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Application type
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- FreeBSD

There are many alternatives to Forward for Linux and since it's discontinued a lot of people are looking for a replacement. The best Linux alternative is ngrok, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 10 alternatives to Forward and ten of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Forward are LocalXpose, Portmap.io, Packetriot and Pagekite.
ngrok exposes local servers behind NATs and firewalls to the public internet over secure tunnels.

Reverse proxy exposing local servers to the Internet with support for HTTP, HTTPS, TLS, TCP, UDP tunnels, unlimited connections, custom and wildcard domains, request rate limiting, IP whitelisting, changeable headers, authentication options, and built-in Let's Encrypt.



Port forwarding service for exposing your local PC to Internet from behind firewall or without real IP address. Uses OpenVPN or SSH encrypted tunnel from localhost to Portmap.io.


Host web and TCP applications on the Internet from any network or device. Access databases, custom web apps, ssh, media servers and more. Connect to IP video cameras, automation sensors, point of sale systems, a Raspberry Pi, or other devices without a VPN or managing firewalls.




Bring your localhost servers on-line. PageKite is software that gives your localhost servers names and makes them globally visible. It works with any computer and any Internet connection. It's so easy you'll never want to think about routers, IP addresses or other technic.

Fast, secure tunnels to your internal networks. Webhook Relay allows you to expose your localhost or any other server in private network to the public internet without configuring port forwarding or firewalls.




Openport is an easy and secure reverse SSH. Forward any port, keep track of your machines, share files. Openport builds a tunnel from your machine to the outside world, so your friends can connect to your services or files directly. Don't worry about firewalls, DNS or FTP.

beame-insta-ssl is open-source and free to use! It makes it easy for any web developer to make use of encryption - and get secure communications.


Secure remote Web and SSH access to embedded systems behind a firewall, NAT or mobile network router.

Expose localhost to the internet. Features custom domains, SSL, HTTP basic auth and firewall for IP / CIDR restrictions. No download required.



