ngrok for Mac

Quick way to expose a local server with ngrok

ngrok lets you make your localhost available on the public internet through a secure tunnel. That lets you share unfinished work, receive webhook callbacks from external services, or demo a site without deploying it. Setup is straightforward and configuration is handled through a simple command-line interface so you can create and manage tunnels quickly.

Benefits for everyday development

• Free access tier available for personal projects and initial testing.
• A compact quick-reference guide and documentation help you get productive fast.
• There are other tools you can consider if you need different trade-offs or features.
• Frequently recommended by engineers for fast iteration and remote demos.
• Considered one of the go-to utilities for exposing local development servers.

Inspecting traffic and debugging

ngrok includes an inspection UI that shows incoming requests and responses in real time. This makes it much easier to debug webhooks, trace API calls, and monitor traffic without adding extra logging to your application. You can replay requests, view headers and payloads, and diagnose issues directly from the tunnel dashboard.

Quick start example

1. Install ngrok for your platform from the official download page.
2. Authenticate the client with your account token (optional for some features).
3. Start a tunnel to a local port, for example: ngrok http 8080

Within seconds you'll receive a public URL that forwards to your local server and a web interface where you can inspect traffic.

Licensing and use cases

ngrok offers a free plan suitable for many personal and small-team workflows, while paid tiers unlock additional features and higher concurrency. It’s especially useful for:

• Accepting webhook callbacks during development
• Sharing prototypes with teammates or clients
• Remote device testing when the device cannot reach your network directly

Overall, ngrok provides a fast, secure way to expose local services and troubleshoot networked applications without deploying them.