ngrok vs Headscale

Struggling to choose between ngrok and Headscale? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

ngrok is a Development solution with tags like tunneling, networking, development, testing.

It boasts features such as Secure tunnels to localhost, Inspect HTTP traffic, Replay past requests, Online subdomain management, Custom subdomains, HTTP/HTTPS support, TCP/TLS tunnels, Webhook forwarding, Concurrent connections and pros including Easy to set up, Works across platforms, Free tier available, Good documentation, Feature-rich paid tiers, Allows testing locally-hosted apps externally.

On the other hand, Headscale is a Network & Admin product tagged with networking, encryption, privacy, remote-access.

Its standout features include Mesh VPN using WireGuard, Centralized authentication and access controls, Web UI for management and monitoring, Auto-configuration of clients, NAT traversal support, Load balancing and failover, Access controls based on groups and users, Client apps for major platforms, and it shines with pros like Open source and free, Simple to set up, Good performance, Granular access controls, Multi-platform support, Active development community.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

ngrok

ngrok

ngrok is a cross-platform application that enables developers to expose a local development server to the Internet for testing and sharing their work. It creates secure tunnels from a public URL to a locally running web service.

Categories:
tunneling networking development testing

Ngrok Features

  1. Secure tunnels to localhost
  2. Inspect HTTP traffic
  3. Replay past requests
  4. Online subdomain management
  5. Custom subdomains
  6. HTTP/HTTPS support
  7. TCP/TLS tunnels
  8. Webhook forwarding
  9. Concurrent connections

Pricing

  • Free
  • Freemium
  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Easy to set up

Works across platforms

Free tier available

Good documentation

Feature-rich paid tiers

Allows testing locally-hosted apps externally

Cons

Limited concurrent connections on free tier

No SLA on free tier

Can be complex for beginners

Paid tiers can get expensive for individuals


Headscale

Headscale

Headscale is an open-source WireGuard based mesh VPN used to connect devices within a network. It provides a simple way to create a encrypted private network, allowing secure access to devices remotely.

Categories:
networking encryption privacy remote-access

Headscale Features

  1. Mesh VPN using WireGuard
  2. Centralized authentication and access controls
  3. Web UI for management and monitoring
  4. Auto-configuration of clients
  5. NAT traversal support
  6. Load balancing and failover
  7. Access controls based on groups and users
  8. Client apps for major platforms

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

Pros

Open source and free

Simple to set up

Good performance

Granular access controls

Multi-platform support

Active development community

Cons

Limited reporting capabilities

No commercial support offered

Less flexible than proprietary VPNs

Immature compared to some alternatives