Ngrok
| ngrok | |
|---|---|
| Developers | ngrok, Inc. |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Type | Secure tunneling, developer tools |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | https://ngrok.com |
ngrok is a software platform that provides secure tunneling services, enabling locally hosted web applications and services to be exposed to the public internet through temporary or static public URLs. It is widely used by developers for testing, demonstrations, and receiving webhooks without requiring changes to network or firewall configurations.[1]
Ngrok creates encrypted tunnels that forward external traffic to local servers and supports protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and TLS.[2] Over time, the platform has expanded beyond basic tunneling to offer features such as traffic inspection and replay, access controls, and static domains, positioning it as a broader development and DevOps access tool.[3][4][5]
The company has attracted significant venture capital investment, including a $50 million funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, reflecting demand for secure and frictionless access to web applications during development and deployment.[6][7] Ngrok’s architecture emphasizes security, providing end-to-end encryption for tunneled traffic.[8]
In 2025, ngrok was named a winner of the Microsoft Store Awards, recognizing its impact within the developer ecosystem.[9][10]
References
- ^ "How to Set Up ngrok for Local Web Development". MakeUseOf. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "What is an ngrok tunnel?". ngrok Blog. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "ngrok launches traffic inspector to debug production issues". InfoQ. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "ngrok introduces free static domains". CryptoRank. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "The Most Useful Developer Tools of 2024". Stack Overflow Blog. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "ngrok raises $50M to help developers deploy apps and services". TechCrunch. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Secure, scalable, frictionless access to web apps: Why Lightspeed invested in ngrok". Lightspeed Venture Partners. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Security Model". ngrok Documentation. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Announcing the Microsoft Store Awards 2025 winners". Windows Developer Blog. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ McSwain, Daniel (2023). "Chapter 7: Local Development and Public Sharing". Modern DevOps Practices. Packt Publishing. ISBN 978-1803247824.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help)