Games on Whales vs localtunnel
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Games on Whales
Containerized cloud gaming and remote desktop platform
VS
localtunnel
Expose your localhost to the world for testing
| Feature | Games on Whales | localtunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,077 | ★ 22,440 |
| First released | 2021 | 2015 |
| Replaces | GeForce Now, Parsec | ngrok |
Why pick each one
Choose Games on Whales if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose localtunnel if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 22.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Games on Whales or localtunnel better?
localtunnel is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Games on Whales if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Games on Whales and localtunnel free and open-source?
Yes. Games on Whales is licensed under GPL-3.0 and localtunnel under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Games on Whales and localtunnel with Docker?
Games on Whales: yes. localtunnel: yes.