localtunnel vs Netmaker
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?
localtunnel
Expose your localhost to the world for testing
VS
Netmaker
WireGuard-based virtual networks with a management server
| Feature | localtunnel | Netmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,440 | ★ 11,740 |
| First released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Replaces | ngrok | Tailscale, ZeroTier |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Netmaker if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 11.7k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is localtunnel or Netmaker better?
localtunnel is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Netmaker if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are localtunnel and Netmaker free and open-source?
Yes. localtunnel is licensed under MIT and Netmaker under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run localtunnel and Netmaker with Docker?
localtunnel: yes. Netmaker: yes.