localtunnel vs RPort
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | localtunnel | RPort |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 52 · Fair | 0 · At risk |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,486 | ★ 21 |
| First released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Replaces | ngrok | TeamViewer, ngrok |
What are localtunnel and RPort?
localtunnel
localtunnel exposes a local web server through a public URL without configuring DNS or firewalls. The server component is open source and can be self-hosted.
- Public URL for localhost
- Self-hostable server
- No DNS configuration
- Useful for webhooks
RPort
RPort is an open-source remote management solution that lets you access and control servers and desktops behind firewalls. It provides tunnels, scripting, and a web UI.
- Remote access behind firewalls
- On-demand tunnels
- Script execution at scale
- Web management UI
localtunnel vs RPort: key differences
Localtunnel is written in JavaScript, while RPort is built with Go. Licensing differs — MIT for localtunnel versus GPL-3.0 for RPort. Localtunnel is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for RPort. Localtunnel is the more established project (first released 2015), while RPort arrived in 2020. Localtunnel has the considerably larger community, at 22,486 GitHub stars versus 21.
Why pick each one
Choose localtunnel if…
- Zero configuration
- Free public URLs
- Self-hostable server
Watch out for
- Public server unreliable
- Limited security controls
Choose RPort if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is localtunnel or RPort better?
localtunnel is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider RPort if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are localtunnel and RPort free and open-source?
Yes. localtunnel is licensed under MIT and RPort under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run localtunnel and RPort with Docker?
localtunnel: yes. RPort: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, localtunnel or RPort?
localtunnel has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for RPort. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.