ngrok alternatives: free tunnels with names you keep

Q: Do ReDock's named URLs really stay the same?

Yes. The 3 named redock.xyz subdomains persist while you use them, unlike ngrok's free rotating URLs. That's the specific gap they're meant to close for web sharing.

If you want a free tunnel with a URL that doesn’t change every time you restart, the honest gap in ngrok’s free tier is exactly that: the URLs rotate. ngrok is a genuinely strong tool with broad protocol support, and for many uses it’s the right pick. But if your main need is sharing a local web site with a stable, named link, ReDock’s built-in Cloudflare tunnels give you named redock.xyz subdomains that persist. This is a fair comparison of when each fits.

What ngrok does better

ngrok earns its reputation, and it’s worth naming its real strengths:

Protocol breadth. ngrok tunnels more than HTTP — TCP, TLS, and other protocols. If you need to expose a database port, an SSH endpoint, or a non-web service, ngrok’s flexibility is hard to match.
Standalone and universal. It’s a single tool that works with anything on any OS, independent of how you run your app. Point it at a port and go.
Mature features. Request inspection, replay, custom domains on paid plans, and a well-developed feature set built over years.

If you tunnel arbitrary protocols, or you want one tool decoupled from your dev environment, ngrok is a solid, general-purpose choice. Use it.

The rotating-URL problem

The friction people hit on ngrok’s free tier is URL stability. Free tunnels get a randomly assigned address that changes when the tunnel restarts. For a quick one-off share that’s fine, but it’s awkward when:

You send a client a review link and it’s dead by the next day.
A webhook provider needs a stable callback URL.
You want to reuse the same link across a multi-day project.

Stable named URLs on ngrok live on paid plans. That’s a reasonable business model — it’s just not free.

ReDock’s tunnels: names that stick

ReDock (free, native, no terminal) builds sharing in over Cloudflare tunnels, with two modes:

QuickShare — unlimited unlisted URLs for fast, throwaway shares. Real HTTPS, one click.
Named subdomains — 3 named redock.xyz subdomains free, and these persist. acme-review.redock.xyz still works next week, so the link you send stays alive across a project.

Because it’s built into the app, there’s no separate tunnel binary to run alongside your site — you share the site ReDock is already hosting. Setup and details are at /docs/sharing.

The honest scope: ReDock’s tunnels are for sharing the web sites it hosts. They’re not a general-purpose TCP/TLS tunnel for arbitrary services — that’s ngrok’s territory. If you need to expose a raw port, ngrok is the tool; if you need a stable link to a local website, ReDock’s named subdomains cover it for free.

Choosing between them

Need to tunnel arbitrary protocols (TCP, TLS, SSH, DB ports)? ngrok.
Want one standalone tunnel tool independent of your dev setup? ngrok.
Sharing local web sites and want free, named, persistent URLs? ReDock’s built-in Cloudflare tunnels.
Just need a quick one-off web share and don’t care about the name? Either — ReDock’s QuickShare or ngrok’s free tunnel both work.

For web development specifically, ReDock’s advantage is that sharing is part of the same app that runs the site, and the named URLs don’t rotate. For everything beyond web, ngrok’s breadth is the reason it exists.

Beyond tunnels

Sharing is one step; sometimes you want the site permanent instead. ReDock’s one-click Cloudflare Workers deploy (free tier, one free custom domain) takes a local site to a real hosted URL — see deploy a website for free and /docs/deploy. For where free tunnels fit in a larger picture, see Vercel/Netlify free tiers vs owning your stack, and for the tool landscape, MAMP alternatives in 2026.

FAQ

Do ReDock’s named URLs really stay the same?

Yes. The 3 named redock.xyz subdomains persist while you use them, unlike ngrok’s free rotating URLs. That’s the specific gap they’re meant to close for web sharing.

Can ReDock tunnel non-web services like ngrok?

No. ReDock’s tunnels share the web sites it hosts. For arbitrary TCP/TLS/SSH tunneling, ngrok is the right tool — that protocol breadth is a genuine ngrok strength.

Yes — unlimited QuickShare links plus 3 named subdomains, over Cloudflare tunnels. The tunnel sharing described here is on every plan, including Free.

Want free tunnels with names that stick? Download ReDock.