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akazwz/hostc

A CLI that gives your local dev server a public HTTPS URL, with WebSockets and hot reload passing through, free and without an account.

Open-source alternative to:ngrok

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What is it?

hostc is a command-line tunnel for sharing a local development server. Running `npx hostc@latest 3000` prints a public HTTPS URL that forwards to localhost:3000, so you can open the app on a phone, send it to a teammate, or receive webhooks from services like Stripe or GitHub.

The CLI needs only Node.js 22 or later, with no sign-up, auth token, or binary to install. It opens one outgoing WebSocket to a server running on Cloudflare Workers and Durable Objects, so nothing on your machine needs to be reachable from the internet. WebSocket traffic and Server-Sent Events pass through, which keeps hot reload working in tools like Vite and Next.js.

Dev servers accept requests addressed to localhost, and redirects point back to the public URL, so no allowed-hosts setting needs changing. If the connection drops, the CLI reconnects and keeps the same URL for up to 10 minutes. The server can also be self-hosted on your own Cloudflare domain.

Key features

  • 01Gives a local port a public HTTPS URL with one command.
  • 02Passes WebSockets and Server-Sent Events through for hot reload.
  • 03Needs no account, auth token, or global install.
  • 04Keeps the same URL across brief network drops or server restarts.
  • 05Can print a QR code for opening the URL on a phone.
  • 06Can be self-hosted on your own Cloudflare domains.

Use cases

  • Previewing a site on a real phone with hot reload.
  • Testing webhooks from Stripe, GitHub or Slack against local code.
  • Sharing work in progress with a teammate or client before deploying.
  • Letting an AI coding agent share the app it built.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Start your app, then point hostc at its port

    npx hostc@latest 3000

Things to know

  • The public URL is open to anyone who has it, so only expose what you mean to share.
  • Needs Node.js 22 or later.
  • The server is a Cloudflare-based service, and restarting hostc gives a new URL.

In collections

CLI & terminal tools

Topics

#tunnel#localhost#websocket#hot-reload#cloudflare-workers#cli#developer-tools#durable-objects#hmr#ngrok-alternative

FAQ

What is hostc?
A CLI that gives your local dev server a public HTTPS URL, with WebSockets and hot reload passing through, free and without an account. hostc is a command-line tunnel for sharing a local development server. Running `npx hostc@latest 3000` prints a public HTTPS URL that forwards to localhost:3000, so you can open the app on a phone, send it to a teammate, or receive webhooks from services like Stripe or GitHub.
Is hostc free to use? What license does it have?
hostc is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is hostc still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to hostc was on Nov 5, 2026.
What can I use hostc for?
Previewing a site on a real phone with hot reload. Testing webhooks from Stripe, GitHub or Slack against local code. Sharing work in progress with a teammate or client before deploying. Letting an AI coding agent share the app it built.
How do I install hostc?
Start your app, then point hostc at its port: npx hostc@latest 3000
Where can I get hostc?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/akazwz/hostc

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