macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install localtunnellocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 3510
Install localtunnel with Homebrew, Nix
Exposes your localhost to the world for easy testing and sharing. Version 2.0.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#localtunnel.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#localtunnelnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/lo/localtunnel/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Exposes your localhost to the world for easy testing and sharing
Project links
Commands and aliases
- lt
history
Project history and usage
localtunnel is a small Node.js command-line tunnel client for exposing a local HTTP service on a public URL. It became a familiar package-manager install for webhook testing, demos, browser testing, and sharing localhost without deploying.
Project history
The official README describes localtunnel as a way to expose localhost to the world for easy testing and sharing, avoiding DNS changes or deployment just to let someone else reach a local service. The project is distributed as a Node package and provides the `lt` command.
The localtunnel ecosystem is split between the client repository and a server repository. The server README explains that the default client connects to the `localtunnel.me` service while also allowing users to run their own server and point the client at it with `--host`.
Adoption history
localtunnel's adoption came from its extremely low setup cost: install it with npm or a system package manager, run `lt --port 8000`, and get a shareable URL. That made it especially useful for webhook callbacks, browser testing tools, mobile testing, and short-lived demonstrations.
The public website credits @defunctzombie as the creator and @TheBoroer as the maintainer/operator, reflecting a project that moved from an early Node.js utility into a maintained public tunneling service and CLI package.
How it is used
The common workflow is `npm install -g localtunnel` or `npx localtunnel --port 8000`, followed by keeping the local `lt` process running while requests are proxied to the chosen local port.
Advanced users can self-host the localtunnel server, configure DNS wildcard records, run the server behind a reverse proxy, and pass `--host` to the client. The client has no official persistent config or credentials file documented.
Why package nerds care
localtunnel is a canonical example of the 'one command gives localhost a URL' developer package. It competes in the same mental space as ngrok-style tools, but remains attractive because the client and server are open source and easy to install.
For package maintainers, localtunnel is small but sensitive to Node dependency health, public service availability, and defaults such as the hosted tunnel endpoint.
Timeline
- 2010s: localtunnel emerged as a Node.js localhost tunneling CLI and public service.
- 2019: localtunnel 2.0.0 modernized the client with HTTPS support, a Promise API, and modern JavaScript syntax.
- 2021: localtunnel 2.0.x maintenance releases updated dependencies.
- 2025: the public site documents @TheBoroer as maintainer/operator and keeps the project linked to GitHub.
Related projects
- localtunnel/server is the official server component for self-hosting compatible tunnel infrastructure.
- ngrok, Cloudflare Tunnel, LocalXpose, and inlets solve similar localhost-to-public-networking problems with different hosting and authentication models.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
lt | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version2.0.2
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:localtunnel |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.0.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://theboroer.github.io/localtunnel-www/ |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Nix95%
localtunnel
nix profile install nixpkgs#localtunnel- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Localtunnel
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation