Install localtunnel with Homebrew, Nix

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• lt

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

• https://github.com/localtunnel/localtunnel
• https://github.com/localtunnel/server
• https://theboroer.github.io/localtunnel-www/