Ever built something cool on localhost and wanted to show it to someone without deploying to a VM, paying for AWS or using Vercel?
Well I did this week, and found there’s a ridiculously easy way to do it.
The Fastest Way: ngrok
This is a super easy (and fairly secure) 2 step method.
Start your server on local:
npm run devUse ngrok:
ngrok http 3000Use the local inspector running at
localhost:4040Make requests!
Instantly, ngrok gives you a public URL you can send to anyone, even someone on a completely different network.
It’s perfect for:
showing a project to a friend
testing your mobile app backend on a real device
demoing something quickly without deploying
trying out integration that can’t use localhost (ie a slackbot)
On the free tier, the ngrok URLs rotate, and if your laptop sleeps, the entire “infrastructure” collapses.
But that’s not the point. It’s one of the best ways to practice shipping, debug with real traffic, and quickly get something “live.”
Cloudflare Tunnels
If you still want to self-host but need something a little more reliable and secure, try Cloudflare Tunnel.
It works similarly, but with:
custom domains
better uptime
real SSL
more control over routing
It’s great for running a small home server, hosting dashboards, or exposing a service on an old PC without deploying to AWS or paying for hosting.
If you’ve never taken your local app “public” before, give it a shot today. It takes 5 minutes, and it’s weirdly empowering to see your side project load on a phone across the room.
Happy Hosting,
Arjay
P.S. I’m teaching a free LIVE lesson on system design where we’ll chat about choosing a tech stack, and you can ask me anything. Sign up below!
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