The localtunnel alternative with a request dashboard
localtunnel is a small open-source npm package that gives a local port a public URL. Expose does the same job as a product you can rely on every day: subdomains nobody else can take, a dashboard for every request, and servers around the world.
curl -fsSL https://expose.dev/install.sh | sh
irm https://expose.dev/install.ps1 | iex
Expose and localtunnel side by side
| Feature | Expose | localtunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan, or Pro for $79 a year per user. | Free and open source under the MIT license. |
| Install | A single binary for macOS, Linux and Windows, with no dependencies. | An npm package, so it needs Node.js: npm install -g localtunnel. |
| The same URL every time | Reserved subdomains and your own domain in Pro, $79 a year per user. | The --subdomain option requests a name, but "you may not actually receive this name depending on availability". |
| Inspecting and replaying requests | A dashboard on localhost:4040 with every request, replay, and replay with changes. | No dashboard. The Node.js API fires an event for each request. |
| Regions | Servers in the EU, the US, Asia Pacific, India, South America and Australia in Pro. | Not stated. |
From the Expose pricing and localtunnel's README on November 11, 2026. "Not stated" means we didn't find it there.
Your localtunnel commands in Expose
| Task | localtunnel | Expose |
|---|---|---|
| Share a local port | lt --port 3000 | expose share http://localhost:3000 |
| Ask for a subdomain | lt --port 3000 --subdomain my-app | expose share http://localhost:3000 --subdomain=my-app |
More options in the sharing docs.
When localtunnel fits better
If you want a tunnel from inside a Node.js script or a test run, with no account at all and no need for a stable URL or a view of the requests, localtunnel is a fine choice. It is also a library you can call from JavaScript.
Trying Expose takes a minute
- 1. Install Expose with the command above.
- 2. Run
expose share http://localhost:3000. The first time, it opens the browser to create a free account. - 3. Open
http://127.0.0.1:4040to see and replay every request.
Questions
Does Expose need Node.js or npm?
No. Expose is a single native binary for macOS, Linux and Windows, installed with one command. It shares sites built with anything, including Node.js, Next.js and Vite.
Will I always get the subdomain I ask for?
With Expose Pro you can reserve a subdomain, so nobody else can use it and your webhook and OAuth callback URLs stay the same.
Can I host the server myself, like with localtunnel?
Yes. The Expose server is open source and can run on your own infrastructure.