Comparison

stunl vs localtunnel

localtunnel is free and open source. stunl builds on that foundation with TCP, UDP, multi-port, and reliable connections.

Feature Comparison

Feature stunl localtunnel
Price Free / $10/mo (Pro) Free
Multi-port Tunnels Yes No (one port per tunnel)
HTTP/HTTPS Yes Yes
TCP Tunnels Yes No
UDP Tunnels Yes No
WebSocket Yes Yes
Connection Reliability High Variable (shared infra)
Custom Subdomain Yes (Pro) Requested (not guaranteed)
Password Protection Yes No
Consent Page (Anti-phishing) No (Pro) Yes (all requests)

Why Developers Upgrade from localtunnel

1.

More Than HTTP

localtunnel only supports HTTP/HTTPS. Need to expose a database, game server, or SSH? stunl handles TCP and UDP natively.

stunl -port 5432 -protocol tcp
# PostgreSQL accessible remotely
2.

Multi-port in One Tunnel

With localtunnel, exposing frontend + API + database requires 3 separate tunnels and 3 URLs. stunl does it in one.

stunl -ports 'web:3000,api:8080,db:5432'
3.

Reliable Connections

localtunnel's free infrastructure is shared and can be unstable under load. stunl is designed for reliability with dedicated capacity.

4.

No Consent Page (with account)

localtunnel now requires users to click through a consent page on every visit (anti-phishing measure). stunl removes this on paid plans.

When to Use Each

Use stunl when:

  • + You need TCP or UDP (databases, games, SSH)
  • + You want multiple ports on one URL
  • + You need reliable, stable connections
  • + You want guaranteed custom subdomains
  • + You need password protection

Use localtunnel when:

  • + You only need HTTP/HTTPS
  • + Free is non-negotiable
  • + You want to self-host the server
  • + Quick demos where reliability isn't critical
  • + You're OK with the consent page

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