awesome-tunneling: Compare Tunneling Tools and Services

Overview

awesome-tunneling is a maintained directory of software and services for tunneling traffic through NATs and restrictive networks. It covers tools for exposing local web or TCP services, as well as overlay networks for connecting devices privately.

The list is aimed at developers and self-hosters who need to compare approaches rather than install a single product. Entries include brief descriptions and distinctions such as self-hosting, protocol support, automatic HTTPS, and whether a service is commercial or open source.

Key Features

• Organizes options into open-source tools, commercial or closed-source services, and overlay networks or related tools.
• Covers public ingress tunnels for exposing local HTTP, TCP, and other services.
• Includes private mesh and overlay networking options such as Tailscale alternatives.
• Highlights self-hosting suitability and calls out some projects that appear unmaintained or unavailable.
• Provides recommendations for hosted use, self-hosting, and simple developer setups.
• Links to project repositories, service websites, and references for building a tunnel yourself.

Use Cases

• A developer choosing a temporary public URL for a local application or webhook endpoint.
• A self-hoster comparing ways to publish services behind NAT with control over the server.
• A homelab operator looking for private connectivity between devices rather than public exposure.
• A team evaluating hosted services against self-managed tools, including differences in access control and HTTPS support.

Project Facts

• Language: Python
• Stars: 21.9k
• Forks: 1.1k
• Topics: nebula, ngrok, ngrok-alternative, self-hosted, ssh, tailscale, tailscale-alternative, tunnel-proxy, tunneling, zerotier
• Archived: No

Getting Started

There is no software to install. Browse the README and follow links to the tools or services that fit your requirements.

Alternatives

• awesome-sysadmin: A broader directory of sysadmin and DevOps resources, rather than a catalog focused on tunneling software and hosted tunneling services.

Considerations

• This is a curated list, not a tunnel client, server, or hosted service. Setup, security, and support depend on the linked project.
• The directory includes both open-source and commercial options. Check each project's license, operating status, and hosting model before adopting it.
• The README notes that no option it describes fully meets the author's ideal of combining domain registration, DNS management, certificate management, and tunneling in one simple service.
• Inclusion is subject to maintainer policies, including a stated star threshold for many new additions and case-by-case review for commercial or non-GitHub projects.