What is Tunnelwise?

Tunnelwise is a native macOS application that creates secure HTTP tunnels from your local web server to the public internet. Whether you're building with Node.js, Python, Ruby, PHP, or any other web stack, Tunnelwise gives you instant public URLs for your localhost services.

Why Tunnelwise

Every developer has been there:

• Client demos where you need to quickly show progress without deploying
• Webhook testing with services like Stripe, GitHub, or Slack that require public endpoints
• Mobile testing where you need to test your local API from a real device
• Team collaboration when you want to share your work-in-progress with remote colleagues
• Microservice development where services need to communicate across networks

Existing solutions were either too complex, required subscriptions, or came with unnecessary features. The goal was something that just works—launch the app, click a button, and get a public URL. That's Tunnelwise: tunneling made simple.

The Problem It Solves

Traditional Approaches Fall Short

Deploying to staging? Too slow for rapid iteration.
Port forwarding? Complex router configuration and security risks.
VPN setup? Overkill for simple HTTP traffic.
Cloud dev environments? Expensive and adds latency to your workflow.

Tunnelwise's Solution

One click, and your localhost:3000 becomes https://your-tunnel.tunnelwise.io. No configuration files, no command-line flags, no subscription tiers—just a simple, reliable tunnel.

Key Features

Developer-First Design

• Zero configuration - Works out of the box with sensible defaults
• Any HTTP port - Support for HTTP and HTTPS protocols
• Multiple tunnels - Run several tunnels simultaneously for microservice architectures
• Custom domains - Use your own domain instead of generated URLs

Built for Real Web Development Workflows

• Persistent URLs - Keep the same URL across tunnel restarts with custom domains
• Static auto-generated URLs - Even without custom domains, your tunnel URL remains the same until 5 days of inactivity
• Request inspection - Debug incoming HTTP requests with built-in traffic monitoring
• Automatic HTTPS - SSL certificates provisioned automatically for secure connections
• Native performance - Written in Swift for minimal resource usage on macOS

Use Cases

API Development

Expose your local API for frontend developers or mobile apps to consume during development.

Webhook Testing

Test payment processors, CI/CD pipelines, chat bots, and any web service that needs to call back to your server.

Mobile Development

Access your local web API from iOS/Android devices or simulators without complex network configuration.

Microservices

Connect distributed web services during local development without dockerizing everything or setting up service mesh.

Quick Demos

Share your work instantly with clients, stakeholders, or team members without the deployment dance.

How It Works

1. Start your local web server on any port (3000, 8080, 5000—doesn't matter)
2. Create a tunnel in Tunnelwise pointing to your local port
3. Get your public HTTPS URL instantly available from anywhere on the internet
4. HTTP traffic flows securely through encrypted tunnels to your local machine

Under the hood, Tunnelwise establishes a secure connection to tunnel servers, which proxy incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests back to your local web server. All traffic is encrypted with TLS.

Privacy & Security

• Secure TLS encryption - All tunnel traffic is encrypted with TLS
• No data persistence - No tunnel traffic is stored or logged
• Local-first - Your code and data never leave your machine

Who Uses Tunnelwise?

• Full-stack developers testing web integrations and webhooks
• Mobile developers connecting apps to local web APIs
• API developers sharing HTTP endpoints with frontend teams
• Freelancers demoing web applications to clients
• DevOps engineers debugging webhook deliveries
• QA teams testing web apps across different network conditions

Getting Started

Ready to simplify your development workflow?

1. Download Tunnelwise for macOS
2. Check out the Quick Start Guide
3. Learn about Custom Domains for persistent URLs

Philosophy

Development tools should be invisible. You shouldn't need to read documentation to expose a local server. You shouldn't need to manage configuration files for a simple tunnel. You shouldn't need a subscription for basic functionality.

Tunnelwise embodies this philosophy: launch, click, develop. The tool gets out of your way so you can focus on building.