instatunnel

v1.1.17

Published

a day ago

Secure localhost tunneling CLI for webhooks, MCP endpoints, and shareable development previews

InstaTunnel

InstaTunnel is a secure localhost tunnel for developers who want a fast ngrok alternative.

It helps you expose local apps, APIs, webhook endpoints, and MCP services over HTTPS in seconds.

Why developers choose InstaTunnel

Fast setup: tunnel your local app with one command
Custom subdomains: create memorable URLs on instatunnel.my
Dashboard analytics: inspect traffic and usage
Pro features: custom domains and MCP endpoint tunnels (beta)
MCP transport v2 streaming support for long-running responses
MCP security controls: staged token header + stricter MCP rate limits
Built for daily dev workflows: demos, QA, webhooks, mobile testing

InstaTunnel vs ngrok

If you are searching for:

ngrok alternative
localhost tunnel alternative
free tunnel for webhook testing
custom subdomain tunneling tool

InstaTunnel is designed for the same core use case with a simpler setup and strong defaults.

Install

npm install -g instatunnel

Quick start

# Auto-detect your local app
instatunnel

# Tunnel a specific local port
instatunnel 3000

# Use a custom subdomain
instatunnel 3000 --subdomain myapp

# Region flag (single-region deployment currently supports only us)
instatunnel 3000 --region us

Webhook helper commands

# Generate provider setup commands + dashboard fields
instatunnel webhook init --provider stripe --port 4242 --path /webhooks/stripe

# Validate secret env var is set before signature checks
instatunnel webhook verify --provider github --secret-env GITHUB_WEBHOOK_SECRET

# Show test-event flow (and optional runnable flow for Stripe)
instatunnel webhook test --provider stripe
instatunnel webhook test --provider stripe --run

Supported providers:

stripe
github
shopify
twilio
paypal

Step-by-step provider guides:

https://instatunnel.my/docs/webhooks/stripe
https://instatunnel.my/docs/webhooks/github
https://instatunnel.my/docs/webhooks/shopify
https://instatunnel.my/docs/webhooks/twilio
https://instatunnel.my/docs/webhooks/paypal

MCP tunnel support (Pro and Business)

# New users: start auth flow (verification email)
instatunnel auth login -e [email protected]

# Existing users: save API key locally
instatunnel auth set-key "it_your_api_key"

# Show saved key (masked by default)
instatunnel auth show-key

# Reveal full key + copy to clipboard
instatunnel auth show-key --reveal --copy

# PowerShell copy helper (Windows)
Set-Clipboard "it_your_api_key"

# Save directly from clipboard (Windows PowerShell)
instatunnel auth set-key "$(Get-Clipboard)"

# macOS copy helper
pbpaste | xargs -I {} instatunnel auth set-key "{}"

# Linux copy helper (xclip)
xclip -o -selection clipboard | xargs -I {} instatunnel auth set-key "{}"

# MCP tunnel (default transport v1)
instatunnel 8787 --mcp

# MCP tunnel with streaming transport v2
instatunnel 8787 --mcp --transport v2

Transport guidance:

v1 is default and most compatible. Use it for standard HTTP/webhook forwarding.
v2 is for streaming behavior (MCP Streamable HTTP, long-lived tool responses, server push-like flows).
If unsure, start with v1 and switch to v2 only for streaming MCP clients.
--transport v2 requires newer InstaTunnel CLI versions (1.1.7+). Update with: npm install -g instatunnel@latest

MCP URL and IDE JSON config (easy setup)

Run MCP tunnel with a fixed subdomain:

# Start with v1 default (most compatible)
instatunnel 8787 --mcp --subdomain mymcp

# Switch to v2 only when streaming behavior is needed
instatunnel 8787 --mcp --transport v2 --subdomain mymcp

Copy the generated tunnel URL from CLI output: https://mymcp.instatunnel.my
Append /mcp to get the endpoint your AI tool should call: https://mymcp.instatunnel.my/mcp
Create a token for your MCP server:

node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'))"

Configure your MCP server to require: Authorization: Bearer <your_token>
Paste this into your IDE MCP settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instatunnel-remote": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://YOUR-SUBDOMAIN.instatunnel.my/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_MCP_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Fill values:

YOUR-SUBDOMAIN: the subdomain used in --subdomain.
YOUR_MCP_TOKEN: the same token expected by your MCP server.

If you do not enforce auth on your MCP server, remove headers.

Optional staged MCP token header (X-InstaTunnel-MCP-Token):

export INSTATUNNEL_MCP_TOKEN="your-shared-secret"
instatunnel 8787 --mcp --transport v2

MCP notes:

v1 stays default for compatibility and standard forwarding.
v2 is recommended for streaming MCP responses.
If unsure, start with v1.
--transport v2 requires CLI 1.1.7+ (run npm install -g instatunnel@latest).
MCP traffic has dedicated protective limits.

CLI analytics and logs

# Usage stats (last 30 days, requires API key)
instatunnel --stats

# Live request-log polling (requires Pro/Business for request logs)
instatunnel --logs

Flag reference

--subdomain, -s    Set tunnel subdomain
--domain, -d       Use custom domain (Pro/Business)
--region, -r       Region (current deployment: us)
--password         Password protect tunnel
--auth             Basic auth username:password
--mcp              MCP mode (Pro/Business)
--transport        v1 (default) or v2 (streaming)
--qr               Show QR code
--list             List active tunnels (auth)
--kill             Stop tunnel by subdomain (auth)
--logs             Poll live request logs (Pro/Business)
--stats            Show real usage summary (auth)
--share            Print social sharing templates
--react/--next/--laravel  Framework shortcuts

Release notes

Latest release: 1.1.17

Added modular webhook command group:
- instatunnel webhook init
- instatunnel webhook verify
- instatunnel webhook test
Added provider-aware guidance for Stripe, GitHub, Shopify, Twilio, and PayPal.
Added prioritized OAuth callback testing and Team QA/demo workflow examples.
Added --run support for Stripe test flow where feasible.
Existing MCP and core tunnel commands remain backward compatible.

Update commands

# Update
npm install -g instatunnel@latest

# Verify installed version
instatunnel --version

# Check latest published npm version
npm view instatunnel version

Detailed usage: https://instatunnel.my/docs/cli-flags

Popular use cases

Localhost API sharing for frontend-backend integration
Webhook testing for Stripe, GitHub, Slack, and custom integrations
QA and client demos from local machines
Mobile device testing against local environments
MCP endpoint exposure for remote AI tooling workflows

Prioritized workflows

OAuth callback testing (localhost redirect flows)

# 1) Run your local app
npm run dev

# 2) Expose it with a stable subdomain
instatunnel 3000 --subdomain oauth-dev

Set your provider redirect URI (Google/GitHub/etc.) to:

https://oauth-dev.instatunnel.my/auth/callback

Then run:

instatunnel --logs

to inspect callback requests and response codes during auth flow testing.

Team QA / demo links for local apps

# Protected review link for teammates/clients
instatunnel 3000 --subdomain acme-qa --auth qa:review2026 --qr

# Optional share copy helper
instatunnel --share

Best practices:

Use a stable subdomain per project (acme-qa, acme-staging, etc.)
Rotate demo credentials each cycle
Stop tunnel after review with Ctrl+C or instatunnel --kill <subdomain>

Common search terms

People usually find InstaTunnel via terms like:

ngrok alternative
localhost tunnel
expose localhost to internet
webhook testing tool
https tunnel for local development
custom subdomain tunnel
MCP tunnel
tunnel for local API