LocalCan

LocalCan is a developer tool that turns your localhost apps into stable public HTTPS URLs with clicking a button — giving you .local domains, traffic inspection, webhook replay, and always-on snapshot links without the subscription or complexity of ngrok.

What is LocalCan?

LocalCan is a developer utility that exposes apps running on localhost to the public internet via stable HTTPS URLs, functioning as a modern alternative to ngrok. Its flagship is a polished desktop app (with a CLI for terminal users) available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. You add a project and an app, and LocalCan instantly creates a local domain like https://my-app.local with automatic HTTPS (you trust its root certificate once), plus a shareable public URL like https://my-app.localcan.dev that anyone can open. Beyond simple tunneling, it offers built-in traffic inspection so you can watch requests arrive and replay failed ones — ideal for testing Stripe, Clerk, GitHub, or internal webhooks — plus Snapshots that keep a static copy of your app live at the public URL even when your machine is offline, and access control via passwords, secret links, and IP rules. It also tunnels raw TCP traffic (databases, SSH, Kubernetes), publishes .local domains on the local network, and ships an MCP server that lets AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) interact with it directly. LocalCan offers a genuine free tier, fair monthly plans, and a one-time lifetime license; reviewers praise its ease of use and UX compared to more configuration-heavy alternatives.

Key Features

• One-Click Public URLs — Expose any localhost service to the internet with a single click, no deploy needed
• .local Domains with HTTPS — Get https://myapp.local over a trusted root certificate for fully local secure dev
• Traffic Inspection — Monitor incoming requests live and replay failed webhooks instead of re-triggering providers
• Snapshots — Publish a static copy of your app that stays live at the URL even when your laptop is off
• Custom Domains — Bring your own domain and pin it to a tunnel
• TCP Tunneling — Expose databases, SSH boxes, and Kubernetes clusters, not just HTTP/S
• Access Control — Protect public URLs with passwords, secret links, and IP rules
• Local Network Publishing — Share .local domains with teammates on your network
• MCP Server for AI Agents — Let Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor drive LocalCan directly
• Mobile Testing — Open localhost builds on real devices over HTTPS without certificate warnings

Who is it for?

• Developers and freelancers who need stable public URLs to test webhooks, OAuth flows, and API integrations
• Designers and frontend devs who want to share local previews or test on real devices without deploying
• Teams building with AI coding agents (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex) that need an always-on URL for the agent
• Solo makers who want a one-time license instead of a monthly subscription
• Anyone who values a polished, low-config tool over ngrok's command-line friction

Who is it NOT for?

• Very heavy tunnel users who need dozens of concurrent long-lived live URLs on the free tier
• Teams that need advanced SSO/RBAC/Audit-log off the bat (those arrive only on the Team plan)
• Enterprise users wanting on-prem or self-hosted tunneling infrastructure
• Developers who prefer a pure CLI/open-source tool with zero vendor lock-in