frp vs LocalXpose

frp is a free, self-hosted reverse proxy for making intranet services reachable from the public network through nodes with public IP addresses. It supports TCP, UDP, HTTP, and HTTPS proxying, while client-server communication also supports QUIC, KCP, WebSocket, and other protocols. Its XTCP mode uses P2P hole punching so successful connections send traffic directly rather than through frps, but success depends on the network’s NAT type and cannot be assured. Client and server authentication support tokens and OIDC, with token authentication as the default; encryption is among the project’s listed capabilities. Proxy groups can balance load, and TCP or HTTP health checks can remove failed services from frps. Monitoring can run in memory or through Prometheus, which requires the Dashboard to be enabled. frps has a browser Dashboard for status and proxy statistics, while frpc includes an Admin UI for proxy status and configuration. Configuration supports TOML, YAML, and JSON; INI is still supported but no longer recommended. Written in Go, frp provides platform-specific binaries for cross-platform deployment without additional dependencies. The project is under development and says version 2 will not be compatible with version 1.

LocalXpose is a reverse proxy for making services on a local machine reachable from the public internet through tunnels. It supports HTTP and HTTPS, including WebSockets, alongside TCP, TLS, and UDP. Users can work through a command-line interface or graphical interfaces, including a desktop app for sharing previews. The product includes authentication, rate limiting, IP whitelisting, header editing, and a built-in file server on all plans. Traffic logs cover HTTP, TCP, and UDP, and webhook payloads can be inspected, modified, and replayed. Custom and wildcard domains and automatic Let's Encrypt certificates for custom domains are available. The maker says tunnel hosts terminate at its edge with TLS 1.2+ encryption; users can configure scoped access tokens, IP allow lists, and authentication plugins. Starter is free and allows two active HTTP or HTTPS tunnels, with time limits and an interstitial warning page. PRO costs $8 a month, billed annually at $96/yr, and supports 10 tunnels. LocalXpose runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, web, and self-hosted environments.