Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

localhost.run VS Microsoft Edge WebView2

Compare localhost.run VS Microsoft Edge WebView2 and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

localhost.run logo localhost.run

Instantly share your localhost environment!

Microsoft Edge WebView2 logo Microsoft Edge WebView2

The Microsoft Edge WebView2 control allows you to embed web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) in your native Windows apps.
  • localhost.run Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-24
  • Microsoft Edge WebView2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03

localhost.run features and specs

  • Simplicity
    Localhost.run provides a simple way to expose your local server to the internet without requiring complex configurations or additional software installations.
  • No Installation Required
    You can use localhost.run directly from your terminal without the need to install any software or dependencies.
  • Free and Instantaneous
    Localhost.run offers a free service, and you can quickly start tunneling without any wait times or sign-ups.
  • Wide Compatibility
    It works with any web server running on your local machine, making it highly versatile.

Possible disadvantages of localhost.run

  • Stability and Uptime
    As a free service, localhost.run may not be as reliable as paid alternatives, potentially leading to unexpected downtimes.
  • Limited Customization
    Localhost.run doesn't offer many advanced features or customizations, which may be a drawback for more complex use cases.
  • Security
    By exposing your local server to the internet, there could be potential security risks if your server is not properly configured or secured.
  • Performance
    The performance of the tunnel can be slower compared to running the server locally due to additional network hops and bandwidth limitations.

Microsoft Edge WebView2 features and specs

  • Integration with Edge
    WebView2 allows developers to integrate their applications seamlessly with the Microsoft Edge browser, leveraging its modern web technologies and rendering engine.
  • Evergreen and Fixed Versions
    WebView2 supports both Evergreen and Fixed versions, providing developers with flexible options for updates and stability, ensuring that applications can either benefit from the latest features or remain stable with specific versions.
  • Consistent Web Experience
    It enables a consistent web experience across both the Edge browser and applications using WebView2, ensuring that web-based features and appearances are uniform.
  • Improved Security
    By using a modern web engine, WebView2 provides improved security features compared to older browser control technologies, leveraging Edge's security updates.
  • Rich Web Standards Support
    WebView2 supports the latest web standards and technologies, providing developers access to modern APIs and capabilities within their applications.

Possible disadvantages of Microsoft Edge WebView2

  • Initial Setup Complexity
    Setting up WebView2 in an application can be more complex initially, particularly if developers are transitioning from older web controls.
  • Dependency on Edge Installation
    Applications using WebView2 depend on the presence of the Microsoft Edge browser on user systems. While it typically comes pre-installed on Windows, this may not always be the case.
  • Platform Limitations
    WebView2 is primarily designed for Windows, potentially limiting cross-platform deployment unless using additional frameworks or solutions.
  • Resource Usage
    Running WebView2 might consume more system resources, as it leverages a full-fledged modern browser engine, possibly impacting the performance of resource-constrained environments.
  • Version Management Complexity
    Managing version compatibility and updates for applications relying on specific WebView2 versions may introduce additional complexity, especially when dealing with the Fixed Version approach.

Analysis of localhost.run

Overall verdict

  • Localhost.run is a good tool for developers who need a fast, efficient, and secure way to share their local development environments. Its ease of use and minimal setup make it an excellent choice for quick sharing and testing scenarios.

Why this product is good

  • Localhost.run is a service that provides a quick and easy way to expose a local server to the internet. It is often praised for its simplicity, ease of use, and minimal setup requirements. It allows developers to share their work quickly for collaboration, testing, or demonstration purposes without needing to deploy to a public server. It uses a secure SSH tunnel, which adds a layer of security to the service.

Recommended for

  • Developers who need to demo their work to clients or teams
  • Collaborative programming and real-time feedback
  • Testing webhooks or APIs from an external source
  • Temporary exposure of local servers for testing purposes

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to localhost.run and Microsoft Edge WebView2)
Localhost Tools
100 100%
0% 0
.Net
0 0%
100% 100
Webhooks
100 100%
0% 0
Security & Privacy
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare localhost.run and Microsoft Edge WebView2

localhost.run Reviews

Tunnelling services for exposing localhost to the web
localhost.run is very similar to Serveo but with less features. In fact, as far as I can tell, it only does 1 thing: expose your local web server to the web with a public URL. And it does that well enough for me.
Source: chenhuijing.com

Microsoft Edge WebView2 Reviews

We have no reviews of Microsoft Edge WebView2 yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, localhost.run should be more popular than Microsoft Edge WebView2. It has been mentiond 42 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

localhost.run mentions (42)

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Microsoft Edge WebView2 mentions (16)

  • Zasper: A Modern and Efficient Alternative to JupyterLab, Built in Go
    Edge does, https://developer.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-edge/webview2/?cs=578062562&form=MA13LH https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Web Apps Are Better Than No Apps
    Microsoft has this on Windows: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/ Teams 2 is supposed to use it (and there's a couple smaller system apps that use it). - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • .NET desktop development, Desktop development with C++ or Universal Windows Platform development?
    I'd like to make my own Web Browser using the Microsoft Edge WebView2 that can also run on Windows 11 for Arm64. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Perspective 2.0, Open Source WebAssembly-Powered BI
    Electron is going to kill the good performance gains of Perspective. Even if you have a fully beefed-up workstation, Electron is going to trigger the CPU fans. Electron is discouraged nowadays in favor of lightweight solutions like Sciter[0], Tauri[1] or even WebView2[2]. -- [0]: https://sciter.com/ [1]: https://tauri.app/ [2]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • Why the New Microsoft Teams is the Ultimate Communication Tool for the Modern Workplace
    The above user is technically correct it is not Electron. It is a MS supported Chromium-baesd WebView program based on their Edge browser: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing localhost.run and Microsoft Edge WebView2, you can also consider the following products

ngrok - ngrok enables secure introspectable tunnels to localhost webhook development tool and debugging tool.

privacy.sexy - Web tool to generate scripts for enforcing privacy & security best-practices such as stopping data collection of Windows and different softwares on it.

sish - An open source serveo/ngrok alternative. HTTP(S)/WS(S)/TCP Tunnels to localhost using only SSH.

WebKitGTK+ - WebKitGTK+ is the port of the portable web rendering engine WebKit to the GTK+ platform.

LocalXpose - Your network without the IT work. Radically simple, always-on tunneling service for mission-critical applications.

Bun.sh - Bun is an all-in-one JavaScript runtime & toolkit designed for speed, complete with a bundler, test runner, and Node.js-compatible package manager.