Software Alternatives & Startups

ngrok VS Shadowrocket

Compare ngrok VS Shadowrocket and see what are their differences

ngrok

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

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Shadowrocket

Rule based proxy utility client for iPhone/iPad.

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews
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.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, ngrok seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 429 times since March 2021.

social mentions
429 vs 0
Testing popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 16

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

ngrok
S
Shadowrocket
Website ngrok.com liguangming.com
Pricing
Open source Official pricing
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

ngrok 10 features
S
Shadowrocket 5 features
  • Ease of Use
    ngrok simplifies the process of creating secure public URLs to your local web server. It eliminates complex network configurations and is user-friendly even for beginners.
  • Security
    ngrok tunnels are secured with HTTPS, offering a robust way to expose services without compromising security. It supports multiple authentication methods, ensuring a secure connection.
  • Speed of Setup
    Setting up ngrok is quick. You just need to download the executable and run a simple command to get started. This makes it ideal for rapid development and testing.
  • Flexibility
    ngrok supports multiple protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, and TCP, making it versatile for various types of services.
  • Monitoring
    ngrok provides a web interface for monitoring HTTP traffic flowing through the tunnels, which helps in debugging and analytics.
  • Built-in Authentication
    It includes built-in authentication options, enabling you to create protected tunnels easily without needing to configure your web server.
  • Secure Tunneling
    ngrok offers end-to-end encryption, ensuring that data transferred over the tunnel is secure and private.
  • Portability
    The tool is highly portable. It works across various platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux without requiring complex configurations.
  • Integration
    ngrok supports integrations with various tools and platforms such as Slack, ACI, and AWS, making it easier to use in CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure.
  • Inspection and Debugging
    It provides inspection features through a web interface to view requests coming through the tunnel, aiding in debugging.

Possible disadvantages

  • Pricing
    While ngrok offers a free tier, many advanced features such as custom subdomains, reserved domains, and additional security features require a paid subscription.
  • Latency
    Because your data is routed through an external server, there can be a noticeable increase in latency, which might affect performance especially for real-time applications.
  • Temporary URLs
    The URLs provided in the free tier are temporary and change every time you restart ngrok. This can be inconvenient for long-term use or sharing links.
  • Rate Limits
    The free version has rate limits on the amount of traffic that can be tunneled, which could be restrictive for high-traffic applications.
  • Dependency
    Using ngrok creates a dependency on an external service, which means your tunnels are subject to ngrok’s availability and reliability. Any downtime on ngrok's end can affect your service.
  • Limited Customization
    The free tier offers limited customization options. More advanced customization requires subscription to a paid plan.
  • Usage Limits
    The free tier of ngrok has limitations in terms of concurrent connections and session lengths, which may not suffice for larger projects.
  • Security Risks
    Despite its encryption, exposing local servers to the internet always carries potential security risks, if not managed properly.
  • Easy Configuration
    Shadowrocket offers simple setup procedures, allowing users to configure their proxies and VPNs quickly without needing extensive technical knowledge.
  • Versatility
    The app supports a wide range of proxy types and protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5, providing flexibility for various user needs.
  • Traffic Encryption
    It provides robust traffic encryption, enhancing privacy and security for internet browsing and data transmission.
  • Customizable Rules
    Users can create and manage custom rules to optimize traffic routing, which can improve internet speed and resource accessibility.
  • System-wide Proxies
    Shadowrocket can apply proxy settings system-wide, affecting all applications on the device, not just the ones within the app, leading to consistent network protection.

Possible disadvantages

  • iOS Exclusivity
    The app is available only for iOS devices, which limits accessibility for users on Android and other platforms.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    Despite its easy configuration features, beginners without technical backgrounds might still find the initial setup somewhat overwhelming due to the multitude of options.
  • Paid Application
    Shadowrocket is a paid app, which may not be preferable for users looking for free alternatives with similar functionalities.
  • App Store Restrictions
    Since it is only available through the Apple App Store, there may be regional restrictions and limitations based on App Store policies.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running the app in the background to manage traffic could lead to increased battery and resource usage on the device.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

ngrok
S
Shadowrocket

No analysis of ngrok yet.

Overall verdict

  • Shadowrocket is a well-regarded, powerful iOS proxy and rule-based network utility that offers reliable performance and extensive protocol support, making it a solid choice for advanced users on Apple devices.

Why this product is good

  • Supports a wide range of protocols including Shadowsocks, VMess, Trojan, and HTTP/HTTPS proxies
  • Offers highly customizable rule-based routing to control which traffic goes through proxies
  • Lightweight and efficient with low battery and resource consumption on iOS devices
  • Provides detailed connection logging and traffic analysis for power users
  • One-time purchase on the App Store without recurring subscription fees for the app itself

Recommended for

  • iOS users who need a flexible proxy client with advanced configuration options
  • Technically savvy users comfortable setting up their own proxy servers or subscriptions
  • People who want fine-grained control over network routing rules
  • Users seeking a reliable tool for accessing geo-restricted content on Apple devices

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

ngrok 5 videos + Add
S
Shadowrocket 2 videos + Add

EQUIP | The making of ngrok - Alan Shreve (ngrok)

More videos

  • - Termux no ngrok link appearing in blackeye fix
  • - How to use LPB Software + Easy Ngrok Setup
  • - ngrok tutorial -Access your localhost Wordpress theme from anywhere of the world without hosting
  • - spynote x loclx

How to configure Shadowrocket on iPhone iPad IOS devices to connect YiLu Proxy as VPN - yilu.us

More videos

  • - ShadowRocket best Review | bestest app for your Daily life

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
ngrok
S
Shadowrocket
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
VPN
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

ngrok no reviews yet
S
Shadowrocket no reviews yet

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We have no reviews of Shadowrocket yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

ngrok 429 mentions
S
Shadowrocket 0 mentions
  • Vibecoding Our First MCP Server
    Build it, run it, and expose it with ngrok for remote access:. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • How to sync large amounts of contacts from the HubSpot API
    Local testing tip: To inspect webhooks during development, run ngrok against your local backend and set the ngrok URL as the webhook target in Nango's environment settings. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Webhooks for Country Data Changes — Get Notified When ISO Codes Update
    Use ngrok or Cloudflare Tunnel to expose your localhost endpoint, register that URL as the webhook target, and trigger test events from the dashboard's "Send test event" button. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago

View more

Tracking Shadowrocket since Sep 2023.

Alternatives to ngrok and Shadowrocket

When comparing ngrok and Shadowrocket, you can also consider the following products.