Quick answer
ngrok - ngrok puts a local service on a public URL, and its free plan comes with $5 of one-time usage credit. Tailscale links your own devices in a private network, and its free Personal plan has no usage cap on devices but is for non-commercial use.
How the free tiers compare
ngrok's Free plan gives you 3 online endpoints, 1GB of data transfer, 20k HTTP/S requests and one team member. It runs on a $5 one-time credit, and the credit cannot be spent on data transfer out. Tailscale's Personal plan is $0 with unlimited user devices, up to 6 users, 3 ACL groups and 50 tagged resources. It is meant for non-commercial use. ngrok Hobbyist costs $10 a month. Tailscale Standard costs $8 per user per month.
ngrok vs Tailscale free tier, side by side
| ngrokFTV 28 | TailscaleFTV 45 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free allowance | $5 of one-time included usage | Unlimited user devices, up to 6 users |
| Endpoints and resources | Up to 3 online endpoints | Up to 50 tagged resources |
| Usage limits | Up to 1GB data transfer and 20k HTTP/S requests | 1,000 minutes a month for ephemeral resources |
| Team size on Free | 1 team member | Up to 6 users |
| First paid plan | Hobbyist - $10/mo, with $10 of monthly usage | Standard - $8 per user per month |
| Next plan up | Pay-as-you-go - $20/mo plus usage, with 3 team members included | Premium - $18 per user per month |
After you outgrow the free tier
ngrok Hobbyist costs $10 a month and includes $10 of monthly usage, 5GB of data transfer and 100k HTTP/S requests. Pay-as-you-go costs $20 a month plus usage and includes unlimited endpoints and custom domains. Tailscale Standard costs $8 per user per month and adds unlimited users and SCIM. Premium costs $18 per user per month and raises ephemeral resource minutes to 10,000. Extra tagged resources cost $1 a month each.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | ngrok | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Team of three that needs a paid plan | $20/mo for Pay-as-you-go, plus usage | $24/mo for Standard (3 users at $8) |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick ngrok when…
- You need a public URL for a local app or a webhook test.
- You want a dev domain that ngrok assigns to you.
- You are fine with an interstitial page on free HTTP/S endpoints.
Pick Tailscale when…
- You want your laptop, phone and home server to reach each other privately.
- You have up to 6 people and a non-commercial project.
- You want unlimited devices on the free plan.
Bottom line
Pick ngrok when the goal is a public URL. Pick Tailscale when the goal is a private network between your own machines. The two tools solve different problems, so many developers run both.
Read the full listings: ngrok and Tailscale. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.