Access private services by name from anywhere. No VPN setup, no firewall rules. Open source alternative to ngrok and Tailscale for service-level connectivity.
npm install private-connectbash
npm i private-connect # add to your project
npm i -g private-connect # install globally
`
Run it: after a global install use private-connect; after a local install use npx private-connect. Or run without installing: npx private-connect .
Quick Start
`bash
Test connectivity to any service
npx private-connect test db.internal:5432
Create a temporary public tunnel
npx private-connect tunnel 3000
Test webhooks locally (Polar, Stripe, GitHub, or any provider)
npx private-connect polar 3000
npx private-connect stripe 3000
`
Commands
$3
`bash
npx private-connect test
`
Examples:
`bash
npx private-connect test db.internal:5432 # Database
npx private-connect test redis:6379 # Redis
npx private-connect test https://api.internal # API
`
What it checks:
- TCP connection
- TLS/SSL (if applicable)
- HTTP response (for web services)
- Latency
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`bash
npx private-connect tunnel
`
Instantly expose a local service to the internet. No signup required.
Examples:
`bash
npx private-connect tunnel 3000 # Expose localhost:3000
npx private-connect tunnel localhost:8080 # Specify host and port
`
Output:
`
Private Connect - Temporary Tunnel
────────────────────────────────────
Local: localhost:3000
Public: https://abc12345.privateconnect.co
Anyone can access this URL
Inspector: https://privateconnect.co/debug/s-xyz789
Live traffic monitoring & request replay
Expires: 120 minutes
────────────────────────────────────
Press Ctrl+C to stop
`
TCP/UDP Tunnels:
`bash
npx private-connect tunnel 5432 --tcp # TCP tunnel (databases, etc.)
npx private-connect tunnel 27015 --udp # UDP tunnel (game servers, etc.)
`
TCP/UDP output shows connection details:
`
Local: localhost:5432
Public: tcp://api.privateconnect.co:40001
Connect: api.privateconnect.co:40001
Expires: 120 minutes
`
Sharing:
- The public URL shows your actual website (like ngrok)
- Perfect for demos, testing, and sharing with teammates
- Works immediately - no landing page, just your app
Features:
- No signup or account required
- Auto-expires in 2 hours
- Real-time request logging
- Works with HTTP, TCP, and UDP services
- Shareable URLs - The public URL shows your actual website, perfect for demos and testing
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`bash
npx private-connect
`
Create a tunnel and get provider-specific webhook setup instructions.
Known providers (with tailored instructions):
- polar — Polar webhooks
- stripe — Stripe webhooks
- github — GitHub webhooks
- shopify — Shopify webhooks
Any provider name works — unknown names get generic webhook guidance.
Examples:
`bash
npx private-connect polar 3000 # Polar webhooks → localhost:3000
npx private-connect stripe 3000 # Stripe webhooks → localhost:3000
npx private-connect github 8080 # GitHub webhooks → localhost:8080
npx private-connect myapp 3000 # Generic webhooks → localhost:3000
`
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`bash
npx private-connect setup-openclaw
`
Quickly set up remote access to your OpenClaw (formerly Moltbot) gateway:
- Detects OpenClaw on localhost:18789
- Creates temporary tunnel for remote access
- Shows next steps for permanent setup
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`bash
npx private-connect pair
`
Generate a QR code to pair your mobile device for remote access.
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`bash
npx private-connect list
`
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`bash
npx private-connect close
npx private-connect close --all
`
Installation Options
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`bash
npx private-connect tunnel 3000
`
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`bash
curl -fsSL https://privateconnect.co/install.sh | bash
connect up
`
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`bash
For scripts, CI/CD, or VM provisioning
curl -fsSL https://privateconnect.co/install.sh | bash -s -- \
--non-interactive \
--api-key=YOUR_KEY \
--daemon
`
Options:
- --non-interactive - Skip all prompts
- --api-key=KEY - Set API key for authentication
- --daemon - Install and start background service
- --expose-openclaw` - Expose OpenClaw gateway after install