qURL™ vs localhost.run
Both need no account. One gives the app a public URL.
localhost.run needs only an SSH client and no account: one ssh command gives your app a public URL that anyone with the address can open, on a free domain that changes every few hours. qURL also needs no account, but gives the app no public URL: qurl share prints a link that works once and expires within 24 hours.
Facts checked October 1, 2026 against each vendor’s documentation. Download the data
localhost.run is an SSH reverse-tunnel service: nothing to install, one command, a public HTTPS URL. qURL is a CLI that publishes a local app without a public route and hands out one link per recipient.
How qURL and localhost.run differ
localhost.run takes an SSH remote forward (ssh -R 80:localhost:8080 localhost.run) and answers on a public domain with automatic HTTPS. Free domains change after a few hours, and custom domains, TLS passthrough and non-HTTP traffic are on paid plans. Anyone who has the URL reaches the app; the service has no visitor access control.
qURL connects out from your machine too, but it gives the app no public address. qurl publish registers the app and prints its CRID, the app’s stable ID; qurl share turns the CRID into an access link for one recipient. Opening the link admits that recipient’s network address for the session; by protocol design, other addresses get no response.
From a running app to a link you can send
qurl publish http://127.0.0.1:3000
qurl share <CRID>ssh -R 80:localhost:8080 localhost.runqURL and localhost.run, side by side
| Question | qURL CLI | localhost.run (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Account needed before the first URL | No. The first publish creates the device identity our test | No account for free domains (SSH key or the nokey user) localhost.run |
| What the URL looks like | A qurl.link access link per recipient; the app answers at r_<id>.qurl.site, a name absent from Certificate Transparency logs our test | Free domains change after a few hours; custom domains on paid plans localhost.run |
| Who can reach it | No one until a link is opened; then the opener’s public IP for that session, including other devices behind that IP layerv.ai | Public: anyone with the URL localhost.run |
| Warning page shown to visitors | None our test | Not documented localhost.run |
| Visitor access control | Single-use access link by default; link and session lifetimes. IP allow and deny lists and other rules can gate links through the API, not the CLI layerv.ai | Not documented localhost.run |
| Link expiry | Yes. qurl share returned a 24-hour link in our no-account test; no-account links are capped at 24 hours our test | No expiry setting; the free domain rotates localhost.run |
| Single-use links | Yes, the default for qurl share our test | Not documented localhost.run |
| Protocols | HTTP(S), WebSocket, SSE; no raw TCP our test | HTTP with automatic HTTPS; TLS passthrough and non-HTTP need a paid custom domain localhost.run |
| Free-tier limits | Without an account: up to 3 active resources, with links that last up to 24 hours github.com | Free domain names change regularly; speed limit localhost.run |
Which one to use
Choose qURL to
Show an app to one person, or let your coding agent share it, without the app being reachable by anyone who sees or guesses the URL. Each link works once and expires on its own.
When localhost.run is the better choice
Choose localhost.run when you want a public URL with nothing to install: a webhook sender, a quick public demo, or a machine where you can run ssh but not install a CLI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does localhost.run need an account?
No. The free tier works with an SSH key or the nokey user, and gives a free domain that changes regularly. Custom domains need a paid plan.
Who can open a qURL link?
Whoever holds it, once: with no flags, qurl share prints a single-use link. Opening it admits the network address it was opened from for the session, which lasts 1 hour by default for an app published from the CLI. Other devices on the same public IP address, such as an office or café network, can reach the app until the session ends, so keep your app’s own sign-in for anything sensitive. By default a link admits whoever opens it; access rules set through the API, such as IP allow and deny lists, can restrict that.
Can my coding agent share my app with qURL?
Yes. Give Claude Code, Cursor, or Windsurf the qURL skill (https://layerv.ai/skills/qurl/SKILL.md) and ask it to share the app: it installs the qurl CLI, publishes the app privately, and gives you an address to send. The agent applies the private access rules you choose. For named recipients, give it their email addresses so it can send invitations. Recipients verify their email in the browser and save a passkey; they never send you their email verification code. The agent checks policy support before sharing and keeps the app private if the deployment cannot support it. For one person right away, ask it for a one-time link instead. Codex starts with network access off, so save the skill file for it first.
Share your app without an account
Paste one prompt into your coding agent, or install the qURL CLI and publish the app yourself. No sign-up, no API key.
New to qURL? Start at qurl.link