Ngrok pricing: Features and plans explained

Ngrok offers a solution for developers seeking to expose their local applications to the Internet, providing secure tunnels and simplifying network configurations. In this article, we'll explain ngrok’s pricing tiers, explore its features, and examine how different billing plans cater to various users and businesses.

You'll learn about:

• How ngrok functions as a reverse proxy and its core use cases
• The key features that differentiate ngrok from other similar tools
• A breakdown of ngrok's pricing plans for both production and development
• Which types of companies and developers benefit most from ngrok's pricing model
• How to build a pricing model inspired by ngrok's success

Let's begin by understanding what ngrok is and how it actually works.

What is ngrok?

ngrok is a service that helps developers expose their local applications to the Internet. It's a reverse proxy, acting as an intermediary between your computer and anyone trying to access your application.

What makes ngrok different from other similar tools is how it establishes connections.It uses a small program called an agent that runs on your machine. This agent creates a secure tunnel to the ngrok network. Consequently, it bypasses the need for you to configure firewalls or worry about public IP addresses.

In short, ngrok simplifies the process of:

• Sharing applications: Give others access to your work, even if it's running on your local machine.
• Testing APIs and webhooks: Easily test integrations without deploying your application.
• Accessing services in private networks: Connect to apps running on other devices or behind firewalls.

Instead of dealing with complex network settings, ngrok offers a direct way to make your apps accessible online. We'll explore ngrok pricing and its feature offering in the following section.

How does ngrok work?

ngrok creates a secure tunnel from your local machine to the public Internet. It allows you to expose your applications without dealing with complex network configurations.

It uses a lightweight agent that runs on your machine. This agent establishes a secure connection to ngrok's global network. When someone accesses your ngrok endpoint, the request travels through this tunnel to your local app.

Key features

• Secure tunneling: ngrok creates a secure connection between your app and the internet, protecting your data.
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• Global network: With servers around the world, ngrok ensures reliable connections for all users. 
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• Environment independence: Run your applications on any platform – your laptop, a cloud server, or even a Raspberry Pi. ngrok works seamlessly regardless of your setup.
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• Unified ingress: ngrok combines various networking tools into one platform. It simplifies tasks like load balancing, authentication, and traffic management.
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• Developer tools: A command-line interface, APIs, and SDKs make it easy to integrate ngrok into your workflow.
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• Custom domains: Use your own domain names for a professional touch.
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• Traffic shaping: Control how traffic flows to your app with features like load balancing and rate limiting.
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• Authentication: Secure your apps with built-in authentication modules. The models include OAuth, SAML, and OpenID Connect.
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• Observability: Track and analyze traffic with logs and integrations with popular monitoring tools.

What are ngrok's pricing models?

ngrok offers two main pricing models. One is ngrok for production, designed for live applications and APIs. The other is ngrok for development, aimed at developers building and testing their projects.

Let's explore the diverse ngrok plans available within each model:

ngrok for production

This model provides two options as well: Pay-as-you-go, where you pay only for what you use, and custom plans for businesses with specific needs.

Pay-as-you-go starts at $18/month and allows you to scale your usage effortlessly. Here's a quick overview of the costs:

• Endpoints: $15 per active endpoint (an ngrok domain, custom domain, or TCP address that sends or receives data)
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• HTTP requests: $0.01 per 100,000 requests
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• TCP/TLS connections: $0.05 per 100,000 TCP connections, or $0.10 per 100,000 TLS connections
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• Data transfer: $0.10 per GB out and free for incoming data

The basic plan includes one active endpoint. It also includes 100,000 HTTP requests, 10,000 TCP connections, and 10GB outbound data transfer. You're also getting basic traffic policy features, unlimited agents, 3-day data retention, and more.

For advanced security, dedicated support, or tailored solutions, custom plans are available. Contact ngrok's sales team for a personalized quote.

ngrok for development

This model offers a range of options. It goes from a free tier to enterprise-grade plans, catering to individual developers and large teams alike.

The free tier provides basic features to get started. It includes ephemeral domains for testing, automated SSL/TLS certificates, and OAuth support. You also get webhook verification, request inspection and replay, and APIs with a Terraform provider.

Beyond the free tier, ngrok provides a variety of tiers that are part of ngrok’s power apps developer plans:

• Personal ($8/month billed annually). It includes all free features, plus one custom domain or ngrok subdomain, one reserved TCP address, and TCP traffic support. It is great for individual developers and freelancers.
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• Pro ($20/month billed annually). It builds on the personal plan with edge-managed configuration, and granular URL routing. It also adds webhook verification providers, load balancing, on-demand pricing, and IP restrictions. 
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• Enterprise ($39/month billed annually): Offers the most complete feature set. It adds Mutual TLS, OIDC/SAML SSO, Dashboard SSO, and wildcard domains. You also get TLS edges and tunnels, Role Based Access Control, agent updates, and Agent ACLs. 

An ngrok pricing structure is ideal for these types of companies 

ngrok's tiered plans and pay-as-you-go pricing makes it suitable for a variety of companies. Here's who benefits most:

• Budget-conscious organizations: Startups and small businesses can start with the free tier or affordable Personal plan, upgrading as they grow.
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• Rapidly scaling companies: The pay-as-you-go model allows for flexible scaling based on demand, avoiding overspending on unused resources.
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• Enterprises with variable workloads: Pay-as-you-go accommodates fluctuating needs, optimizing costs during periods of low activity.
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• Development teams: ngrok offers plans specifically designed for development, with features and pricing to suit various team sizes and security needs.
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• Cost-conscious companies: Transparent pricing and granular control over resource usage enable close budget management.

Specific industries that benefit from a ngrok pricing model 

• Software/web/mobile app development: ngrok facilitates testing, collaboration, and demos.
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• IoT development: It enables secure exposure of devices and services.
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• API development: It simplifies sharing and testing APIs.

How to build your own pricing model like ngrok

Want to create a pricing strategy as successful as ngrok's? Follow these key steps:

1. Know your customer: Identify your target audience, their needs, and pain points. Tailor your pricing and features accordingly.

2. Analyze costs and value: Determine your operational costs. Then, define your unique value proposition. Ask yourself: What specific problems do you solve, and how much are customers willing to pay for those solutions?

3. Choose a structure: Explore different pricing models. Think tiered subscriptions (like ngrok's), usage-based pricing (ngrok's pay-as-you-go), flat subscriptions, or freemium.

4. Set price points: Consider your costs, value proposition, competitor pricing, and market trends to set price points. 

5. Offer flexibility: Allow customers to adjust their plans based on their evolving needs easily. ngrok's pay-as-you-go model exemplifies this flexibility.

6. Communicate clearly: Present your pricing in a way that's easy to understand. You should avoid jargon and hidden fees.

7. Test and tweak: Review and adjust your pricing strategy based on customer feedback, market dynamics, and your goals.

Orb can support your pricing with these features

We’ve just covered everything you need to know about ngrok’s pricing and its feature set. If you’re interested in building a similar pricing engine for your own product, Orb can help.

Orb is an all-encompassing billing platform. It enables you to design, implement, and manage refined pricing models, just like those used by ngrok.

We take the complexity out of usage-based pricing, helping you create a model that aligns with your business goals and scales as you grow. 

Here's how Orb helps you build a pricing engine as robust as ngrok’s:

• Capture every detail: Track customer usage with precision. Orb's real-time metering infrastructure ensures that you capture every billable event. We give you the granular data you need to implement usage-based pricing or tiered plans with confidence.
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• Pricing plans that adapt: Create and manage different pricing plans. We cover everything from free trials to premium subscriptions and custom enterprise solutions. Orb's architecture lets you test pricing structures and find the one that fits your market.
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• Unlock pricing insights: Go beyond basic reporting. Gain deep insights into your pricing performance. Orb helps you analyze usage patterns, find trends, and make data-driven decisions.
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• Craft your ideal model: With Orb's SQL-based billing engine, you can define your own pricing logic, usage metrics, and billing rules. This level of customization allows you to build a unique model that matches your business needs.
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• Simplify your workflow: Orb integrates with your existing tech stack. We integrate with many data warehouses, accounting systems, and CRM platforms. We help cut manual data entry, reduce errors, and free up your team to focus on broader strategies.

Ready to take control of your pricing and unlock new revenue potential? Sign up for Orb's free 30-day trial, check our pricing options, and discover how to build a pricing engine that's as innovative and effective as ngrok's.