QuickTunnel
One-click Cloudflare Quick Tunnels for VS Code — no account, no API keys, no config files.
What is Cloudflare Quick Tunnels?
Cloudflare Quick Tunnels is a free, zero-config tunneling service by Cloudflare that instantly exposes your local development server to the public internet — no account, no credit card, no setup required.
Under the hood it uses the cloudflared CLI:
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:3000
Within seconds, Cloudflare assigns you a random public HTTPS URL like:
https://quiet-marble-otter.trycloudflare.com
This URL is:
- Publicly accessible from anywhere in the world
- HTTPS by default — no SSL certificate setup needed
- Ephemeral — it changes every time you start a new tunnel (no persistence)
- Free — no Cloudflare account required, ever
What can you do with it?
| Use Case |
Example |
| Test on a real mobile device |
Open the URL on your phone without USB |
| Share a WIP with a teammate |
Send the URL over Slack/Discord |
| Receive webhooks locally |
Point Stripe, GitHub, Twilio webhooks to your machine |
| Demo a prototype |
Show a client without deploying |
| Test OAuth redirects |
Use the public URL as your redirect URI |
| AI agent endpoint |
Give an AI agent a real URL to call |
How it compares
|
QuickTunnel (Cloudflare) |
ngrok (free) |
localtunnel |
| Account required |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
❌ No |
| HTTPS |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| Custom domains |
❌ (paid plan) |
❌ (paid plan) |
❌ |
| Bandwidth limits |
None stated |
1GB/month |
Unstable |
| Powered by |
Cloudflare's global network |
ngrok servers |
Community |
Why this extension?
Every time you need a tunnel, the raw workflow is:
- Open a terminal
- Remember the command:
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:3000
- Wait for the URL to appear in terminal output
- Manually copy it
- Paste it wherever you need it
QuickTunnel eliminates all of that. One click from the status bar or sidebar, and the URL is already in your clipboard.
Features
- Status bar toggle — start/stop tunnels from the bottom bar with one click
- Port auto-detection — scans
localhost for active dev servers automatically
- Auto-copy URL — tunnel URL copied to clipboard the moment it's ready
- QR code panel — instantly test on mobile without typing the URL
- Sidebar panel — manage all active tunnels with inline action buttons
.env updater — writes TUNNEL_URL=https://... into your .env file automatically- Auto-download — fetches the
cloudflared binary if not installed (no manual setup)
- Multi-tunnel — run multiple tunnels on different ports simultaneously
Usage
- Start your local dev server (e.g.
npm run dev on port 3000)
- Click
$(radio-tower) Tunnel in the status bar or open the QuickTunnel sidebar
- Select the detected port from the list (or enter one manually)
- The public URL is ready — copied to clipboard and shown in a notification
From the notification you can instantly:
- Open Browser — open the tunnel URL in your default browser
- Show QR — display a scannable QR code for mobile testing
- Update .env — write the URL into your
.env file
The QuickTunnel sidebar (activity bar icon) lists all active tunnels. Each tunnel has inline buttons:
| Button |
Action |
$(copy) |
Copy URL to clipboard |
$(link-external) |
Open in browser |
$(device-mobile) |
Show QR code |
$(file-code) |
Update .env file |
$(stop) |
Kill the tunnel |
Commands
| Command |
Description |
QuickTunnel: Start Tunnel |
Start a new tunnel (with port picker) |
QuickTunnel: Stop Tunnel |
Stop an active tunnel |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
quicktunnel.defaultPort |
3000 |
Fallback port when auto-detection finds nothing |
quicktunnel.autoDetectPort |
true |
Scan localhost for active ports on startup |
quicktunnel.autoCopyUrl |
true |
Automatically copy tunnel URL to clipboard |
quicktunnel.envVariable |
TUNNEL_URL |
Variable name written into .env files |
Requirements
The cloudflared CLI is required. You don't need to install it manually — QuickTunnel will detect if it's missing and offer to download the correct binary for your platform automatically.
Supported platforms:
- Windows (x64)
- macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon)
- Linux (x64 & arm64)
License
MIT © Amaan Ahmad
