About Periscope
Secure tunneling platform — hosted by Elf 5 or self-hosted on your own infrastructure
What Is Periscope?
Periscope is a secure tunneling platform that lets developers expose local services to the internet — for webhook testing, mobile development, demos, and collaboration.
Use it hosted by Elf 5, or deploy your own server with a single Docker container. Either way, every connection and every request is authenticated, attributed to a specific user, and logged for audit. One price — $5/developer/month — all features, no tiers.
How It Works
1. Install
Install the Periscope CLI via npm
2. Authenticate
Sign in with your email address
3. Connect
Connect a tunnel to your local port
4. Share
Share the public URL — all access is authenticated and logged
The CLI establishes an SSH tunnel to your Periscope server. Incoming requests are forwarded to your local machine. The server handles TLS termination, authentication, and request logging.
Why Not ngrok or Cloudflare Tunnel?
| Periscope | ngrok | Cloudflare Tunnel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where traffic routes | Elf 5 hosted or your server | ngrok's servers | Cloudflare's network |
| Data sovereignty | Your choice — hosted or self-hosted | Third-party | Third-party |
| Self-hosted option | Yes — single Docker container | No | No |
| Authentication | Your SSO (self-hosted) or Elf 5 managed auth (hosted) | ngrok accounts | Cloudflare Access |
| User attribution | Every connection and request tied to a specific user | Limited | Limited |
| User deprovisioning | Automatic via SSO — remove from org, access revoked | Manual | Manual or via Cloudflare Access |
| Observability | Ship logs to your own SIEM with per-user attribution | ngrok dashboard | Cloudflare dashboard |
| Vendor lock-in | None — self-host on any infrastructure | Tied to ngrok platform | Requires Cloudflare ecosystem |
| Compliance | Self-host for full control over data location and routing | Dependent on ngrok's certifications | Dependent on Cloudflare |
| Pricing model | Flat rate, all features, no tiers | Tiered with feature gates | Tiered with feature gates |
The Core Differences
Full User Attribution
Every tunnel connection and every request is tied to a specific user. Know who opened a tunnel, when, and what traffic flowed through it.
Transparent Pricing
One flat rate per developer. All features, no tiers. You never have to wonder which plan you need.
Your Choice of Hosting
Use the Elf 5 hosted server for zero-ops simplicity, or deploy your own for full control over traffic routing, data sovereignty, and compliance. Self-hosted traffic never leaves your network.
SSO Integration
Self-hosted deployments authenticate through your existing identity provider. Remove a user from your organization and their tunnel access is revoked automatically.
Simple Self-Hosted Deployment
Pull a Docker image, set a license key, and point your DNS. No complex infrastructure, no multi-step provisioning, no vendor ecosystem to buy into.
SIEM & Compliance
Ship logs to your own SIEM with per-user attribution. SOC2 Type II compliance, SCIM user provisioning, and managed deployment options.
Who Is Periscope For?
Expose local services for webhook development, API testing, mobile app development, and work-in-progress demos. Every tunnel is authenticated — no anonymous access, no shared URLs without accountability.
Get visibility into who is exposing what. Periscope logs every tunnel connection and every request with user attribution, so you know which developer opened a tunnel, when, and what traffic flowed through it.
Self-host to keep tunnel traffic on your own infrastructure. Integrate with your existing identity provider, ship logs to your SIEM, and maintain your compliance posture without introducing a third-party data path.
Built by Elf 5
A small team focused on developer infrastructure tools that are secure, simple to deploy, and transparently priced.
Learn About the Company