Your webhook handler runs on localhost:3000. Stripe runs on the internet. Something has to bridge the gap. Here are four approaches, when to use each, and how they work with HookDeploy.

The four approaches

Approach	How it works	Local server required?
ngrok	Tunnel from public HTTPS URL to localhost	Yes, while tunneling
Cloudflare Tunnel	Cloudflare edge proxies to local service	Yes, while tunneling
HookDeploy forwarding	Capture at HookDeploy URL, proxy to your server	Only when forwarding
VS Code port forwarding	Dev tunnel from VS Code to localhost	Yes, while VS Code runs

ngrok

The most popular option. ngrok runs a local agent that creates a public URL:

ngrok http 3000
# Forwarding: https://abc123.ngrok.io -> http://localhost:3000

Point your webhook sender at https://abc123.ngrok.io/webhooks/stripe. Traffic hits your local server live.

Pros: Live debugging, works with breakpoints, supports TCP/TLS tunnels Cons: URL changes on free tier, agent must stay running, session expires

With HookDeploy: Set HookDeploy forward URL to your ngrok URL. Capture history in HookDeploy plus live processing on localhost.

Cloudflare Tunnel

Cloudflare’s cloudflared daemon creates a tunnel without opening ports:

cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:3000
# Creates a random *.trycloudflare.com URL

For persistent URLs, configure a named tunnel with a Cloudflare domain.

Pros: No port forwarding on router, free tier available, integrates with Cloudflare ecosystem Cons: Setup more complex than ngrok for named tunnels, requires cloudflared running

With HookDeploy: Same pattern as ngrok — forward from HookDeploy to your trycloudflare.com URL.

HookDeploy forwarding

Skip the tunnel entirely during capture. Point the webhook sender at HookDeploy:

Stripe → https://hookdeploy.dev/h/abc123 → HookDeploy stores payload

When your local server is ready, either:

Auto-forward — set forward URL to your tunnel URL. Every webhook is captured and proxied live.
Manual replay — click Replay in the dashboard to send a captured request to localhost.

# Your server doesn't need to be running when the webhook arrives
# Inspect in HookDeploy, then replay when ready:
# Replay target: https://abc123.ngrok.io/webhooks/stripe

Pros: Capture without local server, persistent history, team sharing, replay on demand Cons: Forward/replay adds latency, not live debugging unless combined with a tunnel

VS Code port forwarding

VS Code (and GitHub Codespaces) can expose local ports via dev tunnels:

Run your server on port 3000
Open Ports tab in VS Code
Set visibility to Public
Copy the forwarded URL

Pros: Built into your editor, no extra install, works in Codespaces Cons: Tied to VS Code session, less configurable than ngrok, not ideal for team sharing

Comparison table

	ngrok	Cloudflare Tunnel	HookDeploy	VS Code
Setup time	1 min	2–5 min	30 sec	1 min
Persistent URL	Paid	Named tunnel	Always	Session only
Capture without local server	No	No	Yes	No
Request history	Limited	No	Yes	No
Team sharing	No	No	Yes	No
Replay	No	No	Yes	No
Live debugging	Yes	Yes	With forward	Yes
Free tier	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Recommended workflows

Solo dev, quick test: HookDeploy only. Capture, inspect, replay to localhost when ready.

Active handler development: ngrok + HookDeploy. Forward URL set to ngrok. Live debugging plus history.

CI/CD pipeline: HookDeploy REST API only. No tunnel needed — verify capture programmatically.

Codespaces / remote dev: VS Code port forwarding for live traffic, HookDeploy for capture and replay.

Example: HookDeploy + ngrok together

# Terminal 1
ngrok http 3000

# Terminal 2
npm run dev

# In HookDeploy dashboard:
# 1. Create endpoint → https://hookdeploy.dev/h/abc123
# 2. Set forward URL → https://YOUR-NGROK.ngrok.io/webhooks/stripe
# 3. Point Stripe at HookDeploy URL

Flow: Stripe → HookDeploy (capture) → ngrok → localhost (your handler).

If ngrok goes down, webhooks are still captured in HookDeploy. Replay them when the tunnel is back.

Local Webhook Testing — ngrok, Cloudflare Tunnel, HookDeploy, and VS Code