Can I use ngrok for a Minecraft server at all?

For Java, yes: a TCP endpoint carries it, and on the free plan that needs a payment method on the account and gives a random hostname and port. Bedrock and voice chat need UDP, which its endpoint types do not cover.

Why is the free Bridge allowance so much larger?

Because the traffic is game traffic and we run the relays as part of a hosting business. 300 GB a month covers a group of friends playing most evenings.

Do I get a fixed address without paying?

Yes. The free tier picks a word-pair name, such as quiet-fox.play.fadehost.net, and it stays yours while you use it. Choosing the name yourself is a Pro feature.

I already use ngrok for development. Is there a conflict?

None. They are separate programs doing separate jobs on the same machine.

FadeHost Bridge vs ngrok

ngrok is an excellent developer tool. It is the fastest way to put a web service on the internet for an afternoon, and it has a documented, well-run network behind it.

Both answer the same question: how do friends reach a game server running on your own machine? Here is how the two compare, with ngrok's own pages as the source for everything said about it.

How each one works

ngrok is a universal gateway for developers. Its pricing page lists the Free plan at 1 GB of data transfer with up to 3 online endpoints, and its documentation says TCP endpoints are only available on a free plan after adding a valid payment method, on a randomly assigned hostname and port. A static TCP address starts on the Hobbyist plan, $10 a month with 5 GB of transfer included. Bringing your own domain starts on Pay-as-you-go, $20 a month plus usage. Its endpoints are HTTP, HTTPS, TCP and TLS.

Bridge is built for game servers, so the parts a game needs are the parts that are free: UDP for Bedrock, Valheim, Palworld, Factorio and voice chat, an SRV record so Java players type no port, a name that does not change, and 300 GB of traffic a month on the free tier.

Side by side

	FadeHost Bridge	ngrok
Bedrock, Valheim, Palworld, Factorio, voice chat (UDP)	Carried, on the same address as Java	Endpoints are HTTP, HTTPS, TCP and TLS
A game port without a card	Free, no card	TCP endpoints on the free plan need a payment method on the account
Traffic on the free plan	300 GB a month fair use	1 GB of data transfer
The address	name.play.fadehost.net, the same every time, SRV so Java needs no port	A randomly assigned hostname and port, unless you reserve a TCP address
A name you keep	Free tier keeps its word-pair name while in use, chosen names on Pro at $3 a month	One static TCP address on Hobbyist, $10 a month
Your own domain	On Pro, $3 a month	Pay-as-you-go and up, $20 a month plus usage
A page your friends can open	A join page per address	No
When your machine is off	A screen naming the server and who to ask	The endpoint is gone
A Minecraft login check in front of the server	Login protection on Pro	No
Hosting when the PC is not enough	A hosted server on the same account, from free	Not a host

ngrok as its own pages described it on 6 October 2026: ngrok pricing, ngrok TCP endpoint documentation. Check its site for current pricing.

ngrok's documentation lists HTTP, HTTPS, TCP and TLS endpoints and does not document a UDP endpoint; we read that as UDP not being offered rather than finding a page that says so.

Where the difference shows

The blocker is not price, it is protocol: a Minecraft Bedrock client, a Valheim server and a voice chat server all speak UDP, and ngrok's endpoints do not. For a Java server it works, at 1 GB a month and a random address until you pay.

Bedrock and crossplay are the first thing a group asks for once somebody plays on a phone. That needs UDP from the start.
A random hostname and port means a new address for your friends every time. Bridge keeps the name, and keeps it on the free tier too.
1 GB of transfer is an afternoon of webhooks, not a month of Minecraft. The free Bridge tier is 300 GB a month.
ngrok is still the better tool for the job it was built for. Keep it for your web services and use Bridge for the game.

What Bridge costs

One address is free: two ports, 300 GB of traffic a month, and an address nobody connects to for 30 days is released. Bridge Pro is $3 a month or $30 a year and gives four addresses, eight ports each, a name you choose, your own domain, login protection and no traffic cap. Every paid FadeHost subscription includes Pro, down to a $2.50 server slot. The numbers are on the limits page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use ngrok for a Minecraft server at all?: For Java, yes: a TCP endpoint carries it, and on the free plan that needs a payment method on the account and gives a random hostname and port. Bedrock and voice chat need UDP, which its endpoint types do not cover.
Why is the free Bridge allowance so much larger?: Because the traffic is game traffic and we run the relays as part of a hosting business. 300 GB a month covers a group of friends playing most evenings.
Do I get a fixed address without paying?: Yes. The free tier picks a word-pair name, such as quiet-fox.play.fadehost.net, and it stays yours while you use it. Choosing the name yourself is a Pro feature.
I already use ngrok for development. Is there a conflict?: None. They are separate programs doing separate jobs on the same machine.

Give your server a name

One address is free and the program takes a minute. When the PC stops being the right place for the world, the same account hosts it.

Get an address

Also compared: playit.gg, e4mc, Hamachi. Or read the Bridge docs and the host comparisons.