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Expose your local Backend
published: 2026-04-14
Q
I have a website hosted on github pages. I'd like to connect a backend hosted locally to that website. What are some options for hosting that website?A
You cannot directly connect a public GitHub Pages website to a backend hosted on your local machine (localhost) for external users, because your local computer is hidden behind a private network router and firewall. To bridge this gap, you must either expose your local machine to the public internet using a tunneling tool, or move your backend codebase to a cloud hosting platform.
Expose Your Local Backend (Best for Development)
If you want to keep running the backend code on your own computer while testing the GitHub Pages frontend, use a tunneling tool. These tools create a temporary, secure public URL that forwards traffic directly to your localhost.
- ngrok: The most popular tunneling tool that provides a public HTTPS URL (e.g., https://ngrok-free.app) pointing directly to your local port.
- Localtunnel: A completely free, open-source alternative to ngrok that does not require an account to get started.
- Cloudflare Tunnels: A highly secure, free option provided by Cloudflare that is excellent for permanent local hosting if you own a custom domain.
Free & Low-Cost Cloud Hosting (Best for Production)
If you want your website to work 24/7 without keeping your personal computer turned on, you should deploy your backend code to a cloud hosting provider.
| Provider | Best For | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Render | Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby | Offers a generous free tier for web services; automatically spins down when idle (takes ~50 seconds to restart on cold runs). |
| Railway | Docker, Databases, Rapid setup | Highly intuitive developer experience with a low-cost usage-based pricing model; supports seamless GitHub integration. |
| Fly.io | Global distribution, Docker | Converts your backend into a lightweight micro-virtual machine; excellent free allowance and low latency. |
| Vercel / Netlify | Serverless functions (Node.js/Python) | Perfect if your backend can be rewritten as API routes; fully integrates with frontend deployment pipelines. |
| Supabase / Firebase | Database & Backend-as-a-Service | Provides ready-to-use authentication, databases, and edge functions, eliminating the need to write a traditional server. |
Key Technical Considerations
- Update Your Frontend Fetch Requests: Once you choose a method, change the API URL in your GitHub Pages JavaScript code from http://localhost:5000/api to your new public URL (e.g., https://onrender.com).
- Enable CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing): Your backend code must explicitly permit requests originating from your GitHub Pages domain (e.g., https://github.io). If CORS is not configured on your server, browser security protocols will block the connection.