PageKite

What PageKite does

PageKite, operated by The Beanstalks Project ehf., is an Icelandic open-source localhost tunneling service founded in 2010 by Bjarni Rúnar Einarsson. Its core function is to make servers running on user-owned devices (Raspberry Pis, laptops, Android phones, ESP32 microcontrollers) publicly reachable on the internet without requiring router configuration, static IP addresses, or inbound firewall rules. The architecture consists of lightweight client software — pagekite.py (Python), libpagekite (C), and upagekite (MicroPython) — that initiates outbound TCP connections to a managed global relay network of 40+ servers across four continents. Traffic is reverse-proxied through the relays under stable DNS names (e.g., *.pagekite.me) with automatic TLS, and the company also supports end-to-end TLS for users requiring stronger confidentiality guarantees. The product is 100% open source under AGPLv3, with official distribution via native packages for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, RHEL, and CentOS, a Google Play Android app, and integration with the FreedomBox platform.

The business model is a freemium/dual-channel SaaS. Individuals can use the service free or 'pay what you want' (suggested $3 USD/month), with a 1-month free trial; professional, group, and embedded plans start at $5.99 USD/month. A second revenue stream is OEM/white-label licensing, where PageKite technology is embedded in third-party products; this line is publicly credited with sustaining the company through a 2019-2020 payment-processor disruption. PageKite serves three primary segments: hobbyists/self-hosters (Hackers & Tinkerers running personal servers for WordPress, Nextcloud, Mastodon, SSH), Embedded Developers building IoT and remote-access products on libpagekite/upagekite, and Web Developers using PageKite to share local development servers for testing and collaboration. The company is bootstrapped and lean, with a publicly stated headcount of 1-2 people, and has received two non-dilutive grants from Iceland's Technology Development Fund (RANNIS) totaling approximately USD 126K in 2011-2012. Iceland was chosen as the legal domicile for its privacy-friendly regulatory environment, with the International Modern Media Institute (IMMI) cited as a supporting institution.

Commercially, PageKite is a niche infrastructure provider competing in the broader 'tunneling-as-a-service' market against offerings such as Ngrok, Cloudflare Tunnel, and Tailscale Funnel. Its differentiation rests on open-source transparency, a privacy-first data minimization stance (no detailed logs, no server IP retention), 14+ years of operational continuity, and lightweight client implementations that run on resource-constrained devices. The published GDPR Data Processing Statement and the open-source codebase position it for European and privacy-sensitive enterprise/embedded use cases, while the dependency on a single founder/operator represents a key-person concentration risk for any potential acquirer or investor.

Name

PageKite

Legal name

The Beanstalks Project ehf.

Website

https://pagekite.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PageKite is an Icelandic open-source localhost tunneling service, founded in 2010, that exposes local servers on the public internet through a global relay network. It serves self-hosters, embedded/IoT developers, and web developers via freemium subscriptions and OEM/white-label licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reverse-proxy tunneling service

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMAOAH

API Documentation & Developer Portals

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/API Platforms, Integration & Developer Tools

Keywords

• Localhost tunneling service
• Reverse proxy tunneling
• NAT traversal software
• IoT remote access
• Open source tunneling

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Subscriptions: Monthly subscription service for individual users with free tier (pay-what-you-want at $3/month suggested) and paid plans from $5.99/month. Revenue from bandwidth quotas and premium features.
2. OEM/White-label Licensing: White-label partnerships where companies embed PageKite technology into their own products. Mentioned as providing revenue during payment processor disruptions.
3. Professional Plans: Subscription, group and embedded plans for professional and enterprise users at $5.99+ USD/month.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PageKite is a hosted reverse-proxy tunneling service that makes local web, SSH, and TCP servers reachable from the public internet without configuring routers, firewalls, or cloud hosting. The service is built on the open-source PageKite protocol and Python client (pagekite.py), is operated by The Beanstalks Project ehf., and is offered directly to individual developers, hobbyists, and embedded-systems users.

Product overview

PageKite, operated by The Beanstalks Project ehf., is an open-source localhost tunneling solution that makes local servers publicly visible on the web. The core offering consists of the pagekite.py Python client (the primary software), libpagekite (C library for embedded/mobile use), upagekite (MicroPython/ESP32), and a managed relay network service accessible at pagekite.net. The software supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SSH tunneling, includes automatic TLS encryption for .pagekite.me domains, and offers end-to-end TLS for maximum security. PageKite is available as Debian packages, RPM packages, a native Android app, and a community-editable wiki with extensive how-to documentation. Pricing includes a free individual tier and paid subscription plans starting at $3/month for individuals and $5.99/month for professional/embedded use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PageKite hosted relay service Subscribed reverse-proxy tunneling service that exposes local HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, and TCP servers to the public internet via the global pagekite.net relay network, used by individuals, developers, and hobbyists.
• pagekite.py (Python client) Open-source Python client and reference implementation of the PageKite protocol that connects local servers (web, SSH, raw TCP) to the PageKite relay network.
• libpagekite (C client library) Portable C library implementation of the PageKite protocol that lets developers embed PageKite tunneling into their own software and firmware.
• upagekite (MicroPython / ESP32 port) MicroPython port of libpagekite that runs on ESP32-class microcontrollers, exposing their HTTP/TCP services through the PageKite relay network.
• PageKite for Android Official Android mobile app that lets Android devices run a PageKite kite and expose a local web/TCP server through the PageKite relay network.
• PageKite Debian/Ubuntu package Debian/Ubuntu apt-packaged version of pagekite.py that installs the PageKite client as a system service on Debian-based Linux distributions.
• PageKite RPM/Yum package RPM/Yum-packaged version of pagekite.py that installs and registers the PageKite client as a service on Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, and other RPM-based distributions.
• PageKite OEM / white-label relay product Licensed white-label product that lets partner companies run their own PageKite-branded front-end relay servers under their own branding, with licensing/royalty fees paid to The Beanstalks Project ehf.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Beanstalks Project ehf.coreOthersThe legal entity behind PageKite. Founded by Bjarni Rúnar Einarsson, this Icelandic company operates the pagekite.net service and maintains the open source project.
• FreedomBox FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FreedomBox Foundation develops the FreedomBox software package (Debian blend) which includes PageKite functionality built-in. Users can enable PageKite tunneling from the Plinth configuration interface.
• OEM/White-label CustomerscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCompanies that embed PageKite technology into their own products as white-label or licensed solutions. Mentioned as providing revenue during the payment processor disruption of 2019-2020.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• localtunnel: A simple, free, open-source localhost tunneling service (originally built on Node.js). Competes on the same hobbyist/quick-demo use cases PageKite's free and pay-what-you-want tiers serve.
• Pinggy: Offers localhost tunneling with free and paid tiers, plus IoT and SSH tunneling features. Targets the same developer and embedded use cases as PageKite's pagekite.py/libpagekite/upagekite stack.
• Tailscale Funnel: Tailscale's Funnel feature exposes services on a Tailscale node to the public internet over its WireGuard mesh. Directly competes for the developer who wants to expose a local service securely, with strong overlap on the same buyer persona.
• inlets: Open-source tunneling tool focused on exposing HTTP, TCP, and UDP services from private networks to the public internet. Directly competes with PageKite on developer/embedded tunneling, with a stronger enterprise/commercial version (inlets Pro).
• ngrok: The leading commercial localhost tunneling service. ngrok offers the same core value proposition as PageKite — exposing local servers via reverse proxies with stable URLs — but with substantially larger funding, a polished SaaS experience, and aggressive freemium pricing targeting developers.
• Serveo: A free SSH-based reverse proxy tunneling service. Competes for the same individual developer / quick-test use cases at the zero-cost tier of PageKite's pricing.

Emerging players

• frp (Fast Reverse Proxy): A popular open-source Go-based reverse proxy that supports TCP/UDP/HTTP/HTTPS tunneling. Many users self-host frp instead of subscribing to managed tunneling services like PageKite, especially for cost-sensitive developers.
• ZeroTier: Provides virtual overlay networking for IoT and enterprise with similar remote-access ethos. Less direct overlap on tunneling URLs, but comparable 'device behind NAT becomes reachable' outcome for embedded devices — a key PageKite persona.
• Holepunch / BareRTC / Trystero: Peer-to-peer infrastructure (Bare/Hypercore stack) that lets two devices connect directly using shared secrets, bypassing centralized relay servers. Represents the 'decentralized' alternative trajectory PageKite could either converge toward or be displaced by.

Broad incumbents

• Cloudflare Tunnel: Cloudflare's free `cloudflared` product competes directly on the same problem PageKite solves (secure tunneling of localhost to public internet) but bundles it into Cloudflare's broader network/security/WAF platform. Pressure point: free tier and brand trust from a hyperscaler.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PageKite
• GitHubgithub.com/pagekite

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PageKite