Alternative to · Smee.io
Smee.io forwards webhooks. HookSense forwards and remembers them.
Smee.io (from the GitHub/Probot world) is a clever free proxy: it pipes webhooks to your localhost over an event stream. But it's ephemeral — nothing is stored, there's no inspector UI, no replay, and no signature verification. HookSense does the localhost forwarding too, and keeps every request searchable, replayable, and verified.
What developers tell us about Smee.io
- Nothing is persisted — once a webhook passes through, it's gone, so you can't review what arrived earlier.
- No real inspector UI: you read raw payloads in your terminal or the bare smee client output.
- No replay — to retest your handler you have to trigger a fresh event from the provider.
- No HMAC signature verification, no search, no team sharing.
Why teams switch
Forwarding plus a real history
`npx hooksense listen` pipes webhooks to localhost like smee — but every request is also stored, searchable, and viewable in a full inspector.
One-click replay
Re-fire any captured webhook at your local server instead of going back to Stripe or GitHub to trigger a new event each time.
HMAC verification and search
See pass/fail signature status automatically, and full-text search across headers and bodies — neither of which smee offers.
A permanent URL you can share
Your endpoint is stable and shareable with teammates; smee channels are throwaway and offer no collaboration.
Pricing, side by side
Smee.io
Free (open source)
No history, no UI, no replay, no signature verification
HookSense
$0 / $19/mo
Free: permanent URL, 14-day searchable history, replay, HMAC, 300 req/day
How to migrate (15 minutes)
- 1Create a free HookSense endpoint and copy your /w/your-name URL.
- 2Install the CLI: `npm install -g hooksense`.
- 3Run `hooksense listen --slug your-endpoint --port 3000` instead of the smee client.
- 4Update your provider's webhook URL to the HookSense endpoint.
- 5Use the inspector to review, search, and replay past requests — not just the live stream.
FAQ
Does HookSense forward to localhost like smee.io?
Yes. `npx hooksense listen -p 3000` forwards captured webhooks to your local server over an outbound connection — the same core job as the smee client — but on top of a stored, searchable, replayable history.
Can I still use smee for quick throwaway tunneling?
Sure. Smee is fine for a one-off where you don't care about history. HookSense is the better default when you want to review past requests, replay them, or verify signatures.
Is HookSense open source like smee?
HookSense is a hosted product with a free plan, not open source. You get the localhost forwarding plus persistence, an inspector UI, replay, and HMAC verification that smee doesn't provide.
14-day refund, no questions asked.
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