Local MCP server and ngrok, or no tunnel at all?
ChatGPT and Claude call custom connectors from their own servers, so they can’t reach a server on localhost. The usual fix is to run the MCP server and an ngrok tunnel on your computer and paste the public address into the AI app. BCD replaces both: a small background agent connects out to BCD, the connector address and sign-in are ready, and one computer is free with 20,000 tool calls a month.
BCD runs on Mac and Linux, and on Windows in beta. Try the Windows beta ›
One computer free, with 20,000 tool calls a month. No card required. Your AI app’s subscription is separate.
Side by side
| BCD | Local MCP server + ngrok | |
|---|---|---|
| What runs on the computer | A small background agent that starts when you log in and reconnects after sleep and restarts | Your MCP server and the ngrok agent, both kept running |
| Address for the AI app | One BCD connector address for all your computers | An ngrok URL for each server; the free plan includes one development domain |
| Who can call it | Only someone signed in to your BCD account, and only on computers you approved | Anyone with the URL, unless you add authentication to the server or in ngrok |
| Sign-in | OAuth sign-in built in: ChatGPT and Claude ask you to sign in to BCD once | Up to you to set up |
| Free plan | 1 computer, 20,000 tool calls a month | ngrok Free: a one-time $5 usage credit, up to 20,000 HTTP/S requests and 1 GB of data transfer, and an interstitial page on HTTP/S endpoints |
| Paid plans | Personal $7.99/month (3 computers, unlimited tool calls), Plus $9.99, Pro $13.99, Team $29 | ngrok Hobbyist $10/month, Pay-as-you-go from $20/month |
| Tools | Files, commands, PDF, Word, Excel, video editing, iOS builds and more, built in | Whatever the MCP server you run provides |
| Permissions | New computers start read-only. Turn on write, commands, screen control and clipboard per computer in the dashboard. | Set by your MCP server |
| Several computers | Several computers on one account with a default; name one in your request | A server, a tunnel and a connector for each computer |
| Network | The computer connects out; no open ports | The ngrok agent also connects out; no router ports to open |
| When the chat connection drops | Long jobs keep running, and BCD can report the outcome of a call whose result was lost | — |
| Undo | Undo file changes the AI made | — |
ngrok details as of October 2026, from ngrok.com/pricing. “—” means we didn’t check it.
Set up BCD in 3 steps
Create a free BCD account.
Paste this line into Terminal on your Mac or Linux computer, then click Approve in your browser (on Windows, the dashboard shows a PowerShell line instead):
curl -fsSL https://bcd.snack-wrap.com | bashIn Claude or ChatGPT, add
https://bcd.snack-wrap.com/mcpas a connector and sign in to BCD when asked. Then ask from any device where you use that app, including your phone.
If you are building your own MCP server, ngrok is a handy way to test it with ChatGPT or Claude. The two also work together: BCD for your computer’s files and commands, your own server for its own tools.
What BCD adds
PDF, Word and Excel: read, write and edit documents and spreadsheets.
Video editing on your Mac with AVFoundation; no ffmpeg needed.
iOS apps: build, run tests and upload to TestFlight.
Undo: see the file changes the AI made and roll one back.
Saved workflows: save a series of steps and run it again later, or on a schedule such as every weekday at 8:00 with no chat open, with an email if a run fails. Schedules are not in ChatGPT until OpenAI approves them.
Files and your phone: ask for a file and get a download link; get a link that saves photos from your phone into a folder on the computer. Not in ChatGPT until OpenAI approves it.
Dropped chats: long jobs keep running, and the outcome of a lost call can be checked.
Several computers can share one account, with one set as the default, and teams can share access.
Questions
Why can’t ChatGPT or Claude connect to my local MCP server?
They call custom connectors from their own servers, so an address such as localhost:8000 points at their machine, not yours. The server needs a public HTTPS address. With BCD, your computer connects out to BCD and the connector reaches the computer through that connection.
Is a public ngrok URL safe?
Anyone who finds the URL can call the server unless it requires sign-in, so add authentication before exposing tools that read files or run commands. BCD always requires sign-in to your BCD account, and new computers start read-only.
Do my files get uploaded?
BCD doesn’t copy your folders anywhere. When the AI reads a file, that content passes through BCD’s relay in memory to reach your AI app, and BCD doesn’t store it. Your AI app handles it under its own policy.
Is BCD free?
One computer is free with 20,000 tool calls a month. Personal is $7.99 a month for up to 3 computers with unlimited tool calls, and Plus ($9.99), Pro ($13.99) and Team ($29) are also available. New accounts get Personal free for a month, no card needed. Your AI app’s subscription is separate.
One computer free, with 20,000 tool calls a month. No card required. Your AI app’s subscription is separate.