# Ostgate

> SSH, Remote Desktop and tunnels to private GCP VMs from a Mac, no gcloud

- **Website:** https://ostgate.app
- **DodoLaunch page:** https://dodolaunch.com/p/ostgate
- **Category:** Developer Tools, Mac Apps, DevOps
- **Pricing:** Free trial, $9/mo
- **Platforms:** macOS
- **Rating:** No reviews yet
- **Community votes:** 0
- **Launched:** 2026-11-02

## About

Ostgate is a native Mac app for people who connect to Google Compute Engine VMs that have no public IP. Google's IAP Desktop runs only on Windows, and on a Mac the documented route is gcloud, with one terminal window per tunnel and each local port picked by hand.

Ostgate opens SSH terminal tabs, an SFTP browser, Remote Desktop to Windows VMs inside its window, and IAP TCP tunnels from any VM port to 127.0.0.1. Forwards through a VM reach internal load balancers and Cloud SQL private IPs. Several Google accounts stay signed in side by side.

Connections go from your Mac straight to Google's Identity-Aware Proxy, with no Ostgate server in the path and no telemetry. Tokens are kept in the macOS Keychain, and SSH keys are generated in the Secure Enclave where the hardware allows. You do not need gcloud installed.

Needs an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 15 or later. 7-day free trial with no sign-up. Not affiliated with Google.

## Features

- SSH terminal tabs to VMs with no external IP
- Remote Desktop to Windows VMs inside the app
- SFTP file browser
- Forwards to internal load balancers and Cloud SQL private IPs
- Several Google accounts signed in side by side
- ssh ProxyCommand setup for Terminal and IDEs
- Names the missing IAM role or firewall rule when a connection fails

## Pricing plans

- **Personal** ($79/year): Or $9 per month; For individuals who pay for their own licence; SSH, Remote Desktop, files, tunnels and forwards; Two Macs at a time; Every update while the licence is active; Support by email
- **Business** ($129/year): Per user; or $14 per user per month; For companies that pay for the people who use it; SSH, Remote Desktop, files, tunnels and forwards; One licence per person, two Macs each; 10% off from 10 users; Invoice with your company's name and VAT number; Support by email

## Integrations

Google Cloud IAP, Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, Cloud Run

## Best for

Developers, Enterprises

## FAQ

**Do I need gcloud installed?**

No. Ostgate signs in with your Google account in your own browser and opens IAP tunnels itself. It never reads or runs gcloud, so the Google Cloud SDK does not need to be on your Mac.

**Does my traffic go through Ostgate's servers?**

No. Sessions and API calls go from your Mac to Google, and the app collects no telemetry. The one request that reaches Ostgate is the licence check, which carries a hardware hash and a device key, not your account, projects, machines or traffic.

**What does my project need?**

The same setup as IAP Desktop: a firewall rule that allows ingress from 35.235.240.0/20 to the ports you use, and the IAP-secured Tunnel User role (roles/iap.tunnelResourceAccessor) for each person who connects, plus read access to list projects and instances. Nothing is installed on the VMs.

**Which Macs does it run on?**

Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 15 or later. Intel Macs are not supported. Every Mac starts with a 7-day free trial with no sign-up, then needs a licence key.