# LiveHosts

> Switch your host/IP mappings in real time without editing your hosts file

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/livehosts](https://chrome-stats.com/d/livehosts)

## Overview

- **ID:** `livehosts`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Aioros
- **Category:** web-development
- **Daily users:** 908
- **Weekly downloads:** 14
- **Rating:** 3.24 / 5 (33 ratings)
- **Version:** 1.1.3
- **Last updated:** 2019-06-14
- **First published:** 2019-06-10
- **Size:** 104 KB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-07
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/livehosts/)
- **Website:** [https://github.com/Aioros/livehosts](https://github.com/Aioros/livehosts)

## Description

LiveHosts is a Chrome extension designed for developers and network professionals who need quick and flexible control over domain-to-IP mappings. Unlike traditional methods requiring manual edits to the hosts file, LiveHosts allows you to redirect domains to any chosen IP dynamically within your browser. 

This extension simulates host file modifications by enabling user-defined domain redirections accompanied by custom Host headers. The browser's address bar updates accordingly, displaying the hostname directly after the IP address — making it clear which domain is being accessed through the new mapping. LiveHosts streamlines testing, debugging, and development workflows by removing the hassle of manual network configuration changes.

## Rankings

- #3,460 — Overall
- #36 — live
- #45 — cost
- #70 — give
- #114 — ip
- #137 — post

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `tabs`
- `webRequest`
- `webRequestBlocking`
- `storage`
- `http://*/*`
- `https://*/*`

### Content script matches

- `*`

## Safety

- **Risk impact:** High risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** Low risk likelihood

### Analysis details

- Grants access to browser tabs, which can be used to track user browsing habits and history, presenting a privacy concern.
- This extension has low user count. Unpopular extensions may not be stable or safe.

> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).

## Review summary

### Pros

- Helps to bypass flaky DNS on intranet VPNs
- Can be useful for testing non-HTTPS sites
- By allows users to add custom hostname to IP address rules easily

### Cons

- Does not support wild cards
- Rewrites the URL in a way that breaks links on some sites
- Pop-up for adding rules is unreliable and often closes unexpectedly
- Doesn't set the Host header when redirecting to IPs
- Only works if DNS over HTTPS is disabled

## Similar extensions and apps

- [Virtual Hosts](https://chrome-stats.com/d/vhost-simulator) — 231 users, 4.00 / 5
- [Switch Host Extension](https://chrome-stats.com/d/switch-host-extension) — 5 users
- [Hosts Override - No filehosts](https://chrome-stats.com/d/hosts-override-no-filehosts) — 1 users
- [Host File Override Plugin](https://chrome-stats.com/d/host-file-override-plugin) — 2 users
- [Hosts.click Viewer](https://chrome-stats.com/d/hosts-click-viewer) — 5 users
- [Env Switcher](https://chrome-stats.com/d/url-env-switcher) — 2 users
- [localivelize](https://chrome-stats.com/d/localivelize) — 1 users
- [IP-HOST AUTO-HEADER](https://chrome-stats.com/d/ip-host-auto-header) — 5 users
- [fhosts](https://chrome-stats.com/d/fhosts) — 43 users
- [X-Switch](https://chrome-stats.com/d/x-switch) — 1 users
- [Domain Swapper](https://chrome-stats.com/d/domain-swapper) — 10 users
- [Switch to localhost](https://chrome-stats.com/d/switch-to-localhost) — 41 users, 5.00 / 5

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/livehosts)