AWS SSM access to private RDS,
made practical on macOS.

Storm Tunnel turns the secure AWS pattern into a repeatable workflow: your Mac connects through Session Manager to an EC2 instance that can reach private RDS endpoints and internal services.

One-Click RDS Access

Save the instance, AWS profile, region, RDS endpoint, and ports once. Developers connect to localhost without rebuilding a long Session Manager command every time.

Visible Connection State

See whether a private database tunnel is connected, connecting, or has failed, in the main window and the menu bar. Dropped AWS sessions reconnect a limited number of times, then stop with a clear error.

AWS SSM First-Class

Use IAM credentials and Session Manager instead of public IPs, inbound SSH, or shared bastion keys. Built for teams that already trust AWS as the access control plane.

Private & Trusted

The app has no usage analytics or tracking. Tunnel configurations stay on your Mac, and credentials are kept in the macOS Keychain.

SSH Compatibility

Existing SSH tunnels still work. Import ~/.ssh/config when you need classic bastions or self-managed servers, while keeping AWS SSM as the preferred cloud path.

Fewer Support Requests

Check Access in the tunnel editor validates the instance, tests Session Manager permissions, and copies the IAM policy you need to request. Errors say what to fix: sign in again, pick another local port, or ask for access.

AWS Session Manager for private databases.

DevOps engineers can keep RDS in private subnets and give developers a controlled path through an SSM-managed EC2 instance. Developers connect from their database client to localhost; AWS handles the session identity and transport.

  • No inbound SSH or database ports required
  • AWS profiles and IAM Identity Center (SSO) sign-in
  • Requires AWS CLI v2 and the Session Manager plugin
  • Works with PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Aurora endpoints
  • Session activity can fit existing AWS audit trails
Storm Tunnel AWS settings with the AWS profile, region, and CLI status

Reduce operational friction.

Storm Tunnel lives in your menu bar. Developers can switch approved RDS and internal service tunnels on and off without switching context, and infrastructure teams avoid repeating setup instructions in Slack.

  • Standard macOS keyboard shortcuts
  • Consistent access patterns
  • One switch per tunnel
  • Stop all tunnels from one place
Storm Tunnel menu bar popup with a switch and status for each tunnel

Clear, actionable notifications.

Toasts appear in the app while it is active, and macOS notifications take over when it is in the background.

Success toast notification showing connection established

Connection success feedback

Info toast notification with helpful information

Helpful status updates

Warning toast notification for configuration issues

Proactive warnings

Error toast notification with clear error message

Clear error messages

  • Success, info, warning, and error messages
  • Auto-dismiss based on severity; critical alerts stay until dismissed
  • System notifications when the app is in the background
  • Notification preferences in Settings

See Storm Tunnel in Action

A comprehensive look at every feature and workflow.

Menu bar popup showing quick tunnel controls with connect/disconnect buttons and status indicators

Quick access from menu bar

Tunnel editor with AWS Session Manager, destination, Check Access, and port forwarding sections

Add new tunnel configurations

Main window with the tunnel list and details for the selected tunnel

Monitor all your tunnels

SSH key management window listing registered keys

SSH keys for existing environments

General settings with notification, menu bar, and startup options

Customize to your workflow

License settings showing the current plan and activation options

Simple license management

Export options for selected tunnels, with optional encryption

Export selected tunnels, encrypted if you choose

Make AWS private access usable.

Use Session Manager for RDS and internal services without making every developer memorize the CLI.

Download Storm Tunnel