The browser is my most important software, and it almost acts like an OS sitting inside my computer. It holds dozens of important extensions; I have pinned tabs for JSON formatters, and it’s the tool I reach for if I need to complete tasks as small as file conversion. It had become invaluable yet cluttered from regular use, and I only noticed that clutter when I started using IT-Tools.
There are over 60 utilities bundled within this free and open-source web app. The best part is that, aside from using it directly on the IT-Tools website, you can self-host it with a single Docker command.
This built-in but underrated Chrome feature fixed my tab chaos
Separating your personal and work life with a built-in Chrome feature.
A category-by-category look at what got replaced
JSON formatter was the first utility I tried. Before now, I used a bookmarked site that wasn’t the fastest to load because of its numerous ads. This IT-Tools utility was a real step up. As I type, it formats and validates JSON without reloading or a submit button.
But it was just my starting point. I replaced my Unix timestamp converter. This was a tool I had bookmarked across several browsers and used over the years. Now I simply open IT-Tools, type “timestamp,” and within two seconds, I can debug an API response and find out what “1746057600” means, for example. I replaced two sites I had always found by Googling “decode strings,” but never bothered to memorize, with IT-Tools’ encoding and URL encoding tools. I used to paste sensitive strings into random websites — I’m embarrassed to admit it. Now I use IT-Tools’ hash generator.
That last one was the most important to me because several of the micro-tools you reach for as a developer require the kind of data you shouldn’t be sending to servers you don’t control. Using IT-Tools has helped my workflow evolve.
|
Task |
Old workflow |
IT-Tools workflow |
|---|---|---|
|
Format JSON |
Slow-loading site, submit to validate |
Instant, validates as you type |
|
Convert timestamp |
Re-Googled every time, new tab |
Searchable, no tab needed |
|
Generate UUID |
Dedicated extension, browser overhead |
Built-in, one click |
|
Encode Base64 |
Different site every time, no consistency |
Same interface, always there |
|
Hash a string |
Pasted into an external website |
Runs locally, nothing leaves your browser |
No accounts, no waiting — just the tool
The modern internet has a specific kind of friction that you have only stopped noticing because it’s the new normal. From the moment you open a new page, you are greeted with a cookie banner, and after accepting or rejecting it, you may encounter a newsletter pop-up. By the time you reach the tool you need, you’ve spent more time dealing with obstacles than doing the task.
You don’t encounter these on IT-Tools. Once you navigate to the site, it loads quickly and offers a global search bar so you can find the utility you need as quickly as possible. So, for instance, if you type “color,” all color-related utilities appear. I have pinned the tools I use most to a personal dashboard, and since then, it’s been even faster to get to them.
I recommend self-hosting IT-Tools to anyone who works in a team. That way, everyone uses the same thing, and no one debates which tool site is more reliable.
How having everything in one place changes what you find
What you don’t realize is that when you have tools scattered all over the web, you only end up finding what you are consciously looking for. However, with all tools in a searchable interface, you can actually browse. This is when the real discovery happens.
That’s exactly how I discovered the cron expression parser. Even though I may write cron jobs often, I always look up cron syntax. But on IT-Tools, you get a real-time, plain-English view of what a cron schedule will do.
I also discovered a text case converter. This one sounds trivial, but the moment you need to clean up content you’ve copied from a CMS, all weirdly formatted in title case, it becomes a lifesaver. I also stumbled upon the markdown preview, which helps me check formatting without opening a separate app, and I have never been able to find a web QR code generator as fast as the one on IT-Tools. I literally stumbled on a bunch of tools I did not know I needed, and they became invaluable:
|
Tool |
Why it stuck |
|---|---|
|
Cron parser |
Translates schedule syntax into plain English instantly |
|
Case converter |
Fixes messy pasted text in seconds |
|
QR generator |
Faster and cleaner than any web alternative |
|
Color converter |
Replaced a browser extension I forgot I had |
|
Markdown to HTML |
Quick formatting check without opening another app |
These are all tools I now use simply because they are already there.
Much more than a developer utility site
“Handy tools for developers” is one of the first texts that greets you when you visit IT-Tools. But this framing undersells the resource. As a writer, I use the markdown preview; designers will use it for color conversion; and anyone who has created a Wi‑Fi QR code will find it useful.
I have come across several interesting and addictive sites, but very few have the same usefulness as IT-Tools.
