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Andrew Rozumny
Andrew Rozumny

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Why I built my own browser-based dev tools (and why privacy matters more than I thought)

I've been a developer for years. Like most people, I had a handful of online tools I used daily — JWT decoders, JSON formatters, Base64 encoders. Open a tab, paste, copy, close.

Then one day I caught myself pasting a production API token into some random website I'd never heard of.

I didn't know who built it. I didn't know where my data went. I just trusted it because it showed up in Google search results.

That bothered me enough to build something better.

What I built

ToolDock is a collection of developer tools that run entirely in your browser. No backend, no accounts, no data sent anywhere. You can verify this yourself — open DevTools Network tab while using any tool and you'll see zero outbound requests with your data.

Current tools:

  • JWT Decoder
  • Base64 Encode/Decode
  • JSON Formatter + Validator
  • Regex Tester
  • CRON Expression Parser
  • Color Converter (HEX ↔ RGB ↔ HSL ↔ HSB)
  • UUID Generator, Text Diff, Timestamp Converter
  • and more (19 total)

What I learned building it

Browser APIs are powerful enough for almost everything. JWT decoding, Base64, regex testing, color conversion — none of this needs a server. We just got used to sending data somewhere because it was easier to build that way.

Privacy as a feature actually resonates.
When I tell developers "your JWT never leaves your browser", I see immediate understanding. They've had the same paranoid moment I had.

SEO for tools is different from SEO for content.
Each tool is essentially a landing page for a specific search query. "JWT decode online", "Base64 encoder browser" — these have real search volume and your tool page is the answer.

What's next

Adding 2-3 new tools every week. Hash generator, Markdown previewer, Number base converter are next.

If you want to check it out: tooldock.org

And if there's a tool you wish existed as a private browser-based version — I'd genuinely love to hear it in the comments.


Built with Next.js + TypeScript + Tailwind,
deployed on Vercel. Happy to answer any
technical questions.

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