Every time I needed to compress an image, merge two PDFs, or format some JSON, I ended up on a different site full of popups, signup walls, or upload limits. So I started building my own.
That project became Noloii, a free tools hub with 250+ utilities for files, images, calculators, developers, and everyday tasks. No signup, and it runs in the browser.
Here's what I've learned building it as a one-person team.
Why I built it
I wanted one place that handles the small stuff:
- Compress, resize, and convert images
- Merge, split, and compress PDFs
- Format and validate JSON, decode JWTs, encode Base64
- Loan, salary, and tax calculators
- Currency and time zone converters
- A free ATS-friendly resume builder
None of these tasks is hard. The friction is the problem, so I set one rule: open the page, do the task, leave.
The stack
[Fill in your real stack, for example: Next.js + TypeScript, Tailwind, hosted on X. Mention which tools run fully client-side.]
The biggest architectural decision was client-side processing wherever possible. For tools like image compression and PDF merging, [describe how, e.g. Canvas API, pdf-lib, WebAssembly]. Files never leave the user's device, which is better for privacy and cheaper to run.
What I learned
1. Small tools need a system, not 250 one-offs
After the first ten tools, I noticed I was rewriting the same layout, input handling, and result display. Building a shared tool template and category structure made adding tool #100 much faster than tool #10.
2. Privacy is a feature people actually check
Users regularly ask, "Is my file uploaded?" Saying clearly on each tool page whether processing happens in the browser builds more trust than any marketing copy.
3. Explanations beat bare tools
A calculator with no context is easy to replace. I added research-style guides (how payment authorization works, how credit card interest is calculated) next to the tools. People stay longer, and the content is something other sites link to.
4. SEO for tool sites is slow, and that's normal
[Share a real number if you have one, such as impressions, clicks, or how long indexing took.] I stopped chasing shortcuts and focused on making each page genuinely better than what already ranks.
5. Building solo means saying no
I keep a list of tools I won't build until existing ones are polished. Shipping 250 mediocre tools is worse than 50 great ones.
What I'd do differently
- [Example: Set up analytics and Search Console on day one]
- [Example: Standardize tool metadata earlier]
- [Example: Test on low-end mobile devices sooner]
What's next
[Examples: more developer utilities, an API, offline support, AI-assisted features.]
Try it and tell me what's missing
If you want to look around, it's at noloii.com. I'd especially like feedback on:
- Which tool do you use most often, and what's annoying about the current options?
- What small utility do you wish existed and doesn't?
Drop a comment. I read all of them.
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