Lately I’ve noticed a pattern while using developer and productivity tools.
I open a tool to do one small task…
and before I can do anything, I’m asked to:
– create an account
– verify email
– choose a plan
– accept cookies
– go through onboarding
By the time I reach the tool, I’m already tired.
Some of my most-used tools today are the opposite:
no signup, no setup, just open → do → close.
It made me wonder:
At what point did we start over-engineering simple tools?
When does “more features” actually hurt usability?
As builders, how do you decide when friction is worth it?
I’m curious how others think about this — especially people building developer tools or side projects.
What’s your line between helpful and too much?
Top comments (10)
Marketing and making money is easier when every user converts to a registered customer.
That’s true — registration definitely makes monetization and marketing simpler.
What I keep struggling with is timing. When signup comes before users get any value, it feels like we’re optimizing for conversion instead of trust.
In your experience, where does that tradeoff feel right? After first success? After repeated use? Or only once the tool becomes part of someone’s workflow?
I’m experimenting with building tools that work entirely in the browser with zero accounts.
The hardest part isn’t the tech — it’s deciding what not to add.
Would you rather have:
a simple tool that does one thing perfectly
or a powerful tool that requires setup and onboarding?
This is so relatable, there has been so many instances where I just closed the tabs on a lot of tools online just because of the extremely long processes just to create an account and even use the tool. I think they do that for marketing purposes. It’s easier to broadcast a new feature to a registered user via email subscriptions I guess
That’s a really good point — email and marketing are a big reason signup gets pushed so early.
What I find interesting is that it often solves the company’s short-term needs, but hurts the user’s first impression. If the very first interaction feels heavy, most people never reach the part where the tool is actually useful.
I’ve been thinking a lot about delaying that friction — letting users try the tool first, and only asking for signup when there’s clear value or a real reason (saving work, history, personalization).
Curious what your breaking point usually is:
Is there anything that makes you willing to sign up, or do you generally prefer tools that stay usable without it ?
I personally would prefer to try the tool first and then later on sign up to save my progress / personalisation if that tool was efficient, it’s much helpful than being turned away by the long sign up process
I 100% agree.
First let me use the tool — then, if it feels genuinely useful, I’m happy to sign up to save progress or get personalization.
That flow feels much more respectful of the user’s time.
Thanks for sharing this — it’s super helpful feedback for anyone building tools (including me).
No worries all the best!
Tools went from "click & done" to "signup + 17 tabs + CAPTCHA battle" – now I need a nap before using them!
😂 That’s painfully accurate.
If a tool needs more energy to start than to actually use, something’s gone wrong.
I keep coming back to tools that respect my time — open → do → close.