The latest articles on DEV Community by PureTools (@puretools). https://dev.to/puretools https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3948342%2F1deefe37-8aa3-47cf-9249-ab63733f4924.png https://dev.to/puretools en PureTools Sat, 23 May 2026 23:41:35 +0000 https://dev.to/puretools/i-stopped-uploading-my-files-to-random-websites-and-built-my-own-tools-instead-1h5l https://dev.to/puretools/i-stopped-uploading-my-files-to-random-websites-and-built-my-own-tools-instead-1h5l <p>Every week I'd find myself doing the same thing. Googling "compress audio, video, PDF online free", clicking the first result, uploading my file to some website I'd never heard of, and hoping for the best.</p> <p>One day I actually read the privacy policy of one of these tools.</p> <p>"Files retained for 24 hours. Processed on our servers. May be used to improve our services."</p> <p>That was enough for me.</p> <p>The browser is more powerful than most people think</p> <p>WebAssembly changed everything. It lets you run near-native code directly in a browser tab, no server needed.</p> <p>FFmpeg, the same tool professionals use for video processing? Runs client-side. PDF manipulation? Client-side. Cryptographically secure password generation? The browser has had a native API for that for years.</p> <p>So I started building.</p> <p>61 tools later</p> <p>What began as a simple video compressor turned into something much bigger. Every time I needed an online tool, I asked myself one question: *could this run in the browser?</p> <p>Almost always, the answer was yes.</p> <p>The result: <a href="https://puretools.io" rel="noopener noreferrer">PureTools</a> — 61 free utilities covering video, audio, PDF, images, passwords, finance calculators and developer tools.</p> <ul> <li>Zero uploads</li> <li>Zero watermarks</li> <li>Zero signup</li> <li>Works offline after the first visit</li> </ul> <p>The stack</p> <p>Embarrassingly simple. Pure HTML, CSS and vanilla JavaScript. No frameworks.</p> <ul> <li>FFmpeg.wasm for video and audio processing</li> <li>pdf-lib for PDF merge, split, compress and protect</li> <li>Web Crypto API** for password generation</li> <li>Service Worker** to cache everything offline</li> </ul> <p>The hardest part</p> <p>It wasn't the code. It was resisting the urge to add a backend "just for analytics" or "just for user accounts".</p> <p>Every time I considered adding something server-side, I realized I was becoming the thing I was trying to replace.</p> <p>The constraint became the product.</p> <p>If you're tired of uploading your files to random websites, <a href="https://puretools.io" rel="noopener noreferrer">give it a try</a>.</p> <p>Your files never leave your device. That's the whole point.</p> <p>If you're tired of uploading your files to random websites, give it a try: puretools.io</p> <p>Everything runs in your browser. Your files never leave your device.</p> <p>That's the whole point.</p> webdev privacy javascript opensource