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Parmeet Singh
Parmeet Singh

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I built 42 browser-based dev tools — here's what I learned

#webdev #javascript #showdev #productivity

I got tired of bouncing between 10+ sites for simple dev tasks — format JSON, test regex, decode JWTs, check headers, convert data.

So I built ToolCrux — 42 browser-based developer tools in one place.

No accounts. No frameworks. Most tools run entirely client-side — nothing leaves your machine. A few features (DNS lookup, shareable links, embeds) use Cloudflare Workers at the edge.

What makes it different

  • Runs in your browser — no data sent anywhere for most tools
  • Tool chaining — output from one tool flows into the next, no copy-paste
  • Shareable state — every tool can generate a short URL with its exact state
  • Embeddable widgets — drop any tool into your blog or docs with one iframe

Core tools

  • JSON Formatter — tree view, JSONPath queries, TypeScript type generation
  • Regex Tester — live match highlighting, named groups, pattern library
  • Password Generator — entropy meter, breach check via HaveIBeenPwned, bulk generation
  • Image Compressor — AVIF/WebP output, before/after slider, EXIF viewer

And 30+ more — Base64, JWT Decoder, Hash Generator, Color Picker, Markdown Preview, Unix Timestamp, DNS Lookup, WHOIS, HTTP Headers, Redirect Checker, and others.

ToolCrux JSON Formatter demo

Features I'm most proud of

Tool chaining

Format JSON → decode a JWT inside it → diff the result. All in one flow, no tabs.

Shareable state

Every tool generates a short URL with its exact configuration. No login needed — just a link. Like regex101, but for every tool.

Embeddable widgets

Any tool can be embedded on your site. Pick a theme, enable auto-resize, copy one line of HTML.

1,400+ long-tail pages

URLs like /unix-timestamp-1708000000 or /sha256-hash-of-hello give instant answers with the full interactive tool below.

What I learned building this

  • Most dev tools don't need a backend
  • URLs are better than user accounts
  • Long-tail SEO compounds over time
  • Simplicity wins — vanilla JS, no framework
  • Cloudflare Workers + KV is insanely powerful for this kind of project

Tech stack

  • Vanilla JS — no React, no build step for the frontend
  • Cloudflare Workers — API routes, embeds, long-tail pages via HTMLRewriter
  • Cloudflare KV — shareable state storage with 30-day expiry
  • Cloudflare Pages — static hosting
  • Playwright — 238 E2E tests gate every deploy

Try it

👉 toolcrux.com

What's one tool you use daily that I should add next? Would love feedback.

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