I Built 44 MCP Developer Tools — Here Are the 10 That Save Me the Most Time

I maintain mcp-devutils, an MCP server with 44 developer utilities you can use directly from Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP client.

After months of using it daily, here are the 10 tools I reach for most — and what they replaced in my workflow.

The Setup (30 seconds)

npm install -g mcp-devutils

Add to your Claude Desktop config (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "devutils": {
      "command": "mcp-devutils"
    }
  }
}

That's it. 15 tools are free immediately. The other 29 unlock with a $5 Pro key.

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Free Tools I Use Every Day

1. UUID Generator

Instead of opening a browser tab to generate UUIDs, I just ask Claude: "Generate 5 UUIDs". Done.

2. JWT Decode

Paste a JWT token into the chat, ask Claude to decode it. No more jwt.io tabs. It shows header, payload, and expiry — instantly.

3. Hash & HMAC

Need a SHA-256 hash of a string? HMAC for an API signature? Just ask. Supports MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-512.

4. Base64 Encode/Decode

I encode/decode base64 strings multiple times a day. Having it inline in my editor context means I never context-switch.

5. Timestamp Converter

Convert between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates. "What's 1711234567 in UTC?" — answered in the same chat where I'm debugging.

6. Cron Explainer

0 */4 * * * — is that every 4 hours? Every 4 minutes? Just paste the expression and get a plain-English explanation.

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Pro Tools That Changed My Workflow

7. JSON Diff (Pro)

Compare two JSON objects and see exactly what changed — additions, deletions, modifications. I use this when debugging API responses that "should be the same but aren't."

8. AES Encrypt/Decrypt (Pro)

Encrypt sensitive strings without leaving your editor. I use this for config values before committing.

9. JWT Create (Pro)

Not just decode — create JWTs with custom payloads and secrets. Essential for testing auth flows.

10. CSV/JSON Convert (Pro)

Drop a CSV into the chat, get clean JSON back. Or vice versa. Saves me from writing throwaway scripts.

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The Full Tool List

15 Free tools: UUID, Hash, HMAC, Base64, Timestamp, JWT Decode, URL Encode/Decode, JSON Format, Regex Test, Cron Explain, Color Convert, HTTP Status, Slugify, HTML Escape, Random String.

29 Pro tools ($5 one-time): Nanoid, Hex Encode, JWT Create, JSON Diff, JSON Query, CSV/JSON Convert, Regex Replace, Semver Compare, Chmod Calc, Text Diff, Number Base, Lorem Ipsum, Word Count, Byte Count, CIDR Calc, Case Convert, Markdown TOC, Env Parser, IP Info, Password Strength, Data Size, String Escape, Char Info, SQL Format, Epoch Convert, AES Encrypt/Decrypt, RSA Keygen, Scrypt Hash.

Get It

npm install -g mcp-devutils

• GitHub: hlteoh37/mcp-devutils
• Unlock Pro ($5): Buy a Pro key — supports indie development and unlocks all 29 Pro tools
• npm: 250+ weekly downloads

If you find it useful, a star on GitHub helps others discover it.

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What developer utilities do you wish you had as MCP tools? Drop a comment — I might build it next.