Every developer has a folder of bookmarks to random online tools — JSON formatter here, Base64 decoder there, a color picker on some other site. I did too. But every time I used them, the same thought nagged at me: where is my data going?
The Moment It Clicked
I was debugging an API integration late one night. I had a JWT token I needed to decode, some JSON to format, and a Base64 string to convert. Three tabs, three different sites, three opportunities for my data to end up in someone's analytics pipeline.
One of those sites had a privacy policy that basically said "we collect everything." Another had 14 tracking scripts loading. The third? I honestly didn't check — I was in a rush.
That's when it hit me: developers are the worst at protecting their own data while building tools to protect everyone else's.
The Privacy Problem Nobody Talks About
Here's what happens when you paste data into most "free" online tools:
- Your data hits their server — Even "simple" tools like JSON formatters often send your data to a backend
- Analytics tracks everything — Google Analytics, Hotjar, Facebook Pixel — they all watch what you type
- Data gets logged — Server logs capture your inputs, sometimes stored for years
- Cookies follow you — Third-party cookies link your tool usage across sites
For most quick conversions, this is annoying but tolerable. But what about when you're pasting:
- API keys and tokens
- Database connection strings
- Configuration files with sensitive values
- Customer data you're transforming
- Private keys or certificates
Suddenly it's not just inconvenient — it's a security risk.
Building the Alternative
I built Formatho with one rule: your data never leaves your browser.
Every tool runs 100% client-side using JavaScript. No backend processing. No server logs. No analytics scripts tracking your inputs.
No API calls. No WebSocket connections. Just your browser, your data, and the tool.
What's Inside
100+ tools across 10 categories, all free, all private:
Converters (14 tools)
- JSON to YAML — Convert between formats instantly
- JSON to CSV — Tabular data conversion
- Base64 String/File — Encode and decode
- Color Converter — HEX, RGB, HSL, and more
- Case Converter — camelCase, snake_case, PascalCase, etc.
- Date-Time Converter — Timezone-aware date formatting
- XML to JSON — Bidirectional conversion
- And 7 more...
Development (10 tools)
Regex testers, code formatters, SQL beautifiers, and other daily drivers.
Crypto and Security (10 tools)
Hash generators, encryption tools, password generators — all client-side so your sensitive data stays local.
Plus More
Web and Network tools, Text tools, Image tools, Data Validation, Math calculators, and Blockchain utilities.
Why Free? What's the Catch?
There is no catch. The tools are free because they cost almost nothing to run — there is no server processing, no database, no compute costs. It is static files on a CDN.
We monetize through our Agent Todo and Agent Orchestrator products — professional tools for AI agent workflows. The web toolkit is our contribution to the developer community.
Try It Yourself
Visit formatho.com/tools, open your browser's Network tab, and use any tool. You will see:
- Zero outbound requests with your data
- Zero tracking scripts
- Zero cookies (except what your browser adds)
The only request you will see is loading the page itself. That's it.
The internet does not need another tool that mines your data. It needs tools that respect you.
That is why I built Formatho. 100+ tools, zero tracking, always free.
Found this useful? Follow me for more posts about building developer tools with privacy in mind.
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