Finally sharing the toolbox I originally built for myself
For the last couple of years, I kept running into the same problem.
I'd need to do something simple—clean subtitles, extract audio, compress an image, count words—and I'd end up opening a different website every time.
The tools themselves weren't the problem.
The experience was.
Too many ads. Paywalls. Sign-up requirements. File limits. Pop-ups everywhere.
Eventually I stopped searching for better tools and started building my own.
At first, they were only for me. Whenever I found myself repeating the same task, I'd spend an evening building a small utility instead.
Over time, that collection kept growing.
Today I finally put everything together into one place:
Right now it includes 14 free browser-based tools, including:
Word Counter
SRT Cleaner
SRT ↔ VTT Converter
Audio Extractor
Image Compressor
Teleprompter
AI Video Clip Maker
and a few others.
The goal isn't to build another SaaS or lock features behind subscriptions.
I simply want a place where I can open a tool, finish a task in a few seconds, and move on. If other people find it useful too, that's a bonus.
I'm still actively building new tools whenever I run into another annoying problem in my workflow.
I'd really appreciate feedback from other indie makers.
What's one small utility you use every week that you wish was simpler or completely free?
Fourteen free tools is not a product, it's a distribution engine: every utility is its own search landing page, and that traffic compounds. The mistake would be waiting years to decide what it funnels into, because 'no subscriptions ever' turns into a charity with server bills once usage scales. Pick the one tool with the heaviest repeat usage and put a pro tier on it while keeping the rest free.
I really like this perspective.
My original goal wasn't to build a business around a single utility—it was to build a toolbox that I genuinely wanted to use myself every day.
That said, I think you're right that the data should decide where monetization happens. I'd rather see which tools people keep coming back to naturally than force a subscription too early.
For now I'm focused on making the free experience as good as possible. Once I have enough real usage data, it'll be much easier to understand where a paid offering would actually add value instead of creating artificial limitations.
Thanks for sharing this. It's given me something to think about.
I mostly agree. The free tools are the acquisition strategy, not the business. But I also wouldn't rush to monetize too early. I'd wait until I have enough usage data to know which tool people actually come back for, then build a paid version around power users instead of putting features behind a paywall across the board. That way the free ecosystem keeps driving traffic, while the business has a clear path to sustainability.
I think that's a very sensible approach.
One thing I definitely don't want to do is lock basic functionality behind a paywall just because that's what everyone else does. That's actually one of the reasons I started building ClipGG in the first place.
If I ever introduce paid features, I'd want them to be genuinely additional value for power users rather than taking features away from everyone else.
I'm hoping the usage data over the next few months will make that decision much clearer.
I enjoyed reading the story behind this. It's interesting how many useful products start as something built to scratch your own itch. I've been seeing a similar pattern while working with AI products—simple, focused tools often end up being the ones people return to. Wishing you the best with ClipGG!
Thanks, I really appreciate that!
I think that's exactly why so many small tools end up being useful—they're built to solve a real problem the developer runs into repeatedly. Every tool on ClipGG started because I found myself thinking, "There has to be an easier way to do this."
I'm trying to keep that mindset as I add new features instead of building things just because they're popular.
I really like the philosophy behind ClipGG. Instead of trying to build another complex SaaS, you focused on removing everyday friction with simple, free tools.
I think the biggest opportunity now is branding. If people start thinking of ClipGG as their default toolbox instead of a collection of individual utilities, it'll become much more memorable.
Great launch, and good luck! 🚀
Thank you! That's actually one of the biggest goals for the project.
I don't want people to remember ClipGG because of a single tool—I want it to become the place they instinctively open whenever they need to get something done quickly.
There's still a lot of work ahead, but that's definitely the direction I'm aiming for.
What caught my attention is that you didn't start by building a toolbox—you started by removing repeated friction from your own workflow.
The challenge now is making sure people don't think of Clipgg as 14 separate tools. The stronger story is having one place they instinctively open whenever they need to get a small job done.
That's a really good point.
I started by building individual tools, but over time I realized the bigger value is having everything in one place with a consistent experience.
I'm already thinking about how to make the homepage and navigation reinforce that idea instead of feeling like a list of unrelated utilities.
Thanks for the feedback!
I'm glad it resonated.
Your last paragraph raised a question for me about the direction you're reinforcing through the homepage. I'd rather explain why that question matters with Clipgg as the context instead of turning it into a generic discussion.
If you're open to it, what's the best email to reach you on?
I use crypto wallets, and I think they could be much better. I’ve also noticed that some of the best tools available globally aren't actually all that good. It seems like they could be significantly improved with a bit more effort. Do you have any new projects in the pipeline and if so, which ones?
I completely agree. Some of the most popular tools are surprisingly frustrating to use, and that's exactly why ClipGG exists.
Right now I'm focused on improving the existing tools rather than trying to build dozens of new ones. I think polishing the experience is more valuable than constantly shipping new features.
That said, I do have a few ideas I'm excited about, including more browser-based video and creator tools that keep everything local and private. I'm also experimenting with ways to make AI-powered workflows work directly in the browser whenever possible.
Out of curiosity, if you could completely redesign one crypto wallet, what would be the first thing you'd change?
Curious—what's been the most-used tool in the collection so far? Was it the one you expected?
That's actually something I'm still learning.
The Word Counter has been getting the most attention so far, which wasn't a surprise since it's useful for such a broad audience. But I also noticed that tools like the SRT Cleaner and Audio Extractor have much more engaged users because they solve very specific problems.
One thing I've learned is that usage doesn't always match what I personally expect, so I'm trying to let real user behavior guide what I build next instead of my own assumptions.