I built a free dev tools collection to solve my own frustrations (looking for feedback)

By Jay Wong

April 9, 2025

Hey Indie Hackers! 👋

## The Problem

As developers, we've all been there - you need a quick tool to format JSON, test a regex, or convert timestamps. You Google it, click on the first result, and BAM:

- Ad popups

- Email signup walls

- Slow loading

- Sketchy UI

- "Upgrade to pro to use this feature"

I'd find myself using these tools daily, constantly annoyed by the experience, and thinking "there's got to be a better way."

## The Solution

So I created [UFreeTools](https://ufreetools.com) - a collection of 60+ developer utilities that are:

- 100% free, no hidden paywalls

- No account required

- Privacy-focused (all processing done in-browser)

- Clean, minimal UI with dark mode

- Fast loading (built with Vue.js)

## What's Included

The collection covers most common dev needs:

- Code tools: JSON/XML formatters, RegEx tester, code diff, beautifiers

- Conversion: Base64, timestamps, number bases, data formats

- Security: Hash calculators, password tools, crypto utilities

- Network: API testing, WebSockets, CORS generators

- Design: Color pickers, CSS gradient generators, image tools

- And many more...

## The Build Journey

This started as a weekend project to scratch my own itch. I kept adding tools whenever I found myself needing something new. The project evolved organically based on my actual development needs.

Tech stack is pretty simple:

- Vue 3 + Vite (for speed and DX)

- TailwindCSS (for styling)

- i18n support (currently EN/ZH)

- All client-side with no backend needed

## Business Model (or lack thereof)

There isn't one, really. This is a free resource for the dev community.

## What I'm Looking For

I'd love your honest feedback:

1. Which tools do you find most/least useful?

2. Any critical tools missing that you'd want to see?

3. UX improvements or feature suggestions?