The latest articles on Forem by STB Software That Benefits (@stb_softwarethatbenefit). https://forem.com/stb_softwarethatbenefit https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3812896%2Fb3d34846-a164-4f8b-9fef-d25e5fe3dd44.png https://forem.com/stb_softwarethatbenefit en STB Software That Benefits Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:31:16 +0000 https://forem.com/stb_softwarethatbenefit/i-built-free-developer-tools-with-no-login-no-ads-heres-why-4894 https://forem.com/stb_softwarethatbenefit/i-built-free-developer-tools-with-no-login-no-ads-heres-why-4894 <h2> The problem </h2> <p>Every time I googled "json formatter online" or "base64 encoder" <br> I'd land on a site with:</p> <ul> <li>🚫 Popup asking me to sign up</li> <li>🚫 3 ads before I could use the tool</li> <li>🚫 Rate limits on a FREE tool</li> </ul> <p>So I built my own.</p> <h2> What I built </h2> <p><strong>STB Tools</strong> — a collection of free developer utilities at <br> <a href="https://softwarethatbenefits.org" rel="noopener noreferrer">softwarethatbenefits.org</a></p> <p>No login. No ads. No rate limits. Just open and use.</p> <h3> Current tools: </h3> <ul> <li>🔗 <strong>URL Encoder / Decoder</strong> — encode/decode URLs instantly</li> <li>🔧 <strong>JSON Formatter</strong> — paste messy JSON, get clean output</li> <li>🔐 <strong>Base64 Encoder</strong> — encode/decode strings</li> <li>🪙 <strong>JWT Decoder</strong> — inspect any token</li> <li>🔍 <strong>Regex Tester</strong> — test patterns live</li> <li>🎨 <strong>Color Converter</strong> — HEX, RGB, HSL</li> <li>🖼️ <strong>Image Compressor</strong> — compress in browser</li> </ul> <h2> Tech stack </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Astro</strong> — static site, blazing fast</li> <li> <strong>Tailwind CSS</strong> — styling</li> <li> <strong>Cloudflare Pages</strong> — hosting, free tier</li> <li> <strong>TypeScript</strong> — everything typed</li> </ul> <h2> What's next </h2> <p>More tools coming. Drop a comment — what free tool do <br> you wish existed?</p> <p>🔗 <a href="https://softwarethatbenefits.org" rel="noopener noreferrer">softwarethatbenefits.org</a></p> webdev javascript opensource beginners