Everything you might wonder before opening a tool.
Short, honest answers about how the site works, what we do (and don't) collect, and how to get the most out of 779+ in-browser tools.
01 / the basics
Using TryDevTools
Is TryDevTools really free?
Yes — every tool is free, with no account, no email gate, no paid tier, and no "unlock pro" upsell. There isn't even a sign-up button. We don't run ads and we don't sell data.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Everything runs in your browser as JavaScript. Open the URL, the tool works. Bookmark it, share it, link to it — that's all there is.
Can I use the tools offline?
Once a page has loaded, most tools work without an internet connection because all the processing happens locally. The very first visit needs network to fetch the page; after that the tool is fully usable offline until you close the tab.
Which browsers are supported?
Any modern browser released in the last two years — Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, Brave, Arc, Opera, Vivaldi. A handful of tools that use newer browser APIs (like WebGPU or OffscreenCanvas) may degrade gracefully on older versions.
Can I link to a specific tool with my inputs pre-filled?
Many tools serialise their inputs and settings into the URL. Copy the address bar after configuring the tool and share it — the recipient sees the same state. Tools that don't yet support this are being updated.
02 / privacy
Privacy & data handling
Does my data ever leave my browser?
No. Every tool processes data entirely client-side using JavaScript. Open your browser's network tab while you work — you'll see zero outbound requests. You can paste production credentials, internal payloads, or raw customer data and nothing will be transmitted.
Do you have analytics, trackers, or cookie banners?
No. We don't run analytics, fingerprinting, A/B test pixels, or third-party scripts. There's no cookie banner because there are no tracking cookies to consent to.
What about the suggest-a-tool form? Does that send data?
Yes — but only that form. When you submit a tool suggestion, the data you typed (name, category, description, your reply email) is sent once to our inbox so we can review it. Nothing else is logged. See the privacy policy for the full breakdown.
Are there any server-side fallbacks I should know about?
No. There is no server-side fallback to fall back to. The tools you see are the tools you get — pure browser JavaScript with no backend processing.
03 / catalog
Tools & categories
How many tools are there?
750+ across 12 categories — JSON, encoding, regex, color, time, images, markdown, web, formatters, converters, text, and utilities. New tools land regularly. Browse the full list at /categories.
How are tools chosen?
We add tools we'd use ourselves: things engineers reach for several times a week. Suggestions from users go through the same bar — if it solves a real problem and fits in a browser, we'll build it.
Can I suggest a tool?
Yes — there's a suggest form on the homepage and on every tool page. Tell us what you'd like to see and we'll consider it. We read every submission personally.
When are tools added?
Continuously. The catalog has roughly doubled every few months since launch. Sitemap freshness signals reflect which tools were updated most recently.
04 / under the hood
Source, license, contributions
Is the code open source?
The site is MIT-licensed. Bundles aren't minified into an opaque blob — open DevTools and read the code if you want to audit what a tool actually does.
Can I contribute a tool or fix a bug?
Yes. Contributions are welcome. Use the contact form to get in touch — for code changes, the fastest path is to send the patch with the request.
Can I embed or rehost these tools?
MIT covers rehosting, but if you redistribute the project keep the license intact and avoid passing it off as your own. If you just want to link to a specific tool, that needs no permission — that's what the URLs are for.
Will TryDevTools ever go paid or get acquired by a big company?
We don't plan to. The project exists because every existing "free dev tool" site eventually becomes a paywall, a tracker farm, or an acquisition. We're trying to be the boring opposite of that.
still wondering?
Ask us anything.
If your question isn't covered above, drop us a line — we read every message.