DevToys — Swiss Army Knife of Developer Utilities

Introduction

DevToys is a desktop application that bundles common developer micro-tasks into a single offline tool. Instead of searching the web for a JSON formatter, Base64 encoder, or UUID generator, developers can reach for DevToys and handle all of these locally without sending data to external services.

What DevToys Does

• Provides 30+ built-in tools for encoding, hashing, formatting, and converting data
• Detects clipboard content and suggests the most relevant tool automatically (Smart Detection)
• Runs entirely offline so sensitive data never leaves the machine
• Supports extensions via a plugin API to add custom tools
• Runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Architecture Overview

DevToys 2.0 is built with .NET and Blazor Hybrid, using a native shell per platform (WinUI 3 on Windows, GTK on Linux, Cocoa on macOS). The tool engine is a shared C# library that defines each utility as a self-contained component. The extension system allows third-party tools packaged as NuGet packages to be loaded at runtime.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install via your platform's package manager or download the standalone binary
• No account or internet connection required after installation
• Configure Smart Detection in settings to control automatic tool suggestions
• Enable compact overlay mode for a floating utility window
• Install community extensions from the built-in extension manager

Key Features

• Smart Detection automatically selects the right tool based on clipboard content
• Compact overlay keeps the window on top for quick access while coding
• Entirely offline with zero telemetry
• Extensible through a plugin API with community-contributed tools
• Cross-platform with native UI on each operating system

Comparison with Similar Tools

• IT Tools — web-based developer utilities; DevToys is a native desktop app that works offline
• CyberChef — browser-based data transformation pipeline; more powerful chaining but requires a browser
• macOS built-in utilities — Calculator, Keychain; DevToys bundles developer-specific tools in one place
• Online converters — scattered across websites; DevToys keeps data local and private
• JetBrains IDE built-in tools — available inside the IDE; DevToys works independently of any editor

FAQ

Q: Is DevToys free? A: Yes. DevToys is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license.

Q: Does DevToys send my data anywhere? A: No. All processing happens locally on your machine with no network requests.

Q: Can I add my own tools? A: Yes. DevToys 2.0 supports extensions as NuGet packages that integrate into the tool list.

Q: What tools are included? A: JSON/XML/YAML formatters, Base64/URL encoder-decoder, JWT decoder, hash generators, UUID generator, color picker, regex tester, text diff, and more.

Sources

• https://github.com/DevToys-app/DevToys
• https://devtoys.app/