I Replaced $150/month in Developer Tools with 15 Free Alternatives

Last month I audited my SaaS subscriptions and realized I was paying $150/month for tools I used once or twice a week. So I spent a weekend finding free alternatives that actually work.

Here's what I replaced and what I switched to.

What I Cut

• JSON formatter extension ($9/mo) → Free browser tool
• Markdown editor ($12/mo) → Free browser tool
• Password generator app ($6/mo) → Free browser tool
• Color picker tool ($8/mo) → Free browser tool
• Code beautifier ($10/mo) → Free browser tool
• Regex tester ($7/mo) → Free browser tool
• Base64 encoder ($5/mo) → Free browser tool
• Cron job builder (part of dev tools bundle) → Free browser tool
• Hash generator (part of dev tools bundle) → Free browser tool
• JWT decoder ($5/mo) → Free browser tool
• UUID generator (part of dev tools bundle) → Free browser tool
• QR code generator ($8/mo) → Free browser tool
• Word counter (part of writing bundle) → Free browser tool
• URL encoder (part of dev tools bundle) → Free browser tool
• Lorem ipsum generator (part of design bundle) → Free browser tool

The Free Tools I Use Now

All of these are browser-based, no signup required, and run client-side where possible:

For coding & debugging:

• JSON formatter/validator — paste minified JSON, get pretty-printed output with error highlighting
• Regex tester — real-time matching with capture group visualization and cheat sheet
• Base64 encoder/decoder — text and file encoding in one click
• Code beautifier — minified HTML, CSS, JS, JSON back to readable format
• Hash generator — MD5, SHA-256, SHA-512, all client-side
• JWT decoder — inspect token payload, check expiry, debug auth flows
• UUID generator — v4 UUIDs, single or bulk
• Cron job builder — visual schedule builder with human-readable explanation

For writing & content:

• Markdown editor — live preview, export to HTML/PDF
• Word counter — character, sentence, paragraph count + reading time
• Lorem ipsum generator — realistic placeholder data (names, emails, addresses)

For design & frontend:

• Color picker — HEX/RGB/HSL conversion + palette generation + WCAG contrast checker
• QR code generator — SVG and PNG export, customizable
• URL encoder/decoder — percent-encoding for API parameters

Why Browser Tools Work Better Than You Think

1. Zero install — no extensions, no desktop apps, no npm packages. Open browser tab, done.
2. Always up to date — no version management, no breaking changes from updates
3. Cross-platform — works on any OS, any browser, any machine
4. No vendor lock-in — no account needed, no subscription, no data stored on someone's server
5. Shareable — send a URL to a teammate and they have the exact same tool

The One Catch

You need to bookmark them. I keep mine in a "Dev Tools" folder in my browser bar. Takes 2 seconds to set up.

The Full Collection

I ended up finding 68 free tools organized by category. JSON, regex, encoding, crypto, text, colors, generators — everything I was paying for individually, all in one place.

All client-side where possible. No tracking, no paywalls, no email collection.

What I Do With The Savings

$150/month = $1,800/year. That's a new laptop every 2 years, or a conference trip, or just... keeping the money.

The ROI on finding free alternatives is massive, especially for utilities you use infrequently. You don't need a $9/month subscription for a tool you open twice a week.

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What developer tools did you replace with free alternatives? Drop your swaps in the comments — I'm still looking to cut more.

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