The Tools I Actually Use Every Single Day

Every "essential developer tools" list includes the same things. VS Code. Docker. Postman. Notion.

Here's what nobody tells you: the tools you actually use most are the boring ones. The small, single-purpose tools you open ten times a day without thinking about it.

These are mine.

JSON Formatter

I probably use a JSON formatter 15 times a day. That's not an exaggeration.

API response comes back as a wall of text? Format it. Debugging a webhook payload? Format it. Writing a config file and want to check syntax? Format it.

I tried multiple desktop apps for this. I always end up back in a browser tab. It's instant, there's nothing to install, and I can use it on any computer.

Text Diff

Whenever something stops working, my first instinct is to compare what changed. Config file, environment variables, API response — diff it against the last working version.

I keep a habit of copying "known good" configs to a scratch file before making changes. When things break, I can immediately see what's different.

Not glamorous. Incredibly effective.

Image Compressor

I work on web projects. Images are involved in every single one. And every single time, the images are too big.

Client sends a logo? 4MB PNG. Stock photo for a blog post? 8MB JPEG. Screenshot for documentation? 2MB because it captured a retina display.

Compress, compress, compress. It's become muscle memory: receive image, compress, then use it. Never upload the original.

Base64 Encoder

This one surprises people, but I use Base64 encoding almost every day.

• Embedding small images in CSS or HTML emails
• Decoding authentication headers during debugging
• Encoding data for URL parameters
• Quick data inspection when something looks encoded

It's one of those tools where the use cases are varied enough that it never gets old. Different reason every time, same tool.

What Didn't Stick

For every tool I use daily, there are five I tried and abandoned:

Fancy clipboard managers. I thought I needed history and search. Turns out I just need copy and paste.

Code snippet managers. I saved 200 snippets, searched for them zero times. If I need a snippet, I know which project it's in.

Time tracking apps. I tried four different ones. They all required more discipline than I have. Now I just block time on my calendar.

Markdown preview apps. When I write Markdown, I'm in my code editor, which already has preview. A separate app is one more window I don't need.

Why These Tools Stuck

Looking at the tools that survived my workflow, they share a few traits:

1. Zero friction. Open a browser tab, paste, done. No login, no setup, no "free tier limits."
2. Single purpose. They do one thing well. I don't need to remember which menu the feature is under.
3. Instant results. No processing time, no "uploading to our servers," no "we'll email you when it's ready."
4. No state. They don't need to remember anything. Every session starts fresh.

The opposite of the modern SaaS trend of building platforms that do everything. Sometimes a tool that does one thing is exactly right.

Building Your Own Toolkit

Don't copy my list. Your daily tools will be different based on what you work on.

But pay attention to what you reach for repeatedly. If you're doing the same task three times a day with a clunky workflow, find a better tool for it. The compound time savings over a year are massive.

And if a tool requires a tutorial to use, it's probably not a daily-use tool. The best daily tools are obvious within 5 seconds.

---

The tools that matter most aren't the ones you research and evaluate. They're the ones you open without thinking because they solve a problem you hit every day. Keep those bookmarked and ignore the hype.