Prism.Tools – Free and privacy-focused developer utilities
Hi HN, I'm Barry and I've built Prism.Tools (https://blgardner.github.io/prism.tools/) – a collection of client-side developer utilities that respect your privacy. Many of these tools were used way back in the days when I ran a BBS and started my communities first ISP, serving three local communities with Dial-Up Internet, Web Hosting etc. The tools have been refined to reflect the changes in tech since then and designed for the Novice and Pro alike. As I locate more tools others may find useful I will refine and add them to the collection. Use them, Share them, or not.…
In plain words
Prism.Tools is a collection of over 40 client-side developer utilities including JSON formatters, regex testers, base64 encoders, and Git command helpers. Designed for both novice and experienced developers, all tools run entirely in the browser with no tracking or data collection. The utilities are self-contained HTML files that process information locally, making them accessible and privacy-focused alternatives to online developer tools.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hi HN, I'm Barry and I've built Prism.Tools (https://blgardner.github.io/prism.tools/) – a collection of client-side developer utilities that respect your privacy. Many of these tools were used way back in the days when I ran a BBS and started my communities first ISP, serving three local communities with Dial-Up Internet, Web Hosting etc. The tools have been refined to reflect the changes in tech since then and designed for the Novice and Pro alike. As I locate more tools others may find useful I will refine and add them to the collection. Use them, Share them, or not. They will be here if you need them... 40+ dev tools (JSON formatters, regex tester, base64 encoder, Git command helper, etc.) that run entirely in your browser. Zero tracking, zero analytics, zero data collection – everything processes locally. Self-contained HTML files with no build process or frameworks. I realized I had a lot of tools/utilities I've built over the years for my own use. I lothe having to 'sign-up' just to access/use simple utilities that I can create myself. I've refined them and put them in one safe place so I could easily access them if/when needed. I decided to make them available via Github Pages for anyone that may find them useful. Prism.Tools is the result. Each tool is a standalone HTML file with embedded CSS and JavaScript. No frameworks, no npm packages, no build steps – just open the file and it works. The entire toolset: - 100% client-side processing – your data never leaves your browser. - No external dependencies except for specific libraries from cdnjs.cloudflare.com (marked.js for markdown, exifr for image metadata, etc.) - Consistent dark UI – every tool follows the same design language for familiarity. - Vanilla JS where possible – only reaching for Public CDN Resources when necessary. The constraint of "single HTML file" was intentional. It forces simplicity and ensures tools remain maintainable. It also means users can inspect, modify, or self-host any tool trivially. These tools have helped me with debugging production issues, Quick formatting tasks, learning Git commands (the Git command helper has been particularly helpful) Just visit https://blgardner.github.io/prism.tools/ and try any tool. No signup, no install. What tools are missing that you find yourself needing? Any performance issues with specific tools? UI/UX friction points? All tools follow the same privacy-first philosophy... Your data stays in your browser. No accounts, no tracking, no servers processing your information. The project is also a demonstration that you don't always need React, Vue, or complex build pipelines – sometimes vanilla JavaScript in a single HTML file is exactly the right tool for the job. Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+) CSS3 with CSS Grid Minimal external libraries: marked.js, exifr, highlight.js, sql-formatter (all from CDN) No frameworks, no bundlers, no npm Hosted on Github Pages Happy to answer questions about the technical implementation, design decisions, or specific tools! All tools are inspectable – just view source on any page to see exactly how they work!
More dev tools this month
the category →
Open-source GTM skills for technical founders
Dev tools · 29d ago · gtmcofounder.com
OpenTrailPaper is open-source bike computer firmware for the LilyGO T5S3 4.7" E-Paper PRO. It supports offline maps, GPX routes, FIT recording and Bluetooth sensors.
Dev tools · 1d ago · opentrailpaper.com
Launched alongside, January 2026
the whole month →- IN
Hey HN! I wanted to share something I built over the last few weeks: isometric.nyc is a massive isometric pixel art map of NYC, built with nano banana and coding agents. I didn't write a single line of code. Of course no-code doesn't mean no-engineering. This project took a lot more manual labor than I'd hoped! I wrote a deep dive on the workflow and some thoughts about the future of AI coding and creativity: http://cannoneyed.com/projects/isometric-nyc
AI · Jan 2026 · cannoneyed.com
Automatic AI-powered code reviews the moment you open a PR
Dev tools · Jan 2026 · kilo.ai
