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---
og_image: "/images/guides/how-to-self-host-it-tools-developer-utilities-2026.webp"
title: "Self-Host IT-Tools: 100+ Developer Utilities in 2026"
description: "Self-host IT-Tools (GPL-3.0, 20K+ stars) in 2026 — 100+ developer and sysadmin utilities in one container. Base64, JWT decode, UUID, cron, and regex tools."
date: "2026-03-09"
author: "OSSAlt Team"
tags: ["it-tools", "developer-tools", "utilities", "self-hosting", "docker", "2026"]
---

# Self-Host IT-Tools: 100+ Developer Utilities in 2026

## TL;DR

[IT-Tools](https://github.com/CorentinTh/it-tools) (GPL-3.0, 20K+ GitHub stars, Vue.js) is a self-hosted collection of 100+ developer and sysadmin utilities in a clean web interface. Encode/decode Base64, decode JWTs, generate UUIDs, test regex, convert timestamps, generate QR codes, hash strings — all in one place, all running in-browser, all without sending data to third-party websites. One Docker container, zero configuration, 20 MB RAM, instant access.

## Key Takeaways

- **IT-Tools**: GPL-3.0, 20K+ stars, Vue.js — 100+ utilities in a single web app
- **Privacy**: All processing runs in-browser — no data sent to any server (not even yours)
- **Zero config**: `docker compose up` and it's ready — no database, no authentication, no setup
- **Categories**: Crypto/encoding, converters, web/network, text, math, images, development
- **Offline capable**: Once the page loads, all tools work without internet connection
- **Tiny footprint**: Static Vue.js app served by Nginx — ~20 MB RAM usage

---

## Why Self-Host Developer Utility Tools?

Developers rely on dozens of small utility websites for daily tasks: CyberChef for encoding, jwt.io for token inspection, regex101 for pattern testing, crontab.guru for cron expressions. These sites are convenient but have a privacy problem — you're pasting API keys, JWT tokens, password hashes, internal data, and sensitive business information into third-party websites.

The alternative is CopyPasta — manually running `openssl dgst -sha256` or writing a one-off Python script every time you need to hash a string. Neither is great.

IT-Tools solves this by providing all those utilities in a self-hosted web app where all processing happens in-browser. Your JWT tokens, HMAC secrets, and encryption keys never leave the page. Set it up once on your internal network or VPN, and your entire team has access to a private utility toolkit.

---

## Part 1: Docker Setup (2 Minutes)

IT-Tools is a static Vue.js application served by Nginx. There is no backend, no database, no user accounts. Deployment is as simple as any Docker deployment gets.

```yaml
# docker-compose.yml
services:
  it-tools:
    image: corentinth/it-tools:latest
    container_name: it-tools
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    # No volumes needed — it's a static site
    # No environment variables needed — zero configuration
```

```bash
docker compose up -d
```

Visit `http://your-server:8080` — instantly usable.

**Alternative: Single docker run command**

```bash
docker run -d \
  --name it-tools \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  corentinth/it-tools:latest
```

---

## Part 2: HTTPS with a Reverse Proxy

For HTTPS and a custom domain, add Caddy or Nginx as a reverse proxy:

**With Caddy (automatic TLS):**

```caddyfile
# /etc/caddy/Caddyfile
tools.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080
}
```

```bash
# Restart Caddy
systemctl reload caddy
# or if running Caddy in Docker:
docker exec caddy caddy reload --config /etc/caddy/Caddyfile
```

**With Nginx:**

```nginx
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name tools.yourdomain.com;
    return 301 https://$server_name$request_uri;
}

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name tools.yourdomain.com;

    ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/tools.yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/tools.yourdomain.com/privkey.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }
}
```

**Internal network only (no public exposure):**

If you want IT-Tools accessible only on your VPN or local network, bind to a private IP instead of `0.0.0.0`:

```yaml
ports:
  - "192.168.1.100:8080:80"  # Only accessible from LAN
```

---

## Part 3: Complete Tool Reference

### Crypto / Encoding Tools

These are the most privacy-sensitive tools — the ones where you should never use a public website.

| Tool | What it does | Common use case |
|------|-------------|-----------------|
| **Base64 encoder/decoder** | Encode/decode Base64 text and files | Decode base64 email attachments, encode binary data |
| **Hash generator** | MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-512 from text | Verify file integrity, generate content hashes |
| **HMAC generator** | HMAC-SHA256, HMAC-SHA512 from text + secret | Verify webhook signatures (Stripe, GitHub, Slack) |
| **Bcrypt hash** | Generate and verify bcrypt password hashes | Test password hashing without a full app |
| **UUID generator** | v1, v4, v7 UUIDs | Generate unique IDs for testing |
| **ULID generator** | Generate ULIDs (time-sortable unique IDs) | Use when insertion order matters |
| **Encryption/Decryption** | AES-256 encrypt/decrypt text with password | Quick encryption of sensitive notes |
| **RSA key pair generator** | Generate RSA public/private key pairs | Generate keys for JWT signing, SSH |

### Web / Network Tools

| Tool | What it does | Common use case |
|------|-------------|-----------------|
| **JWT decoder** | Decode header, payload, signature; show expiry | Debug auth issues without manual base64 decoding |
| **URL encoder/decoder** | Encode/decode URL components | Fix malformed URLs, prepare query parameters |
| **URL parser** | Break URLs into scheme, host, path, query | Debug complex URLs |
| **HTTP status codes** | Reference with descriptions and usage | Quick lookup without MDN |
| **MIME types** | Lookup MIME type by file extension | Set Content-Type headers correctly |
| **IPv4 subnet calculator** | CIDR to netmask, host range, broadcast | Network planning, firewall rules |
| **IPv6 ULA generator** | Generate unique local addresses | Private IPv6 network setup |
| **MAC address lookup** | Identify hardware vendor from MAC | Network debugging, DHCP logs |
| **User agent parser** | Decode browser user agent strings | Debug mobile vs desktop detection |
| **Basic auth header** | Generate Authorization header from credentials | Test basic auth endpoints |

### Converter Tools

| Tool | What it does | Common use case |
|------|-------------|-----------------|
| **JSON ↔ YAML** | Convert between JSON and YAML | Translate config files |
| **JSON ↔ CSV** | Convert between JSON and CSV | Prepare data for spreadsheets or APIs |
| **JSON ↔ TOML** | Convert between JSON and TOML | Translate config formats |
| **XML ↔ JSON** | Convert between XML and JSON | Work with legacy APIs that return XML |
| **YAML beautifier** | Format and validate YAML | Fix YAML indentation errors |
| **Unix timestamp** | Convert epoch timestamps to human dates | Debug log timestamps |
| **Color converter** | HEX ↔ RGB ↔ HSL ↔ CMYK | Convert colors across formats for CSS |
| **Temperature** | Celsius ↔ Fahrenheit ↔ Kelvin | Useful for server specs and hardware |
| **Number base** | Binary ↔ octal ↔ decimal ↔ hex | Decode bitmasks and permission values |

### Text / String Tools

| Tool | What it does | Common use case |
|------|-------------|-----------------|
| **Lorem ipsum generator** | Generate placeholder text | Mockups and wireframes |
| **Text diff** | Compare two text blocks with highlighting | Compare config versions |
| **Regex tester** | Test regex patterns with match highlighting | Build and debug regex without a terminal |
| **Markdown preview** | Render Markdown to HTML preview | Preview docs before committing |
| **Text statistics** | Word count, char count, reading time | Content length verification |
| **String case converter** | camelCase, snake_case, PascalCase, kebab-case | Rename variables when switching conventions |
| **Slug generator** | Create URL-safe slugs from text | Generate blog post URLs from titles |
| **HTML entity encoder** | Encode/decode HTML special characters | Safely embed user content in HTML |
| **NATO alphabet** | Convert text to NATO phonetic alphabet | Spell out codes over the phone |

### Development Tools

| Tool | What it does | Common use case |
|------|-------------|-----------------|
| **Cron expression** | Parse cron expressions into plain English | Verify `0 */6 * * 1-5` before deploying |
| **Docker run → Compose** | Convert docker run to docker-compose.yml | Convert quick-start commands to reusable config |
| **SQL formatter** | Format and beautify SQL queries | Read dense generated SQL |
| **JSON formatter** | Pretty-print and validate JSON | Format minified API responses |
| **Git cheatsheet** | Quick reference for common git commands | Reference for less-used git operations |
| **chmod calculator** | Calculate Unix file permissions from checkboxes | Set correct permissions without memorizing octal |
| **OTP code generator** | Generate TOTP 2FA codes from a secret | Test 2FA implementations |
| **Random port generator** | Generate random available port numbers | Pick ports for local development |

### Images / Media Tools

| Tool | What it does | Common use case |
|------|-------------|-----------------|
| **QR code generator** | Create QR codes from any text or URL | Generate codes for links, WiFi passwords, cards |
| **QR code reader** | Decode QR codes from uploaded images | Read QR codes without a phone |
| **SVG placeholder** | Generate SVG placeholder images | Lazy-loading image placeholders |
| **Camera/Webcam** | Capture photos from webcam | Quick screenshots without extra software |
| **Image to Base64** | Convert images to Base64 data URIs | Embed small images in CSS or HTML |

---

## Part 4: Keyboard Navigation and Productivity Tips

IT-Tools is designed for fast keyboard-driven use:

**Search:** Press `/` from anywhere to open the search bar and find any tool by name or keyword. Type `jwt` to jump to the JWT decoder, `uuid` to get the UUID generator.

**Favorites:** Click the ⭐ star icon on any tool to pin it to your home dashboard. Your most-used tools appear at the top of the homepage.

**Direct URLs:** Every tool has a stable, bookmarkable URL path:

```
https://tools.yourdomain.com/base64-string-converter
https://tools.yourdomain.com/jwt-parser
https://tools.yourdomain.com/uuid-generator
https://tools.yourdomain.com/crontab-generator
https://tools.yourdomain.com/docker-run-to-docker-compose-converter
https://tools.yourdomain.com/bcrypt
https://tools.yourdomain.com/hmac-generator
https://tools.yourdomain.com/hash-text
```

Set your most-used tools as browser bookmarks with keyboard shortcuts for instant access.

---

## Part 5: Common Workflows

### Decode a JWT token quickly

1. Open JWT Parser (`/jwt-parser`)
2. Paste the full token (including the `eyJ...` header)
3. See: header algorithm, payload claims, expiry time, issued-at — all decoded in milliseconds

### Debug a cron expression

1. Open Cron Expression Describer (`/crontab-generator`)
2. Enter: `0 */6 * * 1-5`
3. Output: "At minute 0 past every 6th hour, Monday through Friday"
4. The UI also shows the next 5 scheduled runs

### Verify a webhook HMAC signature

1. Open HMAC Generator (`/hmac-generator`)
2. Enter the webhook payload as the message
3. Enter your webhook secret as the key
4. Choose SHA-256
5. Compare the output against the `X-Hub-Signature-256` header from GitHub/Stripe

### Convert docker run to docker-compose.yml

1. Open Docker Run to Compose (`/docker-run-to-docker-compose-converter`)
2. Paste: `docker run -d -p 8080:80 -e NODE_ENV=production -v /data:/app/data --name myapp myimage:latest`
3. Get the complete docker-compose.yml with services, ports, environment, and volumes

### Calculate subnet ranges

1. Open IPv4 Subnet Calculator (`/ipv4-subnet-calculator`)
2. Enter: `10.0.1.0/26`
3. Get: netmask `255.255.255.192`, 62 usable hosts, range `10.0.1.1 - 10.0.1.62`, broadcast `10.0.1.63`

---

## IT-Tools vs Alternatives

| Feature | IT-Tools | CyberChef | DevToys | Hoppscotch |
|---------|---------|-----------|---------|------------|
| Platform | Web (self-host) | Web (self-host) | Desktop | Web |
| Tool count | 100+ | 300+ operations | 30+ | API-focused |
| Interface | Clean, modern | Complex recipe builder | Native desktop | Modern |
| Tool chaining | No | Yes (recipes) | No | No |
| Privacy | All client-side | All client-side | Local only | Server for API |
| Ease of use | Very easy | Learning curve | Very easy | Medium |
| Memory usage | 20 MB | 50 MB | N/A | 200 MB+ |
| Network tools | Good | Excellent | Limited | API-only |

**When to use CyberChef instead:** CyberChef's "recipe" system lets you chain 300+ operations — decode Base64, then decompress gzip, then parse JSON, then extract a field. For forensics and security analysis workflows requiring multi-step transformations, CyberChef is the more powerful tool.

**When to use DevToys instead:** If you prefer a native desktop app that works fully offline without any server, DevToys (Windows, macOS) provides 30+ tools with a system-native feel.

---

## Maintenance

IT-Tools is stateless — there's no database, no persistent state, no user accounts. Updates are trivial:

```bash
# Pull latest image and restart
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

# That's all. No migrations, no config changes, no data to preserve.
```

Check for updates monthly. The project is actively maintained with new tools added regularly.

---

## Resource Requirements

IT-Tools is one of the lightest self-hosted applications available:

| Resource | Usage |
|----------|-------|
| RAM | ~20 MB |
| CPU | Negligible (static serving) |
| Disk | ~50 MB (image) |
| Network | Minimal (static files cached by browser) |

You can run IT-Tools on the same VPS as 5 other services without noticing its presence.

---

*Related: [Best Open Source Developer Tools 2026](/guides/best-open-source-developer-tools-2026) · [Best Open Source Alternatives to Postman](/guides/best-open-source-alternatives-to-postman-2026) · [Complete Self-Hosting Stack 2026](/guides/complete-self-hosting-stack-2026)*