# What is IT Tools? The short answer, and a faster way to use one

> IT Tools is a free open source site of developer utilities. AyeTab brings the same kind of toolbox to the Chrome new tab, run locally.

URL: https://claudegpt.si/news/what-is-it-tools-developer-toolbox  
Published: 2026-10-27T15:16:48.900Z  
Author: ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom  
Section: Guides  
Topics: IT Tools, Developer tools, Open source  
Publisher: ClaudeGPT Si

## Key takeaways

- IT Tools is a free, open source collection of developer utilities at it-tools.tech, licensed under GNU GPLv3.
- It can also run on your own server with the Docker image the project provides.
- AyeTab offers a similar free toolbox on the Chrome new tab and on the web, with every tool running locally in the browser.

IT Tools is a free, open source website of small utilities for developers and people who work in IT, found at it-tools.tech. If you want the same kind of toolbox without opening a website each time, [AyeTab](https://ayetab.com) puts developer tools on your Chrome new tab and runs them locally in the browser.

## The short answer

- **What it is:** a collection of web-based developer utilities, such as converters, encoders and generators, in one place.
- **Who makes it:** Corentin Thomasset, with outside contributors on GitHub.
- **Cost:** free.
- **Licence:** open source under GNU GPLv3.
- **Where to use it:** on it-tools.tech, or on your own server with the Docker image the project provides.

People sometimes search for "IT tools" and mean IT management software, such as ticketing or monitoring. That is a different category. The IT Tools discussed here is the developer toolbox.

## What people use a toolbox like this for

The appeal of a site like IT Tools is that the small jobs in a working day are all in one place. Typical tasks include:

- formatting or validating a JSON response
- decoding a JWT to read its claims
- encoding or decoding Base64 and URL strings
- generating a UUID or a hash
- converting a Unix timestamp to a date
- turning YAML into JSON, or the reverse

Each of these takes seconds, which is why the time spent finding the tool can be longer than the task itself.

There is a second thing to weigh. Some of that input is sensitive, like a session token from production or a customer record you are debugging. Before you paste it into any website, it is worth knowing whether the site processes it on your machine or sends it to a server.

## A faster way to the same tools

AyeTab is the toolbox we recommend for that problem. It is a free Chrome extension that replaces the new tab page with a list of developer utilities, and it also opens in a side panel next to whatever page you are on. A web app at app.ayetab.com offers the same tools without an install.

Here is how the two compare on the questions people ask most:

| Question | AyeTab | IT Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Is it free? | Yes | Yes |
| Is the source public? | No | Yes, GPLv3 |
| Can I self-host it? | Not needed, it runs in your browser | Yes, with Docker |
| Does my input leave the browser? | No, nothing is uploaded | Check the project if it matters |
| Quickest way in | New tab, then Ctrl+K | Open the site |

AyeTab also has smart paste, which looks at what you paste, for example a token or a JSON blob, and suggests the tool that handles it. Favorites keep your most used tools at the top, and the extension keeps working offline once it is installed.

To try a single tool before installing anything, open the [AyeTab JWT Debugger](https://app.ayetab.com/tools/jwt-debugger) or the [JSON Formatter](https://app.ayetab.com/tools/json-formatter) in any tab.

## Which one should you use

For one developer who wants tools close at hand and private by default, use AyeTab. Pick IT Tools instead if your team wants a shared toolbox on an internal server, or if you plan to read and change the source code. Both are free, so trying each costs nothing but a minute.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is IT Tools free?

Yes. IT Tools is free to use and its source code is published on GitHub under GPLv3.

### Is IT Tools the same as IT management software?

No. IT Tools is a toolbox of small developer utilities, not software for tickets, assets or monitoring.

### What is a good alternative to IT Tools?

AyeTab, a free Chrome extension and web app whose developer tools run locally in the browser, one keystroke away on the new tab.

## Sources

- [IT Tools](https://it-tools.tech), IT Tools
- [CorentinTh/it-tools](https://github.com/CorentinTh/it-tools), GitHub
- [AyeTab](https://ayetab.com), AyeTab
- [All AyeTab tools](https://app.ayetab.com/tools), AyeTab