Free Tools I Use Regularly
Over my 30+ years as an IT network admin, server admin, developer, and consultant, I’ve seen tools come and go.
One thing has remained constant: my love for FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software).
Why?
- Transparency: You can see how it works.
- Community-driven: Built by people who care.
- Freedom: No vendor lock-in.
Whenever possible, I choose tools that are open-source and privacy-friendly.
Below is a curated list of my go-to free tools and services I use on a regular basis.
Where I use a paid service, I only recommend what I personally rely on—those are clearly marked and linked via my affiliates.
Affiliate Recommendations 💲
These are paid services that I trust and use daily.
Using my links helps support this blog at no cost to you.
Proton for all things privacy 🆓💲
Privacy-first email provider with calendars, VPN, and password manager, authenticator, chat bot and more. Free tier available.Email Marketing – MailerLite 🆓💲
Simple, affordable email marketing with automation. Free plan for smaller lists.Password Manager – Keeper 💲
Secure and cross-platform password management.Computer Backup – Backblaze 💲
Unlimited cloud backup for your computer. Set it and forget it.
My Go-To Free Tools
Web & Utility Tools
- CloudConvert 🆓💲 – Convert files between almost any format (free tier with limits).
- Convert Case 🆓 – Quickly change text case styles.
- Dead Link Checker 🆓 – Ensure your websites don’t have broken links.
- Neat Reader 🆓💲 – Online ePub reader (free basic version).
- Image Cache & Resize (Weserv) 🆓 – Simple, fast image caching and resizing.
- ImgBB 🆓 – Free image hosting with easy sharing links.
- Internxt Send 🆓 – Send encrypted files securely.
- MailerTest 🆓 – Test email deliverability and spam score.
- Markdown Tables Generator 🆓 – Create Markdown tables easily.
- Namechk 🆓 – Check username availability across platforms.
- OpenResume 🐧 – Create an ATS-friendly resume with open-source tools.
- Use a Passphrase 🆓 – Generate strong, memorable passphrases.
- Password Pusher 🐧 – Share sensitive passwords via temporary links.
- Portable Secret 🐧 – Encrypt and share secrets in a portable file.
- Real Favicon Generator 🆓 – Generate multi-platform favicons for your site.
- Technical SEO Tools 🆓 – Free tools for audits, robots.txt, and more.
- Signature Hound 🆓💲 – Create beautiful email signatures (free limited plan).
- Social Share Preview 🆓 – Preview how your links look when shared on social platforms.
- Twitter Video Downloader 🆓 – Download videos from Twitter.
- Web Check 🆓 – Analyze a website’s performance, DNS, and security.
- Temp Mail 🆓💲 – Get a disposable temporary email address (basic free, premium available).
Legend
- 🆓 Free / Freemium
- 🐧 Open Source (FOSS)
- 💲 Paid / Commercial
Why These Tools Matter
- Productivity: They speed up everyday tasks.
- Reliability: Many of these tools have been in my personal toolkit for years.
- FOSS & Privacy Respect: I prefer tools that respect privacy and open standards whenever possible.
These tools reflect a philosophy I’ve had throughout my IT career:
Use the best tool for the job, share knowledge, and leverage open-source wherever possible.
What are your favorite free tools?