# I Built 24 Free Browser Tools in 6 Weeks — Here's What I'd Do Differently > Source: > Published: 2026-05-31 00:44:53+00:00 Six weeks ago, I had zero browser tools. Now I have 24. Revenue: $0. This is not a success story. It's a reality check on what happens when you focus on building and ignore distribution. 24 tools, each a single HTML file with vanilla JavaScript. Hosted on GitHub Pages. No server, no database, no frameworks. The tools span four categories: **PDF & Document:** Merge, split, convert, extract — 7 PDF tools **Image:** Compress, resize, crop, AI background remover, color picker **Developer:** JSON-CSV converter, text diff, base64 encoder, UUID generator, markdown editor **Productivity:** Password generator, QR codes, timestamp converter, case converter, word counter All running client-side. Your files never leave your browser. No build step. No npm install. No `node_modules` . Each tool is one file: ``` ``` This means: instant deploys, zero dependencies, trivially auditable. Users can view source and confirm nothing shady is happening. `crypto.getRandomValues()` for true-random UUIDs and passwords.I didn't need a single server-side dependency. The browser IS the platform. GitHub Pages: free, global CDN, auto-deploys on `git push` . Even if 100,000 people use a tool simultaneously, GitHub's CDN handles it without me paying a cent. 24 tools is too many. Each one needs: That's 24 x 5 = 120 tasks just for maintenance, before any promotion. If I could start over: build 5 really good tools instead of 24 decent ones. Coding 24 tools took 6 weeks. Getting anyone to use them? That's the real work. My promotion efforts so far: Building something is the easy part. Getting distribution is the entire game. "It's free!" sounds great until you realize it means "no urgency to buy." My free limits are generous — most users never hit them. This is great for users, terrible for revenue. If I could restart, I'd make the free tier slightly more restrictive and add a free trial of PRO features. I have no way to contact users. No newsletter, no onboarding email, no "we miss you" automation. Every user who visits is a one-time event. If they don't buy immediately, I never see them again. Adding a simple "Save your work" feature that requires email would have changed everything. Nobody wants to be the first person to buy something. The bundle page has no reviews, no testimonials, no "X people bought this." It's empty. Social proof is the strongest conversion lever, and I have none. **ONNX Runtime Web** for background removal. A full neural network running in WebAssembly, in the browser, with no API key. The model is ~40MB but caches after first load. Processing takes ~5 seconds. This shouldn't be possible in a browser, but it is. **pdf-lib** for PDF manipulation. Pure JavaScript, no native dependencies. Handles merge, split, page extraction, metadata. The API is surprisingly clean. **Service Workers.** I didn't implement them, but all these tools would benefit from offline-first architecture. Next priority. I'm documenting everything publicly. If you're building client-side tools or indie products, follow along. All free. No signup. No tracking. PRO bundle ($19.99 one-time) if you want unlimited everything. *GitHub: xueboyang1985 | Previously: 7 PDF Tools | 5 Image Tools | 10 Dev Tools*