cd /news/developer-tools/show-hn-castov-open-source-dev-tools… · home › topics › developer-tools › article
[ARTICLE · art-161679] src=castov.com ↗ pub= topic=developer-tools verified=true sentiment=↑ positive

Show HN: Castov – Open-source dev tools and AI secret shield with zero telemetry

Castov launched as an open-source developer toolkit that runs 13 utilities locally across a web interface, a CLI invoked via `npx castov`, and a Model Context Protocol server for use inside Cursor or Claude, with the project claiming zero telemetry and no server-side logging of inputs. The toolkit bundles cryptography and JWT inspection via WebCrypto, JSON-to-TypeScript conversion, cron and timezone tools, encrypted URL-hash sharing, RSA-OAEP-encrypted Team Vaults synced through GitHub OAuth, and a Docker image published as castovdev/castov on Docker Hub. Castov also offers a WebRTC/Yjs peer-to-peer node editor for data pipelines and steganographic storage of AES keys in image pixels, positioning the project around keeping developer secrets out of third-party servers.

read3 min views1 publishedOct 31, 2026
Show HN: Castov – Open-source dev tools and AI secret shield with zero telemetry
Image: source

Web + CLI + AI (MCP)

All your mission-critical utilities executed locally in your browser, terminal, and AI agents. Zero server tracking, sub-millisecond transforms, and seamless multi-stage pipelines.

Ctrl + K

npx castov`` castov mcp Simulates the full castov-cli suite locally via WebCrypto and instant transforms.

Click any quick-run chip above or type help to see commands.

CLI Docs

Why Developers Choose Castov #

Five architectural decisions that make Castov the preferred toolkit for modern software teams.

Zero-Data Logging

WebCrypto 100% of cryptography, JWT inspection, JSON formatting, and timestamp parsing executes in local browser memory. Not a single keystroke is sent to external servers.

Tool Pipelines ("Pipe to...")

Chaining Pass outputs seamlessly across utilities in one click: JSON directly to TypeScript interfaces, Cron schedules into world timezones, and diffs to schema generators without clipboard juggling.

Unified Ecosystem

Web • CLI • MCP The exact same 13 utilities work on the Web, in your local terminal via castov, and inside Cursor or Claude via our Grade-A certified Model Context Protocol server.

Encrypted URL Shares

Zero-Server Share inputs, diffs, and settings with teammates instantly. Payloads are compressed into the URL hash fragment (#) so servers never see what you shared.

E2EE Cloud Sync & Team Vaults

GitHub OAuth Zero-friction leverage unlocked on registration

Connect Workspace

Connect your GitHub account to sync pinned utilities, presets, and dev preferences across all your machines. Collaborate with teammates using RSA-OAEP encrypted Team Vaults to share .env files without cleartext exposure in chat channels.

Deploy Castov Everywhere You Build #

Whether inside your local terminal, Docker containers, AI editors, or automated CI/CD pipelines — Castov provides the instant execution layer for developers and MCP AI agents.

Docker Hub

Run Castov CLI and MCP runtime in an isolated, non-root Alpine container with zero host dependencies.

Official Registry

docker run --rm -it castovdev/castov:latest --help

Advanced Capabilities #

We didn't just build formatters. We built the architecture required by modern engineering teams.

P2P Multiplayer Canvas

A visual node-editor for building data pipelines. Connects peers in real-time using WebRTC and CRDTs (Yjs) with direct peer-to-peer data channels coordinated through public signaling servers (which may receive connection metadata). Workflow graphs, node configurations, and payload data are never stored on Castov servers.

Steganography Environment Vaults

End-to-end encrypted environment variables. We hide your secure AES keys inside standard image pixels (Steganography) for invisible sharing, entirely in your browser.

Test your frontend without a backend. Our Local API Mocker runs entirely in your browser's Service Worker to simulate payloads globally.

Explore Our Toolkit #

From time manipulation to cryptography, everything is beautifully structured and instantly accessible.

Timestamp #

7 tools

Convert, validate, compare and work with Unix timestamps.

Date & Duration #

5 tools

Calculate differences, durations, and add or subtract time from a date.

Time Zones #

6 tools

Convert, compare and browse time across the world's time zones.

Developer #

33 tools

ISO 8601, RFC 3339, cron and other formats developers work with daily.

Labs #

Experimental tools Experimental tools: WebRTC P2P mesh, steganography, AST parsing, and in-browser WebGL computing.

Frequently Asked Questions #

Everything you need to know about Castov.

Frequently Asked Questions #

Is Castov really free? #

Is my data sent to a server? #

What is a Unix timestamp? #

Should I use seconds or milliseconds? #

Which time zones are supported? #

Ready to supercharge your workflow? #

Free browser-based developer tools. Some collaboration, cloud, and external API features may require an account or additional configuration.

── more in #developer-tools 4 stories · sorted by recency
── more on @castov 3 stories trending now
sponsored brought to you by zahid.host 4,200+ EU-deployed projects
reading about agents? ship yours in a single git push.

Run your AI side-project on zahid.host

EU-based hosting, git-push deploys, automatic HTTPS, no cold starts. Free tier with a custom domain — perfect for shipping the agent you just read about.

$git push zahid main
→ Live at https://your-agent.zahid.host ✓
Get free account → Pricing
from €0/mo · no card required
LIVE [news/show-hn-castov-open-…] indexed:0 read:3min 2026-10-31 · —