In web development, the big tools get all the attention — your frameworks, libraries, IDEs. But often, it’s the small utilities working quietly in the background that really keep things moving. Over the years, I’ve come across a handful of simple online tools that have saved me time, reduced friction, and made the development process just a little smoother.
They’re not revolutionary on their own, but together, they make a huge difference — especially during testing, design, and debugging phases.
Here are five underrated tools I find myself using more often than I expected.
These tools let you quickly generate realistic names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, and more. I often use them when I need to see how my layout handles longer text or various character lengths. Plus, it’s great for catching edge cases, like unusually formatted names or very long usernames, before they cause layout issues.
Even better, some generators allow you to export entire JSON files or CSVs with hundreds of entries, which is incredibly useful when testing things like filters or pagination.
That’s where credit card number generators come in. They produce numbers that follow the right structure and pass the Luhn algorithm — just like real cards — but without any actual banking connection. It’s ideal for testing front-end validation, error messages, and even payment gateways that support sandbox environments.
These tools can also simulate cards from different networks like Visa, MasterCard, or AmEx, which is helpful if your app needs to recognize or handle them differently.
That’s when a font style generator becomes useful. These tools convert plain text into styled Unicode characters, giving it a “fancy” or decorative look without using actual fonts or CSS tricks. Since it's all still technically text, it works across most platforms, including social media, chat apps, and even some form fields.
I’ve used this in fun ways — like letting users customize their display names or personal notes with stylized text. It adds a small but noticeable layer of customization that users tend to enjoy.
Interactive regex testers make life much easier. They let you type in your pattern, enter a test string, and instantly see what matches, what doesn’t, and how the groups are structured. Some even explain each part of the pattern, which is a great way to learn while debugging.
I rely on these testers heavily, especially when writing more complex expressions for input validation or search features.
Color palette pickers help you generate balanced color combinations based on a base color, a theme, or even an uploaded image. Some tools also show you how your colors perform in terms of accessibility and readability, which is super important when designing for a broader audience.
I like using these tools when I'm prototyping a UI and want something that feels intentional — even if I’m not a trained designer.
Over time, these have become staples in my dev toolkit. They help me move faster, avoid unnecessary frustration, and focus more on building.
If you haven’t already, I’d recommend exploring some of these — especially if you’re deep in a project and looking for small ways to save time or improve your workflow. And if you’ve got any lesser-known tools of your own, I’d love to hear about them.
They’re not revolutionary on their own, but together, they make a huge difference — especially during testing, design, and debugging phases.
Here are five underrated tools I find myself using more often than I expected.
1. Dummy Data Generators
When you’re building out interfaces that rely on dynamic content — like user tables, product listings, or activity feeds — testing with real data isn’t always practical. That’s where dummy data generators come in.These tools let you quickly generate realistic names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, and more. I often use them when I need to see how my layout handles longer text or various character lengths. Plus, it’s great for catching edge cases, like unusually formatted names or very long usernames, before they cause layout issues.
Even better, some generators allow you to export entire JSON files or CSVs with hundreds of entries, which is incredibly useful when testing things like filters or pagination.
2. Credit Card Number Generator
If you’ve ever worked on a checkout form or a payment flow, you know how tricky it can be to test the user experience without real card data. Using your personal card is a terrible idea, and grabbing a random string of numbers usually won’t pass validation.That’s where credit card number generators come in. They produce numbers that follow the right structure and pass the Luhn algorithm — just like real cards — but without any actual banking connection. It’s ideal for testing front-end validation, error messages, and even payment gateways that support sandbox environments.
These tools can also simulate cards from different networks like Visa, MasterCard, or AmEx, which is helpful if your app needs to recognize or handle them differently.
3. Font Style Generator
Typography can have a surprisingly big impact on user perception, especially for projects that lean into creative or social features. Sometimes you want to add a bit of flair to text — for things like profile bios, headlines, or custom user content.That’s when a font style generator becomes useful. These tools convert plain text into styled Unicode characters, giving it a “fancy” or decorative look without using actual fonts or CSS tricks. Since it's all still technically text, it works across most platforms, including social media, chat apps, and even some form fields.
I’ve used this in fun ways — like letting users customize their display names or personal notes with stylized text. It adds a small but noticeable layer of customization that users tend to enjoy.
4. Regex Testers
Regular expressions are incredibly powerful — and incredibly frustrating when they don’t work. Whether you're validating email formats, parsing logs, or extracting data from strings, regex is often the go-to solution. But writing a complex regex without testing it? That's a recipe for pain.Interactive regex testers make life much easier. They let you type in your pattern, enter a test string, and instantly see what matches, what doesn’t, and how the groups are structured. Some even explain each part of the pattern, which is a great way to learn while debugging.
I rely on these testers heavily, especially when writing more complex expressions for input validation or search features.
5. Color Palette Pickers
Design isn’t always the first thing on a developer’s mind, but even a simple app or admin dashboard benefits from a cohesive color scheme. Picking colors from scratch can be tough — it’s not always obvious what tones work well together or how much contrast is needed.Color palette pickers help you generate balanced color combinations based on a base color, a theme, or even an uploaded image. Some tools also show you how your colors perform in terms of accessibility and readability, which is super important when designing for a broader audience.
I like using these tools when I'm prototyping a UI and want something that feels intentional — even if I’m not a trained designer.
Final Thoughts
These kinds of tools aren’t the main event in a developer’s workflow, but they fill in all the gaps — especially when you’re testing, debugging, or trying to bring a bit of polish to your project. They don’t require installs, they’re fast, and they do one thing really well.Over time, these have become staples in my dev toolkit. They help me move faster, avoid unnecessary frustration, and focus more on building.
If you haven’t already, I’d recommend exploring some of these — especially if you’re deep in a project and looking for small ways to save time or improve your workflow. And if you’ve got any lesser-known tools of your own, I’d love to hear about them.
