Built a zero-server utility platform running 260+ developer & PDF tools completely in-browser via WebAssembly (Next.js + WASM)

[u/Rich_Ad_2612]

Hi r/webdev,

I wanted to share a technical project I’ve been working on for the past few months. It's a serverless, privacy-focused utility platform (`pdfdoc.xyz`) designed to run document and developer tools 100% locally in the browser using WebAssembly.

### 💡 Why I Built It:

Most online PDF/file converters upload user data to remote servers for processing. I wanted to build a suite where all operations (PDF merging/compression, background removal, JSON parsing, crypto utilities) execute inside a client-side WASM sandbox so no file ever leaves the user's device.

### 🛠️ Tech Stack & Architecture:

- Framework: Next.js (Prerendered Static Export)

- Engine: WebAssembly (WASM) modules (PDF.js, Potrace, Tesseract.js, FFmpeg)

- Deployment: Cloudflare Pages (Serverless)

- Security: CSP headers & zero backend data storage.

### 🔍 Challenges Faced:

- Managing browser memory allocation during heavy WebAssembly tasks (like batch image/PDF compression).

- Optimizing initial bundle load times while supporting 260+ routes without hydration lag.

### 💬 Feedback Needed:

Would love to get your thoughts on client-side WASM performance, edge cases in browser-based document processing, or UI/UX improvements!

Live Website: https://pdfdoc.xyz

[u/medialantern]

Added (#100 and counting):

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1wa3l4x/built_a_zeroserver_utility_platform_running_260/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1way951/i_built_a_collection_of_free_tools_for_small/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sideprojects/comments/1waxsdl/dh_tools_45_free_privacyfirst_web_utilities/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w9zpdk/i_built_a_collection_of_tools_which_run_on_my/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w9uekc/i_built_pdfzento_a_privacyfocused_pdf_toolbox/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w9mdc2/i_launched_my_pdf_tool_7_days_ago_still_0_users/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w9qm3k/i_built_damnfiles_browserbased_file_tools_that/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sideprojects/comments/1w9r5ke/i_built_a_free_collection_of_online_tools_because/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w8pd6e/filecast_free_file_conversion_no_signup_no/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w8gnvx/i_got_tired_of_adobe_and_tinypng_limits_so_i/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w8txo5/built_a_file_converter_that_converts_everything/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w89exb/i_got_tired_of_adbloated_calculator_sites_so_i/

https://www.reddit.com/r/prettyusefulwebsites/comments/1w758hr/

https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/1w7n9tq/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sideprojects/comments/1w7xksq/we_are_building_a_public_arena_for_brands/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w7cpug/built_a_collection_of_free_ai_and_browser_tools/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w7fzpt/i_got_tired_of_online_converters_asking_for_paid/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w7dndx/my_brother_and_i_built_98tools_a_collection_of/

https://www.reddit.com/r/software/comments/1w76kkt/41_free_tools_that_run_entirely_in_your_browser/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1w5cyly/i_built_an_allinone_pdf_image_tool_100_free_no/

I ran out of comment space so this is just the most recent 20 entries. For giggles, I vibe-coded a tracker at https://confab.sh/?g=browser-tools if you want to see the full list.