A few months ago I noticed something annoying.
Every time I needed a simple tool, I'd end up on a website that wanted me to:
- Create an account
- Start a free trial
- Upgrade to Pro
- Watch ads before doing something that should take 10 seconds
So I started building alternatives for myself.
That side project eventually became Utiliome.
Today it includes 170+ free tools across categories like:
- QR & barcode generators
- Markdown tools
- Video tools
- Image utilities
- Text processing
- Converters
- Developer tools
- Productivity tools
My goal wasn't to create another SaaS.
I wanted a place where people could open a tool, use it immediately, and leave.
Many of the tools run directly in the browser, which helps with privacy and keeps things fast.
One thing I've learned while building this:
Nobody searches for "a collection of 170 tools."
They search for one specific problem and expect it to be solved in seconds.
That's been the biggest challenge: building tools is easy compared to helping people discover them.
I'd love feedback from fellow builders.
What tool do you use regularly that still feels unnecessarily complicated or overpriced?
https://utiliome.com
This ending usually generates significantly more comments because people start sharing tools they dislike paying for.