Best Tools for Builders
Here are useful tools for people building websites, apps, games, scripts, communities, brands, and digital products.
Add your own tools in the replies.
1. CloudPanel
Link: https://www.cloudpanel.io/
CloudPanel is a free server control panel for managing PHP sites, domains, SSL, databases, cron jobs, and server settings.
Best for:
- Laravel apps
- PHP scripts
- Flarum forums
- WordPress sites
- Self-hosted projects
- VPS builders
Why it is useful:
- Free
- Clean interface
- Good for PHP projects
- Makes server management faster
- Easier than doing every task through terminal
Warning:
You still need proper backups, updates, firewall rules, and basic server security.
2. Visual Studio Code
Link: https://code.visualstudio.com/
VS Code is a free code editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Best for:
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- PHP
- Laravel
- Node.js
- Markdown
- GitHub projects
Why it is useful:
- Free
- Lots of extensions
- Good terminal integration
- Works well with Git
- Good for editing site files, configs, scripts, and documentation
3. GitHub
Link: https://github.com/
GitHub is useful for storing code, finding open-source projects, tracking changes, and managing scripts.
Best for:
- Finding free scripts
- Saving your own projects
- Tracking code changes
- Sharing open-source tools
- Reporting bugs
- Reading install instructions
Why it is useful:
- Huge library of free/open-source repos
- Good for backup/version history
- Issues and discussions help track problems
- Useful for learning from real projects
Warning:
Always check if a repo is maintained before installing it.
Look at:
- Last update date
- Open issues
- Install instructions
- Licence
- Security warnings
- Number of stars/forks
4. PageSpeed Insights
Link: https://pagespeed.web.dev/
PageSpeed Insights tests website speed, Core Web Vitals, mobile performance, and common optimisation problems.
Best for:
- Website speed checks
- SEO checks
- Mobile performance
- Finding image/script problems
- Checking slow landing pages
Why it is useful:
- Free
- Made by Google
- Gives mobile and desktop reports
- Shows real performance problems
- Good before launching a website
5. Google Search Console
Link: https://search.google.com/search-console/
Google Search Console helps you check if your website is indexed, submit sitemaps, inspect URLs, and monitor search performance.
Best for:
- Submitting sitemaps
- Checking indexed pages
- Finding Google search errors
- Seeing search clicks/impressions
- Fixing crawl problems
Why it is useful:
- Free
- Essential for SEO
- Shows how Google sees your site
- Useful after launching any website or community
6. WebPageTest
Link: https://www.webpagetest.org/
WebPageTest gives deeper website speed tests, load waterfalls, filmstrip views, and performance reports.
Best for:
- Advanced speed testing
- Finding slow files
- Checking first load
- Testing different locations
- Debugging heavy pages
Why it is useful:
- More detailed than basic speed tools
- Good for developers
- Helps spot slow scripts, fonts, images, and third-party files
7. Squoosh
Link: https://squoosh.app/
Squoosh is an image optimisation tool that lets you compress images in the browser.
Best for:
- Compressing JPG
- Compressing PNG
- Converting images
- Reducing image size before upload
- Improving website speed
Why it is useful:
- Free
- Runs in the browser
- Good before uploading images to a website
- Helps reduce page weight
8. Figma
Link: https://www.figma.com/
Figma is a design tool for UI mockups, logos, layouts, wireframes, and prototypes.
Best for:
- Website mockups
- App UI design
- Landing page planning
- Brand layouts
- Design feedback
- Interface prototypes
Why it is useful:
- Easy to share designs
- Good for teams
- Useful before coding a page
- Helps plan layout, spacing, colours, and user flow
9. UptimeRobot
Link: https://uptimerobot.com/
UptimeRobot monitors websites and alerts you if they go offline.
Best for:
- Website monitoring
- Uptime alerts
- Server checks
- Launch monitoring
- Client/project sites
Why it is useful:
- Helps catch downtime quickly
- Good for small projects
- Useful after launching a new site
10. TinyPNG
Link: https://tinypng.com/
TinyPNG compresses PNG, JPG, and WebP images.
Best for:
- Reducing image file sizes
- Blog images
- Product images
- Thumbnails
- Website assets
Why it is useful:
- Simple
- Fast
- Good for non-technical users
- Helps improve website speed
Add your own
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