TOOLS
The software I use daily, trust regularly, or keep around because nothing else comes close. Curated for full-stack engineering on Windows — tools that earn their place by getting out of the way.
CURSOR
AI-native code editor
VS Code fork with AI wired into its core. Context-aware autocomplete, codebase-wide chat, and inline edits that understand architecture — not just syntax.
VS CODE
The editor that started it all
The foundation Cursor is built on. Still reach for it for quick edits, remote SSH sessions, and extensions that haven't landed in Cursor yet.
INTELLIJ IDEA
JVM powerhouse
The gold standard for Java and Spring Boot. Slow to start, irreplaceable in practice. Deep static analysis, refactoring, and framework support nothing else matches.
CLAUDE CODE
Agentic pair programmer
Reads your codebase, writes and edits files, runs commands, catches its own mistakes, and asks before doing something irreversible. Changes how you think about working on complex problems alone.
GITHUB COPILOT
In-editor completions
Still useful for boilerplate, test skeletons, and filling in the obvious patterns. Best when you know exactly what it can and cannot do.
ARC
The browser that rethought everything
Spaces, split view, command bar, and a UI that actually respects screen real estate. The browser that made me stop using tabs the old way.
ZEN BROWSER
Firefox, but beautiful
Open-source Firefox fork with a clean sidebar-first UI, compact mode, and Arc-like spatial navigation. Privacy-first without sacrificing aesthetics.
BRAVE
Privacy-first Chromium
Chromium fork with built-in ad blocking, fingerprinting protection, and no Google telemetry. The practical default for daily browsing when Arc isn't available.
WARP
The terminal, reimagined
Block-based output, AI command search, and a UI that doesn't feel like 1985. The first terminal that made me actually enjoy the command line.
TERMIUS
SSH that syncs everywhere
Cross-device SSH client with built-in SFTP, port forwarding, and a host vault that syncs across devices. Clean UI — the Figma of terminal clients.
FIGMA
From wireframe to handoff
Browser-based, real-time collaborative, and fast enough to keep up with thought. Used for everything from five-minute mockups to full design systems.
EXCALIDRAW
Infinite whiteboard for thinking
Hand-drawn aesthetic, zero friction, infinitely fast. For architecture diagrams, quick flows, and any idea that needs to be externalised before it disappears.
SHOTS.SO
Beautiful screenshot mockups
Drop a screenshot in, get a beautifully framed device mockup out. Indispensable for making project screenshots not look like they were taken on a 2009 netbook.
BEEKEEPER STUDIO
Open-source database GUI
Clean, genuinely open-source database client. Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, and more — no subscription, no bloat, no locked features.
YAAK
The API client that respects you
What Insomnia should have stayed. Environments, collections, GraphQL, gRPC — all in a native app that doesn't require a login or a subscription to run a request.
VERCEL
Frontend cloud, zero config
Deploy a Next.js app in 30 seconds with preview URLs, edge functions, and analytics. The benchmark everything else is measured against.
CLOUDFLARE
DNS, CDN, and edge compute
DNS for every domain, Pages for static hosting, R2 for zero-egress storage, and Workers when something needs to run at the edge. The infrastructure layer I trust.
DOKPLOY
Self-hosted deployment platform
Open-source Heroku/Vercel alternative you run on your own VPS. Docker-based deploys, environment management, and a clean dashboard — full control, no vendor lock-in.
DOCKER
Containerise everything
Dev environments, production services, CI pipelines — if it runs somewhere, it runs in Docker first. Compose for local stacks, Desktop for the GUI when needed.
WSL2
Linux on Windows, natively
Full Linux kernel running inside Windows. Real bash, real package managers, and filesystem performance that finally makes Windows a legitimate dev machine.
NOTION
Docs, boards, and databases
Project planning, meeting notes, feature specs, and knowledge bases. Flexible enough to adapt to any workflow without fighting back.
OBSIDIAN
Local-first knowledge base
Markdown-native, offline-first, and yours forever. For deep thinking, permanent notes, and everything you actually want to keep long-term.
TODOIST
Task manager that stays out of the way
Inbox, projects, priorities, due dates — and a natural language parser that actually works. The right amount of structure without becoming a productivity system you have to maintain.
MARKTEXT
Distraction-free Markdown editor
Clean, focused Markdown writing. Source mode and WYSIWYG in one editor. Open-source and offline — for when you just want to write without Notion loading.
SPOTIFY
Focus and deep work fuel
Lofi, post-rock, film scores, or just whatever clears the head. Not a dev tool, but an honest part of how the engineering gets done.
POWERTOYS
Power user toolkit by Microsoft
FancyZones for window layouts, Run for instant launch, ColorPicker, ImageResizer, and a dozen other utilities Microsoft should have shipped with Windows years ago.
FLOW LAUNCHER
Instant everything, one keystroke
Alfred and Raycast for Windows. Apps, files, clipboard history, web search, calculator, unit conversion — all without touching the mouse.
EVERYTHING
Instant file search for Windows
Indexes your entire filesystem in seconds and finds any file instantly. The Windows search Microsoft never built. Once installed, you'll never open File Explorer again.
LOCALSEND
Cross-platform AirDrop
Transfer files between any devices on the same network — no cloud, no account, no friction. Fast, private, and open-source.
DEVTOYS
Developer Swiss Army knife
JSON formatter, Base64 encoder, JWT decoder, UUID generator, diff checker, regex tester — all offline, all instant. Replaces a dozen browser tabs.
WINTOYS
Windows settings, unlocked
Debloat, tweak, and optimise Windows from a single clean dashboard. Disables telemetry, removes junk apps, and exposes settings Microsoft buried.
NOTEPADS
Notepad, but modern
Fluent Design notepad replacement with tabs, diff viewer, and a UI that doesn't look like Windows 98. The default notepad replacement for quick text work.
SCREENBOX
Modern media player for Windows
Fluent Design media player built on libVLC. Plays everything, looks native on Windows 11, and handles network streams without VLC's chaotic UI.
FLUENTCAST
Podcast app for Windows
Fluent Design podcast client for Windows. Clean, fast, syncs subscriptions, and feels like it actually belongs on Windows 11.
SHAREX
Screenshot & screen capture powerhouse
Capture anything — region, window, fullscreen, scrolling — with instant annotation, upload, and automation workflows. The most powerful free screenshot tool on Windows.
LOOM
Async video communication
Record screen + camera, share a link instantly. Replaced half my written status updates and all my 'can you just look at this?' messages.
1PASSWORD
The password manager worth paying for
Passwords, SSH keys, API tokens, 2FA — one vault, everywhere. The Travel Mode and developer secrets features alone justify the subscription.
PROTONVPN
Privacy-first VPN
Swiss-based, audited, open-source VPN. No logs, no data selling. The only VPN provider I trust enough to recommend to non-technical people.
ADGUARD
System-wide ad and tracker blocker
Blocks ads and trackers at the system level — browser, apps, everything. More thorough than a browser extension and doesn't require per-browser setup.
RAINDROP.IO
Visual bookmark manager
Save, tag, and organise bookmarks with screenshots and full-text search. The only bookmark manager that makes the saved articles actually findable later.
WAPPALYZER
Tech stack detector
One click to see what any website is built with — framework, CMS, analytics, CDN, payment provider. Essential for competitive research and general curiosity.
Read-later for the internet
Save articles, strip the clutter, read offline. The buffer between 'I should read this' and actually reading it later without losing the link.
FDM
Free Download Manager
Multi-connection downloads, torrent support, browser integration, and scheduled bandwidth limits. Replaces the browser's built-in downloader for anything over 100MB.
Personalised dev news feed — articles, discussions, and repos in one place.
Developer blogging platform with real community discussions.
Long-form engineering articles and product deep-dives.
Tech writing without paywalls. Opinionated takes on software and startups.
The definitive CSS reference and frontend technique archive.
Infrastructure, cloud-native, and platform engineering coverage.
Tech news and culture from a design-aware perspective.
5-minute daily newsletter covering dev, AI, and startup news.
System design newsletter and visual deep-dives. Essential for architecture thinking.
Curated weekly picks of interesting developer tools and open-source projects.
Daily hand-picked open-source repos worth knowing about.
Rankings of the most popular open-source JS/TS projects by GitHub stars.
Daily launches of new products, tools, and side projects.
Product Hunt for developer tools specifically.
Design inspiration. The benchmark for visual quality and UI craft.
Curated gallery of outstanding web design and UI patterns.
Collection of high-converting SaaS landing page examples and copy.
This page is listed on uses.tech — a directory of developer setup pages. Last updated March 2026.