About Privatools & The Privacy Mission
Privatools was built to solve a pervasive problem: you shouldn't have to surrender sensitive business data, customer records, SSL certificates, or API tokens to remote cloud servers just to convert a file or inspect a payload.
Gareth Barlow
Creator & EngineerSoftware engineer & privacy advocate • United Kingdom
Hi! I'm Gareth. In my day-to-day software engineering work, I frequently found myself needing to convert data between formats, parse JSON Web Tokens, inspect X.509 certificates, format EDI files, or run quick queries against SQLite databases.
Almost every existing web tool for these tasks operated by sending the data to a remote backend server. When dealing with proprietary company source code, customer payroll spreadsheets, or production cryptographic tokens, uploading that data to an unknown third-party server is a severe compliance and security violation.
Privatools was built to prove that modern browsers are fully equipped to run these workloads client-side. There are no venture capital investors pushing for data monetization, no tracking pixels, and no backend data collection. It is an independent engineering project dedicated to privacy and speed.
The Danger of Traditional Cloud Converters
Standard online conversion utilities route your files through remote backend servers. Even if their privacy policies state files are deleted after an hour, your sensitive data traverses public networks, sits in server-side temp storage, and is exposed to logging systems, third-party analytics, and database breaches. For GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 compliance, this creates unnecessary risk.
The Zero-Knowledge Client-Side Alternative
Privatools completely inverts the model. All 19 tools execute exclusively inside your local browser sandbox. Data never leaves your RAM. Whether you are parsing a 50MB CSV, inspecting an enterprise SSL root certificate, or debugging OAuth tokens, 0 bytes are uploaded to remote servers.
How It Works Under the Hood
WebAssembly & Web Crypto
SQLite compiles to WebAssembly (sql.js) running near native speed. Cryptographic hashes and HMACs use the browser's native hardware-accelerated Web Crypto API.
100% Offline Capability
Equipped with a Cache-First Service Worker precaching all chunks, wasm binaries, and styles. You can disconnect your Wi-Fi or enable Airplane mode and all tools work.
Zero Telemetry or Cookies
No tracking cookies, no Google Analytics, no session recorders, and no remote telemetry beacons. Your browsing activity and transformed data remain private.
Don't Just Take My Word for It — Verify the Proof
Because Privatools is 100% client-side, you can open your browser's DevTools Network tab, convert files, and see for yourself that exactly 0 network requests are sent.
How to Get in Touch & Support Privatools
Bug Reports & Feature Requests
Found a bug, want support for a new file format, or have ideas for a new utility? Open an issue on the GitHub issue tracker.
Support Development on Buy Me a Coffee
Tips and community support go directly toward maintaining the project, expanding test suites, and adding new offline privacy tools based on community feedback.
Inspect the Source Code
Privatools is source-available under the Business Source License 1.1, converting to open-source MIT on September 12, 2030. Audit our code anytime.
Standalone Offline PWA License
If you want Privatools installed directly on your home screen or desktop with full offline support, grab a lifetime PWA license on Gumroad.