localFirstTools — A Gallery of 450+ Self-Contained HTML Apps
A browsable gallery of 450+ single-file tools — every one runs offline in your browser, no backend, no install, no signup.
Built with:
HTMLJavaScriptCSS
Why this exists
Most "useful tool" sites die the moment their backend bills come due, or their npm dependencies rot, or the framework they were built on goes out of fashion. localFirstTools is built so that doesn't matter — every tool is a single HTML file with no dependencies.
What it actually does
- 450+ standalone HTML tools indexed in a browsable gallery
- Each tool runs entirely client-side, offline-capable
- Save the folder to disk, disconnect from the internet, everything still works
- The gallery itself is one HTML file reading a manifest
The principle
Software that depends on nothing decays the slowest. If you want a tool to be around in ten years, write it as a single HTML file with no network calls.
Prompt
Make me a gallery page that lists 400+ standalone HTML tools, where every
tool is one self-contained file with no dependencies. The gallery itself
is also one HTML file. Each tool launches in a new tab and runs entirely
client-side — calculators, simulators, games, visualizations, utilities.
No frameworks, no build steps, no API keys. The point is "you can save
this folder to disk, disconnect from the internet, and everything still
works."Paste this into Claude, Cursor, or Copilot. Change one thing that matters to you.
What I learned shipping it
- When tools have zero dependencies, you accumulate hundreds of them and they all keep working forever. Maintenance cost is near zero.
- Single-file HTML is the most durable software format invented. It will outlive every framework I've ever used.
- A gallery of small, sharp tools beats one big swiss-army app. Optionality compounds.