The best web development tools I use in 2024
Introduction
Hello, I’m Benjamin Crozat!
As a seasoned web developer with over ten years of experience, I’ve gathered an extensive list of web development tools I think are the best available and that have been indispensable in my journey.
(By the way, my sponsors sell incredible tools for web developers too. Go check them out on the homepage!)
Available discounts
Many of the tools I listed below offer discounts. Here’s a list for developers in a hurry. 😅
- DigitalOcean (cloud hosting provider): Get $200 worth of credit for free.
- Fathom Analytics (GDPR-compliant analytics tool): Sign up and get $10 off your first invoice.
- Setapp (the Netflix of apps): Sign up, subscribe, and we both get a free month.
- Wincher (a SEO monitoring tool): Use the promo code WELCOME30 for 30% off your first invoice.
Other tools usually give you a generous free trial, so feel free to continue reading!
The best web development tools I use
DigitalOcean
Cloud hosting is a crucial web development tool for showcasing your projects to the world, and DigitalOcean is my top choice.
It’s been my provider of choice for more than ten years. I never had any issues, and it works perfectly with Ploi and Laravel Forge. I also love their top-notch UI and UX.
Their $6/month droplet is what most web developers need, so you can start for really cheap (that’s what I used for a while for this blog).
Please support my work, get $200 worth of credit for free using my affiliate link.
Fathom Analytics: a privacy-first alternative to Google Analytics
Robust analytics tools are a cornerstone in the web development tools ecosystem, essential for evolving any web project.
Fathom Analytics is a privacy-first and GDPR-compliant analytics tool that can replace Google Analytics in your web applications. They’re using a robust serverless infrastructure that makes it super reliable, even when you’re under a DDoS attack. 👌 This is the one I recommend to each of my clients.
That said, I don’t use it anymore after over a year. I’m using Pirsch Analytics. It’s a great tool offering more features (and I save a few dollars per month), more frequent updates and a stellar UI and UX. The only thing I can complain about is the recurring slowdowns I encounter on the dashboard. Fathom Analytics feels much more reliable and enterprise-ready. So yeah, consider one of those two options depending on your context.
Please support my work start your free Fathom Analytics trial and get $10 off your first invoice using my affiliate link.
Ploi: simplifying server management for web developers
For web developers who prefer to streamline their workflow, server management tools are a must-have in your web development toolkit. Instead of maintaining Linux machines, you can focus on building your projects.
Ploi is, in my opinion, a great one and a better alternative to Laravel Forge. This is a tool I’m currently using.
Ploi gives you more features at a lower price, and their UI look and feels good.
Please support my work, start your 5-day free trial using my affiliate link.
Oh Dear
Oh Dear is an all-in-one monitoring tool. Why is it useful? Because I need rock-solid stability to serve my visitors and not lose rankings on Google. Oh Dear checks for:
- Down times
- Broken links
- Scheduled tasks
- Performances
- And more!
So yeah, this is a must-have for me!
Please support my work, start your 10-day free trial using my affiliate link.
Namecheap
Until fairly recently, I used OVH as a registrar for my domain names. But I changed that for Namecheap. It’s not the sexiest among this list of web development tools, but the domains are cheaper (not that much, but still!), and it does the job. It’s a necessary step when doing web development anyway.
Please support my work, get your next domain name with Namecheap using my affiliate link.
TablePlus: a multifaceted database tool for web developers
I’m not a big fan of phpMyAdmin. It does the job, but it’s from another era, and I’m done using ugly tools.
In the land of web development tools, TablePlus stands out for handling databases. Yes, it costs money, but it’s beautiful and can handle multiple kinds of databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, etc.). I recommend it to any professional web developer.
TablePlus is available through Setapp, a $9.99 monthly subscription service that lets you install as many Mac apps as you want without paying the full price. (TablePlus also runs on Linux, Windows, iOS and iPadOS.)
Tower: a user-friendly Git interface for web developers
Tower is a beautiful native Mac and Windows user interface for Git. I use it daily because I’m not masochist enough to force myself to use the CLI tool.
Tower is an excellent investment for your web development tool belt, especially for those prioritizing a seamless Git interface. I am trying to remember when I started using it (probably ten years ago).
Please support my work and use my affiliate link to start your free trial.
Tinkerwell: an innovative way to enhance the life of web developers
Tinkerwell is a playground for Laravel. You can either experiment on a default framework installation or do it on one of your local projects.
I hate to admit it, but Tinkerwell saved my life multiple times, allowing me to run code on remote apps through SSH.
Tinkerwell is a necessity in your web development tools arsenal. By the way, Tinkerwell runs on Mac, Linux, and Windows.
Please support my work, check out Tinkerwell using my affiliate link.
Ray: streamlining Laravel debugging for web developers
Ray is a highly visual way to debug Laravel apps. Use ray() instead of dd() and the data will be nicely displayed in the app. What else can I add? Ray adds excellent value to the suite of web development tools for those who need an intuitive debugging solution.
Ray is available for Mac, Linux, and Windows.
Setapp: a cost-effective solution for web development apps
One common challenge with accumulating various web development tools is managing the cost, where Setapp comes in handy. If you are a professional web developer, that’s fine because you should make enough money to pay for them. That being said, reducing costs is always good if you don’t compromise quality.
Some of the apps I talked about are available through Setapp. This is a subscription service like Netflix, but for Mac, iOS, and iPadOS apps. You can see in the image above the ones I installed.
I pay 9.99€ per month, and it’s totally worth it considering the value I get from the apps I use.
Sign up for free through my affiliate link, and we both get a free month if you decide to subscribe at the end of your trial!
SavvyCal
SavvyCal is a calendar you can embed on your website and have people book you depending on your availability. This is a great way to automate consulting for instance, since people can even pay before booking you.
I LOVE this service. It’s so beautifully designed and easy to use.
Support my work, and get started with the free plan using my affiliate link.
Wincher: a SEO monitoring tool
Wincher is by far the best rank tracker I’ve used. Period.
It’s expensive, though. Their small tier is way too restrictive for an effective SEO campaign. For those in the web development field, especially working with established businesses, tools like Wincher are indispensable for effective SEO management. In this context, it’s extremely powerful.
Please support my work, start your free trial and get $30 off with promo code WELCOME30 using my affiliate link.