Guides
Short, practical how-to articles that explain a concept and point you to the tool that does the work.
How to Decode a JWT — Learn what is inside a JSON Web Token, how to decode its header and payload, and why decoding is not the same as verifying the signature. How to Format and Validate JSON — Learn what valid JSON looks like, how to pretty-print it, the difference between formatting and minifying, and the most common JSON syntax mistakes. How to Convert a Unix Timestamp — Understand Unix epoch time, the difference between seconds and milliseconds, how time zones apply, and how to convert timestamps to readable dates. How to Base64 Encode Text — Learn what Base64 encoding actually does, how it differs from encryption, when to use the URL-safe variant, and how much it increases data size. How to Test a Regular Expression — Learn how regular expressions work, why patterns often fail to match, how flags and capture groups behave, and how to test a regex against sample text. Compare
Side-by-side breakdowns to help you pick the right tool for the job.
UUID vs ULID — Compare UUIDs and ULIDs: randomness vs. sortable time-based IDs, database index friendliness, and which to choose for your identifiers. JSON vs YAML — Compare JSON and YAML: syntax, readability, comments, and where each format fits best in configs, APIs and data exchange. Base64 vs URL Encoding — Learn the difference between Base64 and URL percent-encoding, and which one to use for data, query strings and URLs. JWT Decoding vs Encoding — Understand the difference between decoding a JWT (reading it) and encoding or signing one (creating it), and which tool to use for each. CSV vs JSON — Compare CSV and JSON for tabular data, APIs and spreadsheets, and learn when to convert between them. Markdown vs HTML — Compare Markdown and HTML for authoring content: readability, expressiveness, and when to use each. Bcrypt vs SHA-256 — Learn why bcrypt is right for passwords and SHA-256 is wrong, and how salting and cost factors change the picture. Slugify vs Case Converter — Understand the difference between slugifying text for URLs and converting text case, and when to use each. CSS Gradient vs Box Shadow — Compare CSS gradients and box shadows for backgrounds and depth, and see which generator to use for each effect. Base64 Encoder vs Decoder — Confused about whether to encode or decode Base64? Learn the difference and which tool to use for your input. URL Encoder vs Decoder — Confused about whether to percent-encode or decode a URL? Learn the difference and which tool to use for your input. Browse all tools