157 online tools, apps and plugins for webmasters · 7 categories
A practical overview of tools for site management, SEO, PDF, AI, writing, images, audio and video. Each entry shows the pricing model and whether it runs online, as a desktop program, as a WordPress plugin or self-hosted.
- Webmaster & SEO (36)
- PDF (18)
- AI tools (22)
- Text editors (20)
- Images (24)
- Audio (18)
- Video (19)
Webmaster & SEO (36)
Search engines, analytics, speed, security, DNS and WordPress management.
| Tool | Description | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs Webmaster Tools | Backlinks and site audit for your own verified domains, with no time limit. | Free | Online |
| Bing Webmaster Tools | The same for Bing; imports sites straight from Search Console. | Free | Online |
| Cloudflare | DNS, CDN, SSL and attack protection; the free plan is often enough. | Freemium | Online |
| DNS Checker | Shows whether DNS changes have propagated worldwide. | Free | Online |
| Duplicator | Move or clone WordPress sites to another server. | Freemium | WP plugin |
| FileZilla | FTP and SFTP client for Windows, Mac and Linux. | Open source | Desktop |
| Google Analytics 4 | Measures visitors, traffic sources and conversions. | Free | Online |
| Google Search Console | Indexing, keywords, clicks and technical errors for your own site in Google. | Free | Online |
| Google Tag Manager | Manage tracking codes and pixels without editing your site. | Free | Online |
| GTmetrix | Load time and waterfall analysis from several test locations. | Freemium | Online |
| Lighthouse | Audits performance, accessibility and SEO; built into Chrome DevTools. | Open source | Desktop, Command line |
| LiteSpeed Cache | Caching and image optimization for sites on LiteSpeed servers. | Free | WP plugin |
| MainWP | Self-hosted dashboard for managing dozens of WordPress sites. | Open source | Self-hosted, WP plugin |
| ManageWP | Updates, backups and monitoring for many WordPress sites from one dashboard. | Freemium | Online |
| Matomo | Privacy-friendly analytics you host yourself; also available as a WordPress plugin. | Open source | Self-hosted, Online |
| MXToolbox | DNS, SPF, DKIM, DMARC and blacklist checks for email problems. | Freemium | Online |
| PageSpeed Insights | Google’s speed test with Core Web Vitals and suggested fixes. | Free | Online |
| Plausible Analytics | Lightweight, cookieless statistics. Paid cloud, free to self-host. | Open source | Online, Self-hosted |
| Rank Math | Yoast alternative with schema markup and redirects built in. | Freemium | WP plugin |
| Redirection | Manage 301 redirects and a 404 log in WordPress. | Free | WP plugin |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Crawls your site for broken links, redirects, titles and meta tags. Free up to 500 URLs. | Freemium | Desktop |
| Security Headers | Checks HTTP security headers such as CSP and HSTS. | Free | Online |
| Semrush | Keyword and competitor research; a limited number of free searches per day. | Freemium | Online |
| Seobility | Site audit and rank tracking with a useful free account. | Freemium | Online |
| SSL Labs Server Test | Grades a server’s SSL/TLS configuration. | Free | Online |
| Ubersuggest | Simple keyword research with a few free searches per day. | Freemium | Online |
| UpdraftPlus | Scheduled WordPress backups to Dropbox, Google Drive, S3 and more. | Freemium | WP plugin |
| Uptime Kuma | Self-hosted uptime monitor with alerts by email, Telegram and more. | Open source | Self-hosted |
| UptimeRobot | Checks your sites every few minutes and alerts you when one goes down. | Freemium | Online |
| W3C Markup Validator | Validates HTML for errors. | Free | Online |
| Wayback Machine | View old versions of websites and archive pages. | Free | Online |
| WebPageTest | In-depth load testing with filmstrip view and comparisons. | Freemium | Online |
| WinSCP | SFTP/SCP client for Windows with sync and scripting. | Open source | Desktop |
| Wordfence | Firewall and malware scanner for WordPress. | Freemium | WP plugin |
| WP-CLI | Manage WordPress from the command line: updates, users, search-and-replace. | Open source | Command line |
| Yoast SEO | SEO titles, sitemaps and readability checks in WordPress. | Freemium | WP plugin |
PDF (18)
Merge, split, compress, OCR, edit and sign.
| Tool | Description | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat | The standard; Reader is free, editing needs a subscription. | Freemium | Desktop, Online, Mobile |
| DocuSeal | Collect digital signatures on documents; self-host or use the cloud. | Open source | Self-hosted, Online |
| Foxit PDF Reader | Lightweight reader with annotations; a paid editor is available. | Freemium | Desktop, Mobile |
| iLovePDF | Merge, split, compress and convert in the browser. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| LibreOffice Draw | Open and lightly edit PDFs; also exports to PDF/A. | Open source | Desktop |
| OCRmyPDF | Makes scanned PDFs searchable with an invisible text layer. | Open source | Command line |
| Okular | Document viewer with annotations, also for Windows. | Open source | Desktop |
| PDF Arranger | Drag, rotate and delete pages in a clear thumbnail view. | Open source | Desktop |
| PDF-XChange Editor | Fast Windows editor with annotations and OCR. | Freemium | Desktop |
| PDF24 Tools | Extensive free PDF tools, also as an offline Windows program. | Free | Online, Desktop |
| PDFgear | Free PDF editor with conversion and an AI chat about your document. | Free | Desktop, Mobile |
| PDFsam Basic | Split, merge and rotate pages, fully offline. | Open source | Desktop |
| qpdf | Merge, unlock and repair PDFs from the command line. | Open source | Command line |
| Sejda | Edit text in PDFs, fill forms and run batch jobs. | Freemium | Online, Desktop |
| Smallpdf | A similar online PDF toolkit, with e-signing. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| Stirling PDF | More than 50 PDF operations on your own server, so documents never leave it. | Open source | Self-hosted, Desktop |
| SumatraPDF | Very fast, minimal PDF and e-book reader for Windows. | Open source | Desktop |
| Xodo | Read and annotate on phone, tablet and web. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
AI tools (22)
Assistants, search, translation, local models, and image, voice and music generation.
| Tool | Description | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Firefly | Image generation trained on licensed material, built into Adobe apps. | Freemium | Online |
| ChatGPT | Versatile assistant with image generation and voice. | Freemium | Online, Desktop, Mobile |
| Claude | Assistant for writing, analysis, code and tasks across your own apps and files. | Freemium | Online, Desktop, Mobile |
| DeepL | Accurate translation and rewriting, strong in European languages. | Freemium | Online, Desktop |
| ElevenLabs | Realistic text-to-speech, voice cloning and dubbing. | Freemium | Online |
| Gamma | Generate presentations and web pages from an outline or text. | Freemium | Online |
| Gemini | Google’s assistant, closely tied to Gmail, Docs and Drive. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| Ideogram | Image generation that renders text inside images well. | Freemium | Online |
| Le Chat (Mistral) | European assistant from France’s Mistral. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| LM Studio | Download local models and chat with them in a desktop app. | Free | Desktop |
| Lovable | Build web apps by describing what you want. | Freemium | Online |
| Microsoft Copilot | Assistant in Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| Midjourney | High-quality image generation with a distinctive style. | Paid | Online |
| n8n | Build workflows and AI agents that connect your apps; can be self-hosted. | Open source | Self-hosted, Online |
| NotebookLM | Ask questions about your own documents and turn them into audio overviews. | Freemium | Online |
| Ollama | Run open language models locally, so data never leaves your computer. | Open source | Desktop, Command line |
| OpenRouter | One API and account for models from many providers; pay as you go. | Paid | Online |
| Otter.ai | Transcribe and summarize meetings live. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| Perplexity | AI search engine that answers with cited sources. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| Runway | Generate and edit video with AI. | Freemium | Online |
| Suno | Generate complete songs with vocals from a description. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| Whisper | Accurate speech-to-text in many languages; runs locally. | Open source | Command line |
Text editors (20)
Code editors, Markdown, writing and proofreading.
| Tool | Description | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBEdit | Veteran Mac editor; core features stay free. | Freemium | Desktop |
| CodePen | Try out and share HTML, CSS and JavaScript live. | Freemium | Online |
| Cursor | Code editor based on VS Code with AI built in. | Freemium | Desktop |
| GNU nano | Simple terminal editor, handy on servers. | Open source | Command line |
| Google Docs | Write together in the browser. | Free | Online, Mobile |
| Hemingway Editor | Highlights long sentences and passive voice. | Freemium | Online, Desktop |
| iA Writer | Calm writing app with focus mode and style checks. | Paid | Desktop, Mobile |
| Kate | Powerful editor from KDE, also for Windows. | Open source | Desktop |
| LanguageTool | Spelling and grammar checks in many languages; also as a browser extension. | Freemium | Online, Desktop |
| LibreOffice Writer | Full word processor and alternative to Word. | Open source | Desktop |
| Neovim | Modern Vim, fully keyboard-driven and configurable. | Open source | Command line |
| Notepad++ | Classic Windows editor with syntax highlighting and macros. | Open source | Desktop |
| Obsidian | Markdown notes linked to each other; sync is paid. | Freemium | Desktop, Mobile |
| PhpStorm | Full IDE for PHP and WordPress development. | Paid | Desktop |
| StackBlitz | A full web development environment in the browser. | Freemium | Online |
| Sublime Text | Fast, lightweight editor; unlimited evaluation, licence for ongoing use. | Paid | Desktop |
| Typora | Markdown editor that shows formatted text as you type. | Paid | Desktop |
| Visual Studio Code | The most popular code editor, with thousands of extensions. | Free | Desktop |
| VSCodium | VS Code without Microsoft telemetry and branding. | Open source | Desktop |
| Zed | Very fast editor with collaboration and AI features. | Open source | Desktop |
Images (24)
Photo editing, vector, web compression, RAW and stock photos.
| Tool | Description | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Photoshop | The standard for photo editing, with generative AI. | Paid | Desktop, Online, Mobile |
| Affinity | Photo, vector and layout in one professional app; free since late 2025. | Free | Desktop |
| Canva | Design social posts, flyers and presentations from templates. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| darktable | RAW development and photo management; an alternative to Lightroom. | Open source | Desktop |
| Figma | Interface and web design, together in the browser. | Freemium | Online, Desktop |
| GIMP | Full-featured photo editing and an open alternative to Photoshop. | Open source | Desktop |
| ImageMagick | Batch convert, resize and edit images. | Open source | Command line |
| Imagify | Image optimization for WordPress from the makers of WP Rocket. | Freemium | WP plugin |
| Inkscape | Vector drawing and SVG editing. | Open source | Desktop |
| IrfanView | Fast viewer with batch renaming; free for non-commercial use. | Free | Desktop |
| Krita | Digital painting and illustration. | Open source | Desktop |
| Paint.NET | Simple, fast image editor for Windows. | Free | Desktop |
| Pexels | Free stock photos and videos. | Free | Online |
| Photopea | Photoshop-like editor in the browser; opens PSD files. | Freemium | Online |
| Pixlr | Quick online photo editing with AI features. | Freemium | Online, Mobile |
| RawTherapee | Precise RAW processing. | Open source | Desktop |
| remove.bg | Removes image backgrounds automatically. | Freemium | Online |
| ShortPixel | Automatic image compression and WebP/AVIF in WordPress. | Freemium | WP plugin |
| Squoosh | Compress images and convert to WebP or AVIF, with side-by-side comparison. | Open source | Online |
| SVGOMG | Clean up and shrink SVG files. | Open source | Online |
| TinyPNG | Shrinks PNG, JPG and WebP files without visible loss. | Freemium | Online |
| Unsplash | High-quality photos free to use. | Free | Online |
| Upscayl | Upscale images with AI, locally on your computer. | Open source | Desktop |
| XnConvert | Batch conversion and editing; free for private use. | Free | Desktop |
Audio (18)
Recording, editing, clean-up, podcasts and sound libraries.
| Tool | Description | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Podcast | Enhance Speech makes home recordings sound studio-quality. | Freemium | Online |
| Ardour | Professional recording and mixing software. | Open source | Desktop |
| Audacity | Record, cut and remove noise; the starting point for audio. | Open source | Desktop |
| Auphonic | Automatic leveling, noise reduction and loudness; a few free hours per month. | Freemium | Online |
| Descript | Edit audio and video by editing the transcript. | Freemium | Desktop, Online |
| fre:ac | Convert audio and rip CDs. | Open source | Desktop |
| Freesound | Library of Creative Commons sound effects. | Free | Online |
| GarageBand | Make music and podcasts on Mac and iPad. | Free | Desktop, Mobile |
| Krisp | Filters out background noise during calls. | Freemium | Desktop |
| LMMS | Produce music with synths and a piano roll. | Open source | Desktop |
| Mp3tag | Batch-edit metadata and cover art of audio files. | Free | Desktop |
| MuseScore | Write and play back sheet music. | Open source | Desktop |
| ocenaudio | Lightweight, clear audio editor. | Free | Desktop |
| Reaper | Full DAW with an affordable licence and a generous trial. | Paid | Desktop |
| Riverside | Record remote podcasts and interviews in high quality. | Freemium | Online |
| Spek | Shows a spectrogram to check a file’s quality. | Open source | Desktop |
| Ultimate Vocal Remover | Separate vocals and instruments with AI. | Open source | Desktop |
| Voicemeeter | Virtual mixer for Windows to route audio sources. | Free | Desktop |
Video (19)
Editing, screen recording, transcoding, subtitles and hosting.
| Tool | Description | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Premiere Pro | Professional editing within Creative Cloud. | Paid | Desktop |
| Blender | 3D modeling and animation, with a built-in video editor. | Open source | Desktop |
| CapCut | Fast editing for social media with automatic captions. | Freemium | Desktop, Online, Mobile |
| Clipchamp | Microsoft’s browser editor, built into Windows. | Freemium | Online |
| DaVinci Resolve | Editing, color grading and audio; the free version is very complete. | Freemium | Desktop |
| FFmpeg | The engine behind most video tools: convert, cut, join. | Open source | Command line |
| Final Cut Pro | Apple’s professional editor; one-time purchase. | Paid | Desktop |
| HandBrake | Convert and shrink videos to MP4 or MKV. | Open source | Desktop |
| Kapwing | Cut, subtitle and resize videos online. | Freemium | Online |
| Kdenlive | Full-featured multitrack editor with effects. | Open source | Desktop |
| Loom | Quickly record a screen video and share it by link. | Freemium | Desktop, Online |
| OBS Studio | Screen recording and live streaming. | Open source | Desktop |
| OpenShot | Simple editor for beginners. | Open source | Desktop |
| Presto Player | Fast, customizable video player for WordPress. | Freemium | WP plugin |
| ShareX | Screenshots and screen recordings with upload and editing (Windows). | Open source | Desktop |
| Shotcut | Clear video editor for all platforms. | Open source | Desktop |
| Subtitle Edit | Create, sync and auto-transcribe subtitles. | Open source | Desktop |
| Vimeo | Host and embed videos without ads. | Freemium | Online |
| VLC | Plays almost any format and can also convert. | Open source | Desktop, Mobile |
Pricing models in broad terms, updated November 2026. Open source: free code, sometimes with a paid cloud version. Freemium: free basic tier with paid options. Check current terms on the maker’s site.