Developers use dozens of tools every day.
One website to format JSON, another to decode JWTs, another to convert timestamps, and a separate application for generating UUIDs or inspecting data.
These small tasks may seem simple, but constantly switching between tools interrupts the development workflow.
That's the problem I wanted to address with Castov.
🌐 Website: https://castov.com
What is Castov?
Castov is a developer-focused toolkit that brings together practical utilities for everyday software development.
Instead of relying on multiple disconnected websites and applications, developers can access a growing collection of tools through one ecosystem.
Castov covers several areas:
JSON formatting and validation
Base64 encoding and decoding
JWT inspection
UUID generation
Hash generation
Unix timestamp and date conversion
Time zone utilities
Cron expression generation
Developer productivity utilities
Security-focused tools
The goal is simple: make common development tasks easier to access and faster to complete.
More Than Browser-Based Tools
One of the ideas behind Castov is that developer utilities should be available where developers actually work.
That's why the ecosystem extends beyond the website.
- Browser-Based Tools
Castov provides online utilities that developers can access directly from their browsers.
For example, you can format JSON, inspect a JWT payload, convert timestamps, or encode and decode Base64 without installing a separate application.
Most everyday conversion and inspection operations run locally in the browser.
- Castov CLI
Developers who prefer working in the terminal can use the Castov command-line interface.
For example:
npx castov@latest --help
The CLI brings developer utilities closer to terminal-based workflows.
- TypeScript SDK
Castov also provides a JavaScript and TypeScript SDK for developers who want to integrate selected utilities into their own applications.
Install it using:
npm install castov-sdk
The SDK includes utilities for UUIDs, timestamps, ID detection, Cron parsing, and JWT decoding.
- MCP Server for AI Development Workflows
AI-powered development environments are becoming an important part of software engineering.
Castov provides an MCP Server that allows compatible AI clients to access selected developer utilities through the Model Context Protocol.
Run it using:
npx -y castov@latest mcp
This creates another way to access developer utilities from AI-assisted workflows.
- VS Code Integration
Castov also has a VS Code extension, bringing selected developer utilities directly into the editor.
The idea is to reduce unnecessary context switching and keep useful operations close to the code.
Privacy and Local Execution
Privacy is an important consideration when working with developer data.
Many common operations in Castov, including JSON formatting, timestamp conversion, and selected cryptographic utilities, execute locally in the browser.
This means the input for those operations does not need to be uploaded to Castov servers.
However, some features are designed to use external infrastructure, encrypted cloud storage, or peer-to-peer connections. Their network behavior depends on the feature being used.
The goal is to make data handling understandable rather than treating every tool as if it works in exactly the same way.
Who Is Castov For?
Castov is designed for people who work with software and technical data every day:
Frontend and backend developers
JavaScript and TypeScript developers
DevOps engineers
Software engineers
Developers using AI coding assistants
Students learning web development
Whether you need to convert a timestamp, inspect a token, format JSON, or access utilities from your terminal, Castov aims to make these tasks more convenient.
What's Next?
Castov is an evolving project.
The long-term vision is to build a unified developer ecosystem that connects browser-based utilities, command-line workflows, editor integrations, and AI development tools.
Rather than building another collection of unrelated online converters, the ambition is to create a consistent toolkit that developers can use across different environments.
There is still plenty of room to improve, expand, and learn from real developer feedback.
Try Castov
If you work with web development, APIs, JSON, timestamps, or developer automation, take a look:
I'd genuinely appreciate feedback from the developer community.
What developer utility do you find yourself using most often, and what would you like to see added to Castov?
Thanks for reading!
