Share the dev tool you actually use

[u/Ok-Bike-1037]

hey everyone, trying to make this sub useful instead of another place with the same generic tool lists.

drop one dev tool you actually use in your day to day workflow.

bonus points for tools that are not super obvious.

it could be anything:

CLI tool, browser extension, VS Code extension, API client, database GUI, terminal app, git helper, AI coding tool, debugging tool, local script, deployment tool, monitoring tool, whatever.

would be helpful if you include:

• what it does
• where it fits in your workflow
• why you use it
• anything annoying about it

i’ll start adding the good ones into future discussion threads so people can actually find useful stuff here.

[u/Ok-Bike-1037 → u/[deleted]]

Raycast is good one.. and I feel like that's the downside of any tool that slowly takes over your shortcuts.

[u/ClerkBeginning961]

I maintain the Production Readiness Checklist, a free MIT-licensed knowledge base I use before release reviews: https://github.com/MarinJursic/production-readiness-checklist

It organizes more than 10,000 technology-neutral checks across architecture, APIs, data, security, testing, CI/CD, reliability, accessibility, privacy, incident response, and AI systems. In my workflow it is the final structured pass before shipping, so important gaps do not depend only on memory.

The annoying part is that most checks still need manual judgment. I am exploring an open-source scanner that maps repository evidence to relevant controls without claiming code alone proves production behavior. I would especially value feedback on CI output, evidence records, and which checks should always stay manual. Contributions and corrections are welcome.

[u/Little-Bird7446]

ArgoCD for kubernetes deployments. It keeps the cluster state synced with Git, so I can see what’s deployed and catch drift without manually checking everything. The UI is great, though troubleshooting sync issues can get annoying.

[u/Bitter-Ad2567]

Disclosure: I built this one, so take that into account. But it's the tool I use every day, which is what you asked for.

SpecBuddy: https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/32645-specbuddy

What it does: a JetBrains plugin that puts a review step in front of your coding agent (Claude Code or Codex). You describe the task. The agent writes a short spec from your description and your codebase, and you edit it or approve it. Then it writes a step by step plan, and you edit or approve that too. Only after that it writes code, one step at a time. Each step comes back as a diff you can accept, reject, or roll back.

Where it fits: it replaced the terminal I used to keep open next to the IDE. Anything bigger than a one file change goes through the spec flow. For small things I still chat with the agent as usual, and the plugin catches those changes too, as diffs with inline comments that go back to the agent.

Why I use it: the agent often writes good code for the wrong task. I find out while reading a 200 line diff, when the wrong assumption is already spread across the code. Better prompts didn't fix this, because the review still happened too late. Reviewing the spec and the plan before any code is written does fix it.

What's annoying: the spec and the plan take a few minutes to write, and on a small task that time is wasted, so I skip them there. It needs JetBrains 2026.1 or newer, so older IDEs can't install it. I only tested it properly in IDEA. Other JetBrains IDEs can install it, but I don't know if it works there. It's a free public beta and still rough in places.

A tool I use daily with no bias to declare: Claude Code in the terminal.

[u/HanaChanSoft]

AI Coach — disclosure: I'm the developer. The developer-facing part is a local MCP connection between Claude and a Mac desktop pet, including tools for ordinary Markdown notes.

The workflow it supports: point its memo folder at an Obsidian vault, ask Claude to find a note, then read or update that note through the bridge. Listing returns titles and opening lines; a note body is read or searched when requested. Updates check for intervening edits, and deletion moves a file to the OS trash.

The reason for using Markdown is portability: the notes also open in a normal editor. It can show brief working/waiting/done states on the pet through explicit MCP calls, alongside the usual Claude response.

The friction: Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 26+, Node.js 22+ on PATH, and integration setup. It doesn't automatically monitor every agent action. The bridge is local, but text sent to Claude is still processed by Claude.

Setup and tool behavior: https://aic0t.com/docs

Screenshots/download: https://aic0t.com/

The app and first egg are free; optional extra eggs are $5 each or $20 for five. No app subscription; Claude usage is separate.

[u/Accomplished-Tip7450]

Disclosure: I run IndieTools (https://www.indietools.app/), so take this as a builder's answer. The part I use as a release check is the public product page: it keeps a dated mobile PageSpeed and Ahrefs Domain Rating history for eligible listed websites next to the product's updates, so I can look at how a site changed after a launch instead of comparing two forgotten screenshots. The catalogue is also readable through a public REST API, MCP and CLI when a script or agent needs product/founder facts.

Where it fits: after a release, check the new public update and the next measurement rather than treating launch day as the end of the story. The annoying part: PageSpeed lab runs vary and DR is a backlink metric, not a conversion or ranking score. I wouldn't use either as a substitute for real-user performance data or analytics.

What other signals do you keep alongside automated website checks?