Alright, here we go. It’s December 25, 2025, I’m in my apartment in Austin, the Christmas lights from the neighbor’s house are blinking through the blinds like they’re mocking me, and my coffee is cold again. Typical.
Web tech tools every developer should know are honestly the only reason I’m still doing this for a living and not, like, working at a coffee shop or something. https://code.visualstudio.com/
I used to think I could get by with just a text editor and stubbornness. Turns out that’s a fast track to burnout and crying at 3 a.m. These tools? They’re my lifeline. Some are obvious, some are controversial, and I’m probably forgetting one or two because my brain is fried today.
Let’s just jump in before I overthink this.
The Web Tech Tools I Can’t Live Without (Right Now)
1. VS Code – Still King, Fight Me
I’ve tried everything: Vim, Neovim, Sublime, even went back to good old Atom for a week (don’t judge). Nothing beats VS Code for me. My extensions folder looks like a war crime—probably 60+ at this point. Half of them I installed during a panic attack and never removed.
Last month Live Share literally saved a client meeting when my internet crapped out mid-demo. We just screenshared my code and kept going. Magic. https://code.visualstudio.com/
2. GitHub Copilot – My AI Sidekick That’s Smarter Than Me
Copilot is wild. Sometimes it finishes my functions before I even know what I want to write. Other times it suggests something so wrong I laugh out loud. I’ve caught it trying to sneak in security holes too, so yeah, don’t blindly trust it.
Still, it’s saved me hours. I’m not proud of how much I rely on it now.
3. Docker – Because “It Works on My Machine” Is No Longer an Excuse
I resisted Docker for years. “Too complicated,” I said. Then I spent an entire weekend fighting dependency hell on a new laptop. Installed Docker the next day and never looked back. https://code.visualstudio.com/
Now every project starts with a Dockerfile. My sanity thanks me.
4. Insomnia (I Switched from Postman and I’m Not Sorry)
Postman is fine, but Insomnia feels cleaner, faster, and doesn’t nag me about teams plans. I use it for API testing every single day.
Pro tip: color-code your environments. Saved me from deleting prod data… once. Okay, twice. Shut up.
5. Figma – I’m Not a Designer, But I Play One on the Internet
I can’t draw a straight line, but Figma lets me pretend. I use it for quick wireframes, grabbing design tokens, and showing clients “visions” without actually coding yet.
Dev mode is a godsend for copying CSS. I’m lazy, sue me.
6. Vercel – Deploying Should Not Be This Easy Web Tech Tools
Next.js on Vercel is basically cheating. Git push → live in seconds. Preview deployments, custom domains, analytics… I deployed a quick portfolio update while eating ramen at 2 a.m. last week. Peak developer life.
7. Tailwind CSS – My Code Looks Like a Crime Scene But It’s Fast
I used to write beautiful SCSS files. Now I just slap classes everywhere. My HTML looks like alphabet soup, but I ship faster and refactor easier.
People hate on Tailwind. I don’t care. It works for me.
8. Chrome DevTools – The Performance Tab Is My Therapist Web Tech Tools
Every time I think my app is fast, I open the performance tab and cry a little. Fixed a massive re-render loop last week that was killing mobile users. 10/10 would recommend staring at flame charts until your eyes hurt.
9. Sentry – Because Errors Find Me, Not the Other Way Around
Sentry emails me when things break in production. Stack traces, breadcrumbs, user context… it’s like having a debugger that actually works in the real world.
Before Sentry I was just tailing logs like a caveman. Never again.
10. Notion – My Brain Dump That Somehow Works Web Tech Tools
Notion is my second brain. Project trackers, random ideas, password vaults (yes I know that’s bad), API notes, everything. My workspace is a disaster but it’s my disaster.
I have a page called “Times I Almost Quit Coding” that’s longer than it should be.
Okay, Final Thoughts Before I Eat More Leftovers
These web tech tools every developer should know aren’t perfect. Some days I hate one of them. Some days I discover a new one and fall in love. That’s the job.
If you’re still stuck in 2015 workflows, give a couple of these a shot. Your future self will thank you (or at least curse you less).
What’s in your toolkit right now? Hit me with your faves—or the ones you secretly hate—in the comments. I’m curious.
Merry Christmas, happy whatever-you-celebrate, and go hug your family or your cat or your code. Whatever gets you through.
I’m out. Cold pizza calls.
