Guides
Plain-English explanations of the formats and concepts behind our tools — not marketing copy, just what you actually need to know to make the right call.
CSV vs JSON: When to Use Each
CSV and JSON solve different problems. A practical guide to when each format actually fits, and what breaks when you pick the wrong one.
Read guidePNG vs JPG vs WebP: Choosing the Right Image Format
Lossless vs lossy, transparency, and file size — a practical guide to picking the right image format instead of defaulting to whatever you always use.
Read guidePDF vs DOCX: Which Should You Send?
PDF and DOCX aren't interchangeable — one is for reading, one is for editing. A practical guide to picking the right one before you hit send.
Read guideWhat Is Base64 Encoding, Really?
Base64 isn't encryption and it isn't compression — it's a way to make binary data safe to put where only text belongs. Here's what it actually does.
Read guideUUID v4 vs v1 vs v5: What's the Difference?
Not all UUIDs are random. A practical guide to the three UUID versions you'll actually encounter, and which one your system should be generating.
Read guideMD5 vs SHA-256: Which Hash Should You Use?
MD5 is fast and broken for security purposes; SHA-256 is neither. A practical guide to picking the right hash function for the job you actually have.
Read guideWhy Client-Side File Processing Is Actually More Private
"We don't store your files" still means your file was on someone else's server. Here's what actually changes when a tool never uploads anything at all.
Read guideWhat Is a JWT (JSON Web Token), Really?
A JWT looks encrypted and isn't — it's a signed, readable claim anyone can decode. Here's what's actually inside one, and what the signature does and doesn't protect.
Read guideYAML vs JSON: Which Should You Use?
YAML and JSON encode the same data model but read completely differently. A practical guide to when YAML's readability is worth it, and when JSON's simplicity wins.
Read guideWhat Is a Unix Timestamp (and Why Does It Start in 1970)?
A Unix timestamp is just a count of seconds — no timezone, no calendar, no ambiguity. Here's why systems store time this way and how to read one.
Read guideHow Do QR Codes Actually Work?
A QR code isn't a picture of your data — it's structured, error-corrected binary. Here's what's actually encoded in those black and white squares.
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