10 free online tools that will save you time this week

A quick tour of ten free tools for files, images, passwords, and more, all with no signup and nothing to install.

Small tasks show up all the time: cutting the background out of a photo, merging a couple of PDFs, generating a password that isn't "123456". None of them need a full program installed, but each one tends to cost you five or ten minutes hunting for something reliable and free to solve it. Here's a selection of ten to keep handy.

1Remove backgroundCut a photo's background with one click (AI) or by hand with a lasso, and download a transparent PNG.2Merge PDFCombine several PDFs into one, in whatever order you pick.3QR code generatorTurn a link or text into a downloadable QR code, in PNG or SVG.4Password generatorGenerate genuinely random passwords with the Web Crypto API, not Math.random().5Compress & convert imageResize, compress, or convert an image between JPG, PNG and WebP.6Word counterWords, characters and estimated reading time, live as you type.7Unit converterLength, weight, volume and temperature, all in one place.8Hash & checksumCalculate the MD5, SHA-1 or SHA-256 hash of a text or file to verify it hasn't changed.9CSV to JSONConvert data between CSV and JSON in either direction.10Color paletteGenerate a six-color harmonious palette from a single base color.

All of them run entirely in your browser: nothing you upload or type gets sent to a server. Worth bookmarking the Giga Useful Tools homepage for the next time one of these tasks catches you off guard.