What is Forge AI Toolkit?
Forge AI Toolkit is a free, client-first web and Android app that bundles 65+ utility and AI tools into a single privacy-first workspace, where every tool runs inside your own browser instead of on a remote server. When you compress an image, trim a video, format JSON, or generate a QR code, the work happens on your device — your files are never uploaded anywhere. The AI-powered writing tools use a bring-your-own-key model: you paste your own free Google Gemini API key, and it stays on your device.
You can use it right now in any browser at forgeai.aoneahsan.com, or install the Android app from Google Play. It is built and maintained by Ahsan Mahmood.
The core idea: your device does the work
Most "online tools" upload your file to a server, process it there, and send the result back. That means your data leaves your control, you wait on a network round-trip, and the service owner pays for compute (which usually turns into ads, sign-up walls, or paid limits).
Forge AI Toolkit flips that model. It uses modern browser capabilities — WebAssembly, the Canvas and File APIs, Web Workers, and ffmpeg.wasm — to do the processing locally. The practical results:
- Privacy by default. For utility tools there is no upload step at all. Your PDF, photo, spreadsheet, or video is read into memory in your browser, transformed, and offered back as a download — without ever touching a server.
- Speed. No upload, no queue, no download of the result from a server. The only limit is your own device.
- Zero cost. Because there is no server-side compute to pay for, the utility tools are genuinely free, with no usage meter.
Two kinds of tools
It helps to split the catalogue into two groups, because they behave differently:
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Utility tools (the majority). Formatters, converters, compressors, resizers, encoders, and generators. These are pure local computation — no account, no API key, and most of them keep working offline once the page has loaded.
-
AI tools. Grammar checking, paraphrasing, summarizing, content writing, resume matching, and similar. These send the text you give them to a large language model, so they need an API key. Forge AI Toolkit uses a bring-your-own-key (BYOK) model for these — see below.
Bring your own key (BYOK), honestly framed
The AI tools call Google Gemini directly from your browser using a key you supply. You create a free key at Google AI Studio, paste it into Settings, and it is stored locally on your device only — it is never sent to Forge AI Toolkit's servers.
One honest limitation deserves to be stated up front: only Google Gemini works directly in the browser today. OpenAI and Anthropic keys are not yet usable here, because those providers do not currently allow direct browser-to-API requests (their endpoints block cross-origin browser calls). If you only have an OpenAI or Anthropic key, the AI tools will not work until Gemini support is set up — but every utility tool still works without any key. Full details are on the Bring Your Own Key page.
The 65+ tools at a glance
The tools are grouped into categories. Each category has its own page with the full list, how each tool works, and use cases:
| Category | What's inside | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Code & Developer | JSON/SQL/CSS formatters, Regex Tester, Diff Checker, Base64, Hash, Minifier, plus AI code helpers | Developer Tools |
| Text & Writing | Grammar Checker, Paraphraser, Summarizer, Content Writer, Case Converter, Counter, Translator | Writing Tools |
| Image | Compressor, Converter, Resizer, Optimizer, Background Remover, Watermark, OCR Scanner | Image Tools |
| Video & Audio | Trimmer, Compressor, Audio Converter/Extractor, GIF Maker, Subtitle Editor (FFmpeg.wasm) | Video & Audio Tools |
| Document | PDF Splitter, PDF→Images, Image→PDF, Word→PDF, Spreadsheet & Markdown converters | Document Tools |
| Design & Creative | Color Palette/Picker, Favicon Generator, QR Code, Password Generator | Design & Creative Tools |
| Business | Resume Matcher, Email Optimizer, Meeting Notes, Contract & Competitor Analyzer, SEO Meta | Business Tools |
What it is built with
Forge AI Toolkit is a React 19 + TypeScript app bundled with Vite and wrapped with Capacitor 8 so the same code runs as a website and as a native Android app. It uses Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore — strictly on the free tier — for optional accounts and cross-device preference sync. The interface uses Radix UI Themes with a violet accent and a dark-by-default appearance.
What it is not
Honesty matters more than marketing, so here are the explicit non-claims:
- Not a cloud service that stores your files. Utility tools never upload your content; there is nothing to store.
- Not a multi-provider AI hub (yet). Today the AI tools work with Google Gemini only, for the browser/CORS reason above.
- Not unlimited for AI usage. AI tool usage is bounded by your Google Gemini key's own free-tier limits, not by us.
- Not fully offline for every tool. Video/audio tools download the ~25 MB FFmpeg engine on first use, and AI tools obviously need a connection. Pure utility tools work offline after the first load.
Where to go next
- New here? Start with Installation & Access.
- Want the AI tools? Read Bring Your Own Key.
- Care about privacy and cost? See Privacy & Zero-Cost.
- Just have a question? Jump to the FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
Is Forge AI Toolkit really free?
Yes. The utility tools run on your device, so there is no server cost and no usage meter. The AI tools are free to use, but they run on your own Google Gemini key, which has its own free-tier limits set by Google.
Do you see or store my files?
No. Utility tools process your files entirely in your browser — there is no upload. The only data Forge AI Toolkit stores is your account and a small preferences profile in Firestore, and only if you choose to sign in.
Do I need an account to use it?
No. Most tools work without signing in. An account is optional and exists to sync your preferences (like theme) across devices.
Which AI provider does it use?
Google Gemini, called directly from your browser with your own key. OpenAI and Anthropic are not supported client-side yet because they block direct browser API calls.
Does it work offline?
Pure utility tools work offline once the page has loaded. Video/audio tools need a one-time ~25 MB engine download, and AI tools need a network connection to reach Google's API.
Is there a mobile app?
Yes — an Android app on Google Play. The web app also works in mobile browsers.