About SkillsInsider
Independent reviews of the tools you actually use — plus 180+ free browser utilities. No sponsored placements, no made-up ratings, no "best of" listicles written by someone who never opened the product.
What we do
SkillsInsider is an independent review site for the digital tools, platforms, and software that creators, developers, and freelancers actually use. We publish first-hand comparisons of products we have used ourselves, and we build free browser-based utilities that solve small, real problems — app icon resizing, JWT decoding, regex testing, and 175+ others.
The site was founded in 2024 by Khalil Rahman, a full-stack developer based in Pakistan. The goal was simple: write the review you would want to read — the one that tells you honestly whether the tool is worth your time, not the one that ranks #1 because the affiliate commission is highest.
Editorial standards
- First-hand use. We test every tool we review. No re-writes of press releases, no paraphrased spec sheets.
- Scoped claims. When we say "earnings range" or "faster compression", we explain the conditions that produced the number.
- No fake ratings. We do not display star ratings we cannot source. No "4.8 out of 5" pulled from the marketing copy.
- Real pros and cons. Every tool has drawbacks. If a review has no cons, it is not a review — it is an ad.
- Disclosed funding. Any affiliate relationship is disclosed at the top of the page, not buried in a footnote.
- Updated when wrong. If a reader reports a factual error, we correct the page and note the change.
What we cover
- Developer tools — JWT debuggers, regex testers, CSP builders, CLI command builders, JSON formatters.
- Image and file utilities — icon resizers, converters, PDF editors, optimizers.
- Comparisons — head-to-head reviews of software you are considering, like Freecash vs TimeBucks and WinRAR vs 7-Zip.
- Guides — deep dives on how things work, like Core Web Vitals and SEO.
- Product reviews — longer-form reviews of individual tools like Photopea and vidIQ.
Who runs this
- Khalil Rahman — founder, editor, and author of most of the content on this site. Full-stack developer with more than ten years of experience shipping apps on iOS, Android, and the web.
- Editorial process — every comparison is reviewed by Khalil before publishing, with the specific testing methodology documented on the page itself.
- Contact — questions, corrections, and suggestions go to the contact page and are answered directly.
- Reach — we do not have a large staff. Everything you read here is written by one person, which is why our coverage is deeper rather than broader.
How we test tools
Every comparison page includes a "How we tested" section that describes the specific approach used for that review. The general methodology across all our reviews looks like this:
- We use the tool ourselves. Not for five minutes — for weeks or, in the case of ongoing comparisons, months. For GPT and reward-site comparisons, we register real accounts and log earnings over a defined period. For software comparisons, we run both tools on the same workflows so the results are directly comparable.
- We test the specific claims the tool makes. If a compression tool claims the smallest archives, we compress the same corpus with both tools and compare the output size. If a reward site claims fast payouts, we request withdrawals and time how long they take.
- We cross-check against public data. Where our own usage could be unrepresentative — for example, if the offers available during our testing period were unusually good or bad — we cross-reference against community reports, forum discussions, and public documentation.
- We publish what we saw, with caveats. Ranges on our review pages reflect what we actually experienced, not the maximum a user could theoretically earn. Where a number depends heavily on region, device, or time of day, we say so.
- We update when wrong. If a tool changes its pricing, changes its terms, or fixes a bug that used to be in the cons list, we update the page. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of each comparison reflects a real review, not an automatic refresh.
How we're funded
We think readers deserve to know how a review site makes money — because it tells you where the incentives are.
Current model: The site is funded by affiliate commissions on a small number of comparison pages. When a reader clicks an affiliate link on one of those pages and signs up for the service, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to the reader. Those pages carry a clear disclosure in a banner at the top — not buried in a footnote.
What we do not accept: We do not accept payment for editorial placement, we do not run sponsored reviews, and we do not sell rankings. Several of our most-read comparison pages — including WinRAR vs 7-Zip — contain no affiliate links at all, because the tools we compared do not have affiliate programmes. We would rather publish an honest page with no monetisation than a misleading page with it.
Future model: To keep the 180+ tools free, we plan to add display advertising through Google AdSense once the site qualifies. Any ads will be clearly separated from editorial content, will never influence a verdict, and will be subject to the same cookie consent controls as everything else on the site.
If you want the full detail, our disclaimer and editorial policy pages cover the specifics.
Frequently asked questions
SkillsInsider is run by Khalil Rahman, a full-stack developer based in Pakistan. He writes and maintains the editorial content, builds the free browser-based tools, and reviews every comparison before it is published. The site was founded in 2024 to make honest tool reviews without the affiliate-driven hype that dominates most "best of" lists.
The site is currently funded by affiliate commissions on a small number of comparison pages, where we link to products we have actually used. Those pages carry a clear disclosure at the top. We do not accept payment for placement in editorial content, and we do not run sponsored reviews. In the future we plan to add display advertising to keep the tools free, but any ads will be clearly separated from the editorial content.
Every comparison is based on first-hand usage, not on marketing copy. We create our own accounts, run the tools through real workflows, and track the results over weeks or months. Where we make specific claims — earnings ranges, compression ratios, pricing — we cross-check against community reports and public documentation. Each comparison page includes a "How we tested" section describing the specific approach used for that review.
Yes. All of our browser-based tools — image converters, code formatters, generators, and utilities — are completely free to use with no sign-up, no usage limits, and no paywalls. Most of them run entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
On a small number of comparison pages, yes. Where we do, the page carries a clear disclosure in a visible banner at the top, and the affiliate relationship never influences the verdict. Several of our comparison pages — including WinRAR vs 7-Zip — contain no affiliate links at all, because the tools we are comparing do not have affiliate programmes.
Yes. Use the contact page to send suggestions, corrections, or bug reports. We read every message and update pages when readers share better data — many of the "How we tested" notes on our comparisons were added after reader feedback.
We use strictly necessary cookies to make the site work. Google Analytics is loaded only if you accept it in the cookie banner, and it runs in Consent Mode v2 with IP anonymisation. If you decline analytics, no analytics script loads at all. We do not use third-party advertising trackers, fingerprinting, or cross-site tracking.
See what we've published
180+ free tools, honest comparisons, and guides written by someone who actually uses them.
Browse all toolsPopular pages
Freecash vs TimeBucks 2026
Which GPT site actually pays more? Honest comparison with calculator.
WinRAR vs 7-Zip 2026
RAR vs 7z, licensing, nag screen reality, and testing methodology.
Photopea Review
Is this free Photoshop alternative good enough for real work?
App Icon Resizer
Every iOS, Android, PWA, and favicon size from one image.