DevToys vs PowerToys
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A desktop bundle of small tools for everyday developer tasks like encoding, formatting and converting.
Open source · MIT
A set of Windows utilities for customizing the desktop and speeding up everyday tasks.
The short answer
Choose DevToys if you need…
- Developers who often decode, encode, or format small pieces of data
- People who prefer not to paste data into unknown online websites
- Users who want a single app with many small utilities
Choose PowerToys if you need…
- Windows users who want more control over window layout and multi-monitor setups
- People who rename many files at once or want quick text transformations
- Power users who want keyboard remapping and a quick launcher
- Developers and designers who need a screen color picker or screen ruler
Side-by-side
| DevToys | PowerToys | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 32.2k | 140k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Download the app | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | C# | C |
| Last code update | 38 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
DevToys
DevToys is a desktop app that bundles many small utilities for quick developer chores, such as decoding text, formatting JSON or SQL, or compressing an image. It is meant to replace trips to many separate online tools, and its Smart Detection picks a relevant tool based on what is on your clipboard. More tools can be added through extensions.
PowerToys
PowerToys is a free, open-source collection of over 30 small utilities for Windows, published by Microsoft. Each utility adds a specific capability, such as arranging windows into zones (FancyZones), batch renaming files (PowerRename), picking colors from the screen (Color Picker), or remapping keys (Keyboard Manager). People use it to customize Windows and save time on repetitive tasks.
Best for
DevToys
- Developers who often decode, encode, or format small pieces of data
- People who prefer not to paste data into unknown online websites
- Users who want a single app with many small utilities
PowerToys
- Windows users who want more control over window layout and multi-monitor setups
- People who rename many files at once or want quick text transformations
- Power users who want keyboard remapping and a quick launcher
- Developers and designers who need a screen color picker or screen ruler
Strengths
DevToys
- Covers many common small tasks in one app
- Works offline for the tools listed in the README, since it runs locally
- Open source under the MIT license
PowerToys
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Large set of utilities in one install, with documentation linked from the README
- Actively maintained, with a recent push and frequent releases
Not ideal for
DevToys
- People who need a command-line-only tool, since this is a graphical desktop app
- Users who need a platform other than those the README describes, as the README does not detail platform support beyond the topics listed
PowerToys
- Users on macOS or Linux, since the README describes Windows utilities only
- People who want a minimal system with no extra tools installed, because it bundles many utilities that each run as separate features
- Users who need an official support contract, as the README points to community and documentation resources rather than a support guarantee
Trade-offs
DevToys
- The README is truncated and does not list system requirements or full platform support
- Feature list is a summary; individual tool behavior is not described in detail
- Some tools are only available through extensions
PowerToys
- Works only on Windows, as stated in the description and topics
- Many separate utilities mean you may need to enable only the ones you want
- The README is truncated here, so detailed system requirements are only available on the linked install docs
Getting started
DevToys
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/DevToys-app/DevToysPowerToys
Install with WinGet (user scope, default)
winget install Microsoft.PowerToys -s wingetInstall with WinGet (machine-wide scope)
winget install --scope machine Microsoft.PowerToys -s wingetFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between DevToys and PowerToys?
DevToys: A desktop bundle of small tools for everyday developer tasks like encoding, formatting and converting. PowerToys: A set of Windows utilities for customizing the desktop and speeding up everyday tasks. DevToys suits developers who often decode, encode, or format small pieces of data, while PowerToys suits windows users who want more control over window layout and multi-monitor setups.
Are DevToys and PowerToys free?
DevToys: Free and open source. PowerToys: Free and open source.
Is DevToys or PowerToys more popular?
PowerToys has more GitHub stars (140k) than DevToys (32.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to DevToys and PowerToys?
Other options people compare them with include Files, Calculator, UniGetUI, Notepads.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.