Which tools run in your browser, and which ones call the server?
Most ToolNexus tools execute entirely in your browser. Your input is read, transformed, and rendered locally — nothing leaves the tab. A small number of tools cannot reasonably run client-side (for example, ones that need to execute compiled code in a sandboxed runtime), and those are flagged with a Server-backed badge on their tool card.
This page lists every tool that calls the server, what data is sent, and what we do with it. If a tool is not on this list, it runs in your browser.
Quick summary
- Browser-only (the default). Input never leaves your device. We do not log, store, or proxy it. Closing the tab discards it.
- Server-backed (flagged with a badge). Input is sent to a ToolNexus-managed sandbox over HTTPS, executed in a short-lived isolated environment, and discarded after the response is returned.
Server-backed tools
The following tools call the server. Tools not in this list run entirely in your browser.
C# Compiler
- Why it runs on the server. Compiling and executing C# requires a runtime and an isolated sandbox. Rather than shipping a compiler to every browser session, the source is run on a managed Piston sandbox.
- What gets sent. The source code you write in the editor and any standard input you provide. Nothing else from your browser is included.
- How long it is kept. The source is sent to the sandbox only for the duration of the run. Captured stdout/stderr is returned to your browser and not persisted server-side.
- Sandbox properties. Each run executes in a short-lived isolated container with a fixed CPU/memory budget and a wall-clock timeout, then is discarded.
Python Compiler
- Why it runs on the server. Executing Python (and other languages) requires a language runtime and an isolated sandbox. Rather than shipping an interpreter to every browser session, the source is run on a managed Piston sandbox.
- What gets sent. The source code you write in the editor, the selected language, and any standard input you provide. Nothing else from your browser is included.
- How long it is kept. The source is sent to the sandbox only for the duration of the run. Captured stdout/stderr is returned to your browser and not persisted server-side.
- Sandbox properties. Each run executes in a short-lived isolated container with a fixed CPU/memory budget and a wall-clock timeout, then is discarded.
Java Compiler
- Why it runs on the server. Compiling and running Java needs a JDK and an isolated sandbox. Rather than shipping a compiler to the browser, the source is run on a managed Piston sandbox.
- What gets sent. The source code you write in the editor and any standard input you provide. Nothing else from your browser is included.
- How long it is kept. The source is sent to the sandbox only for the duration of the run. Captured stdout/stderr is returned to your browser and not persisted server-side.
- Sandbox properties. Each run executes in a short-lived isolated container with a fixed CPU/memory budget and a wall-clock timeout, then is discarded.
PHP Compiler
- Why it runs on the server. Executing PHP needs a runtime and an isolated sandbox. Rather than shipping an interpreter to the browser, the source is run on a managed Piston sandbox.
- What gets sent. The source code you write in the editor and any standard input you provide. Nothing else from your browser is included.
- How long it is kept. The source is sent to the sandbox only for the duration of the run. Captured stdout/stderr is returned to your browser and not persisted server-side.
- Sandbox properties. Each run executes in a short-lived isolated container with a fixed CPU/memory budget and a wall-clock timeout, then is discarded.
What "browser-only" actually means
Browser-only tools rely exclusively on JavaScript or WebAssembly running in your tab. Concretely:
- Your input never touches a ToolNexus server.
- There is no analytics call that ships the payload as part of an event.
- The page can run offline once it has been loaded.
- Refreshing the tab discards anything you typed unless the tool has opted in to local storage (in which case the tool description says so explicitly).
If you spot a tool that behaves like it is talking to the server but is not on this list, please file a feedback report — that is a documentation bug we want to fix.
Related
- Privacy Policy — covers what the rest of the site (analytics, account features) does with data.
- FAQ — short answers to common questions.
- Feedback — tell us if a tool should be browser-only but is not, or vice versa.