1000.tools

1000.tools is a curated directory with a simple but bold promise: to list only one thousand of the best tools on the web. Unlike many directories that take in endless submissions, the site limits itself to a fixed number of slots, which makes each entry feel more deliberate and carefully selected. The tagline “vetted by humans” sums up its approach.

What makes 1000.tools especially interesting is the way it started. The project was born on Twitter in October 2023. It began with a playful tweet from the creator after buying the domain name, asking people to guess what it would be used for. A few days later, he pushed the site live and shared the stack behind it, which immediately resonated with the maker community. Those first posts brought early traffic and attention, and within the first week the site had its first few hundred visitors and even its first sales. The creator leaned heavily on Twitter to grow, sharing progress openly, posting design updates, building teaser pages on Product Hunt, and engaging with other makers by animating their logos and inviting them to pitch their tools. This public-in-progress style helped the directory gain momentum quickly and gave it a strong sense of authenticity.

Today, 1000.tools is a polished directory where visitors can browse tools across categories such as website builders, AI products, design software and marketing tools. The layout is clean and easy to navigate, with categories that feel well organized. Submissions are reviewed before going live, and because of the limited slots not every tool gets accepted. That creates a curated feel and makes the platform stand out from larger, noisier directories.

The value of being listed on 1000.tools comes less from instant traffic spikes and more from credibility and ongoing visibility. Makers who get their tools featured become part of a community-driven project that started on Twitter and is still followed by thousands of builders there. At the same time, the platform is smaller than the big directories, so the reach is modest compared to giants in the space.