SurlfBird vs ToolNest
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SurlfBird
This utility app extracts URLs from .url files on your iPhone or iPad. It then opens the URL directly in Safari, streamlining the process of accessing saved web links from your desktop.
- Extracts URLs from .url files
- Opens URLs directly in Safari
- Supports shared file storage integration
- Simple and lightweight utility
- No extra internet traffic
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SurlfBird solves a long-standing problem. You run a Windows desktop computer and an iPhone/iPad side by side. You use a shared file storage like ownCloud, Nextcloud, Dropbox, WebDAV or something similar to transfer your data between the devices. This works fine for office documents, text documents. If, like me, you like to save URLs from internet sessions in your shared storage for later reading or as a reminder, you will find a .url file when viewing the replicated storage on the iOS device. You can copy its contents to the Notes application and click the link there. Now you have SurlfBird to help you. Just share the url file with SurlfBird and it will grep the URL from the .url file and open Safari with that URL. Very small and simple application, no extra internet traffic or anything.
ToolNest
A privacy-focused utility suite offering encryption, password generation, data conversions, and time tools. It provides developers and security professionals with powerful cryptographic functions and everyday utilities in an intuitive, offline-capable interface with no advertisements.
- Hash generation and verification
- End-to-end encrypted messaging
- Strong password generation
- TOTP two-factor authentication code generation
- Multiple data converters (Base64, URL, HTML, number systems)
- JSON/CSV formatting and validation
- Timestamp and date calculations
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ToolNest brings text, security and conversion utilities into one app, with no account or subscription required. HASH AND ENCRYPT TEXT Generate and compare hashes, use HMAC options, and encrypt or decrypt text locally with Crypt Text. Copy results to use elsewhere. Crypt Text does not provide a chat service or deliver messages. PASSWORDS AND AUTHENTICATOR CODES Generate passwords with configurable character options. Generate time-based one-time passwords from a secret you supply and inspect the available code details. CONVERT AND FORMAT Work with Base64, URLs, HTML entities, number bases, colors and measurements. Format JSON, work with CSV and strings, and test regular expressions. DATES AND TIMES Convert timestamps, calculate date differences and work with world clocks and time zones. These tools process input on your device. Protect your encryption keys, passwords and authenticator secrets, and check output before relying on it for important work. Terms of Use: https://toolnestapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://toolnestapp.com/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: ToolNest at 3 against SurlfBird's 1. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for SurlfBird against 5.0 for ToolNest. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
| Parameter | SurlfBird | ToolNest |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 18 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dokumenta (LU) | Arla Services |
Customer experience
SurlfBird
ToolNest
In-app purchases
SurlfBird
No in-app purchases
ToolNest
No in-app purchases









