A Free HexColorTool Alternative
HexColorTool (hexcolortool.com) is a long-running utility from the Dan's Tools family: enter a color, nudge it lighter or darker by a chosen percentage, and see a list of its shades and tints — a simple workflow that has served designers for years. HexTints covers the same job differently: full tint and shade ramps with one-click copy on every value, WCAG contrast data, a precomputed library of 280+ colors, and no third-party ads.
What HexColorTool Does Well
From its public page, HexColorTool's core loop is genuinely quick:
- One-field lighten/darken — type a color, pick a step from 1% to 20% (10% by default), and click Lighten or Darken.
- Shades and tints at a glance — the page lists darker and lighter versions of the current color as hex values.
- Save Color scratchpad — a saved-palette panel keeps colors you like while you work.
- Complementary suggestion — a complementary color is offered alongside the main tool.
- A big surrounding toolbox — it sits inside Dan's Tools, a large suite of converters, formatters, and other developer utilities, with an optional account for its discussion forums.
The tool is free to use and the login is optional, so there is no barrier to entry.
What HexTints Does Differently
- No ads. When we checked, hexcolortool.com pages loaded Google ad scripts. HexTints carries no third-party ads — the only promotion is a link to the maker's other projects.
- One-click copy on every value. Every hex in every ramp has a copy button. On HexColorTool, the shades and tints appear as plain text lists.
- Any percentage, both directions. The lighten and darken tools use 0–100% sliders rather than 1–20% steps, and the tint and shade generator lists 10 steps each way at once.
- Contrast built in. Every color page shows WCAG AA/AAA data, and the contrast checker tests any pair.
- A precomputed library. 280+ color pages — including the full Tailwind v3 palette with class names — with ready-made ramps, RGB/HSL values, and contrast data.
- Instant, static pages. No processing wait, no account, nothing to load but the page itself.
HexTints vs HexColorTool at a Glance
| Feature | HexTints | HexColorTool |
|---|---|---|
| Free to use | Yes | Yes |
| Works without an account | Yes | Yes (login optional) |
| Tints and shades of any hex | Yes | Yes |
| Lighten/darken by chosen amount | Yes (0–100% slider) | Partial — 1–20% steps |
| One-click copy on every value | Yes | — values shown as plain text |
| WCAG contrast data | Yes | — not mentioned |
| Tailwind palette pages | Yes | — not mentioned |
| No third-party ads | Yes | — loads Google ad scripts |
The HexColorTool column reflects what hexcolortool.com publicly showed when we checked in August 2026; "—" means we did not find the feature mentioned there.
The Same Job, Shown Not Told
Here is the kind of ramp HexTints builds — shades and tints of #3498DB, computed with the exact math the tools use:
#246A99−30%#2A7AAF−20%#2F89C5−10%#3498DBbase#5DADE2+20%#85C1E9+40%#AED6F1+60%#D6EAF8+80%Build this for any color — with a copy button on every step — in the tint and shade generator, or dial in a single exact value with the lighten and darken sliders.
When to Use Which
Stay with HexColorTool if you like its save-a-palette scratchpad, want the complementary-color hint next to the ramp, or already live in the Dan's Tools suite and want everything in one place.
Use HexTints when you want the full ramp in one view with copy buttons, need to check WCAG contrast before shipping a color, want Tailwind class names for a value, or simply prefer reading a page without ad scripts on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is HexTints really free?
Yes. Every tool and every one of the 280+ color pages is free, with no paid tier, no signup, and no third-party ads. The whole site is static HTML, so pages load instantly and nothing is metered.
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Do I need an account to use HexTints?
No. There is no login, no registration, and nothing saved server-side. Open any tool, paste a hex code, and copy the values you need.
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What does HexColorTool do better?
HexColorTool has a Save Color scratchpad for collecting colors as you work, suggests a complementary color alongside the shades and tints, and sits inside the larger Dan's Tools suite of developer utilities, with an optional account for its discussion forums. If you already use that suite, staying in it is convenient.
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Can I lighten or darken a color by an exact percentage on HexTints?
Yes. The lighten and darken tools each have a 0–100% slider, so any percentage is one drag away, and the tint and shade generator lists 10 steps in each direction with copy-ready hex codes.
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Does HexTints show ads?
No third-party ads anywhere. The only promotion you will see is an occasional link to the maker's own projects. When we checked hexcolortool.com, its pages loaded Google ad scripts.
Related tools: lighten a color · darken a color · tint and shade generator · contrast checker
More comparisons: MakeTintsAndShades · tints.dev · UIColors · Coolors · ColorHexa