# Software that I 

> Posted: 2026-06-01 · Updated: 2026-05-14


I bounce between Mac, Windows, and Linux daily. Honestly, the tools matter more than the OS at this point. Great software is great software, and I've been lucky enough to build a career on top of things other people built well.

This is the stuff I actually reach for. Not a "best of" list, not sponsored, not comprehensive. Just software that makes me better at what I do. Or at least makes the work more fun.

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## Software Development

<div class="sw-grid">

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">IDE</span>

### [JetBrains Rider](https://www.jetbrains.com/rider/)
Cross-platform .NET IDE. Fast, smart, and doesn't need Visual Studio's weight to get the job done.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">IDE</span>

### [Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/)
The OG. Heavy, but when you need the full .NET debugging experience, nothing else comes close.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">editor</span>

### [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
Extension ecosystem is unmatched. Somehow Electron done right.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">editor</span>

### [Neovim](https://neovim.io/)
Vim reborn. Lua config, LSP native, and a plugin ecosystem that won't quit. `:wq` is a lifestyle.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">version control</span>

### [Git](https://git-scm.com/)
The version control system that won. Love it or hate it, you can't ship without it.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">version control</span>

### [lazygit](https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit)
Terminal UI for git that makes interactive rebases feel like cheating.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">JSON</span>

### [jq](https://jqlang.github.io/jq/)
`sed` for JSON. Once you learn the syntax, you'll pipe everything through it.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">database</span>

### [JetBrains DataGrip](https://www.jetbrains.com/datagrip/)
SQL IDE that actually understands your schema. Autocomplete that works across joins.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">database</span>

### [DBeaver](https://dbeaver.io/)
Universal database tool that actually works. Connect to anything, query everything.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">database</span>

### [SSMS](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/)
Microsoft SQL Management Studio. If you're in SQL Server land, you already know.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">database</span>

### [PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/)
The database that keeps getting better. Extensions, JSON support, and rock-solid reliability.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">containers</span>

### [Docker](https://www.docker.com/)
"Works on my machine" became "works on every machine." Changed how we ship software.
</div>

</div>

## AI

<div class="sw-grid">

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">agent</span>

### [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code)
AI pair programmer in your terminal. It's writing this page right now.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">agent</span>

### [VS Code Agents](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
Native agent mode inside the editor. Let the assistant plan, edit files, and run commands without leaving VS Code or babysitting a separate CLI.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">agent</span>

### [Codex](https://github.com/openai/codex)
OpenAI's open-source coding agent. Terminal-native, sandboxed by default, and you can swap the model behind it whenever.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">platform</span>

### [Azure AI Foundry](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/ai-foundry)
Microsoft's AI app stack. Build agents, point them at your data, ship them on Azure. The enterprise wrapper for everything you'd otherwise glue together yourself.
</div>

</div>

## Infrastructure

<div class="sw-grid">

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">orchestration</span>

### [Kubernetes](https://kubernetes.io/)
Container orchestration that makes you mass produce YAML for a living.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">orchestration</span>

### [K3s](https://k3s.io/)
All of Kubernetes in a single binary. Perfect for homelab, edge, and production deployments.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">IaC</span>

### [Terraform](https://www.terraform.io/) / [OpenTofu](https://opentofu.org/)
Infrastructure as code. OpenTofu if you prefer the open-source fork without the license drama.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">networking</span>

### [Tailscale](https://tailscale.com/)
WireGuard-based mesh VPN that just works. Connect everything without opening a single port.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">observability</span>

### [Grafana](https://grafana.com/)
Dashboards for everything. Pairs with Prometheus, Loki, and Tempo for the whole observability stack.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">Kubernetes</span>

### [k9s](https://k9scli.io/)
Terminal UI for Kubernetes. Makes cluster management feel like a video game. Way faster than raw `kubectl`.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">Kubernetes</span>

### [Lens](https://k8slens.dev/)
The Kubernetes IDE. When you want to point and click your way through a cluster without shame.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">it's complicated</span>

### [Cloudflare](https://www.cloudflare.com/)
You love them. You hate them. Your DNS is already there. Their edge network is everywhere, their pricing is unbeatable, and their product sprawl is terrifying. Stockholm syndrome as a service.
</div>

</div>

## Shell & Terminal

<div class="sw-grid">

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">shell</span>

### [Bash](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/)
The shell that's been there since before you were born. Simple, portable, everywhere.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">shell</span>

### [Zsh](https://www.zsh.org/)
Bash's cooler sibling. Tab completion, globbing, and plugin support that actually makes the terminal enjoyable.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">prompt</span>

### [Starship](https://github.com/starship/starship)
Cross-shell prompt written in Rust. Fast, pretty, and infinitely configurable.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">multiplexer</span>

### [tmux](https://github.com/tmux/tmux)
Terminal multiplexer. SSH into a box, detach, come back tomorrow. Your session is still there.
</div>

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">coreutils</span>

### [eza](https://github.com/eza-community/eza)
Modern replacement for `ls`. Colors, git status, and tree view out of the box. Written in Rust, obviously.
</div>

</div>

## Utilities / Apps

<div class="sw-grid">

<div class="sw-card">
<span class="sw-tag">macOS</span>

### [AltTab](https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/)
Why does macOS think a minimized window is an inactive window and not let you switch to it? This fixes that.
</div>

</div>


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Source: https://houdeshell.dev/software/