Free Windows Tools

JackalNode

Putting CONTROL back in YOUR hands

JackalNode builds free, full-featured Windows tools for gamers and everyday PC users. No paywalls. No upsells. No bloat. Ever.

Custom Builds and the VPN are separate paid services, not part of the free apps.

This page has a light/dark switch too — top right. Same idea as the apps.

See the apps ↓

The Apps

Free tools. Zero catch.

Free forever. Windows-only, for now.

Startup Manager

StartGuard

See what's launching when Windows starts, in plain English. Turn off what you don't need — safely.

Discord

Steam

Spotify

Get StartGuard free → View source

Network / Ping Monitor

PingGuard

Check your gaming ping before you get stuck in a high-ping match.

42ms

Get PingGuard free → View source

These two are just the start.
More free tools are already in the works.

Something Different

Want an app made just for you?

StartGuard and PingGuard are free for everyone. This is different — I build an app made exactly the way you need it.

Most of what I make is free for anyone to download. This is one of the few things that isn't. I build a custom app just for you, or your business, made around exactly what you need. Ownership and resale rights depend on the type of build — fully custom builds can include full ownership, while package builds are licensed. I'll explain exactly what you get before any work starts. There's a cost involved — reach out below and I'll walk you through exactly how it works.

REACH OUT FOR DETAILS

Name

What are you looking to build?

Roughly what stage are you at?

Not sure exactly what you need? No problem — check this and I'll reach out to figure it out together.

Preferred contact method

Contact info (email or WhatsApp number)

Leave this field empty

What's 4 + 7?

Something went wrong — mind trying again, or emailing jackalnode@gmail.com directly?

Message received. Let's build something good.

The Honored

A few people who've genuinely helped

Honoring those who've put in real time and effort to make JackalNode better.

CautionHeavy

Windows testing

MrSelfDestruct

Windows testing and exposure

MonkeyShadow

Architectural guidance

RouteGuard

Your own VPN server, set up for you.

RouteGuard gives you your own private VPN: a server that belongs to you, not to a VPN company, and nobody else shares it. While you're connected, what you do online is scrambled so your Wi-Fi or internet provider can't see which sites you visit, and ads and trackers are blocked before they reach you. RouteGuard never sees your traffic.

Good for

Café, airport and hotel Wi-Fi, where you don't know who's watching the network
Keeping your browsing private from your internet provider
Fewer ads and trackers on the sites and apps you use every day

What it costs

RouteGuard: US$3 per month or US$30 per year, paid through PayPal. Cancel any time.
Your server: billed separately by your cloud provider, on your own account.

What you need

A Windows PC
Step-by-step guides in the app walk you through everything else, including setting up your server.

Good to know

Streaming services often block cloud-server IP addresses, so RouteGuard isn't a way to unblock streaming.
The installer isn't code-signed yet, so Windows may show "Windows protected your PC". Click "More info", then "Run anyway".

Download for Windows

JackalNode — Master Licence Terms (v1.0)

Plain English. This is the licence for JackalNode's free apps: StartGuard, PingGuard, and any future free app in the pipeline.

1. What this covers

This licence applies to any JackalNode application distributed for free (currently StartGuard and PingGuard). It does not cover RouteGuard, or any future paid product — those have their own separate terms.

2. You can

Use the app for free, forever, with full features. There is no paid tier, no unlockable features, no nag screens.
Use it for personal use, with no restrictions.
Use it for a small business — defined here as under 10 employees or under £100,000 annual revenue — with no restrictions.
Support the project voluntarily via Ko-fi. Donating unlocks nothing extra — it's a thank-you, not a purchase.

3. You can't

Resell the app, or any part of it, for money.
Repackage or rebrand the app as your own product ("white-labelling").
Use the app as part of a larger organisation's operations if that organisation is above the small-business threshold above, without written permission first (just email and ask).
Claim you wrote it, or remove/alter the JackalNode branding and attribution.

4. No warranty

This software is provided as-is. I'm a solo developer building this in my own time. I'll do my best to fix bugs and keep things working, but I can't promise the software is fault-free, and I'm not liable for any damage or loss caused by using it. Use at your own risk, same as any free software.

5. Updates

Apps auto-check for updates on launch. Nothing installs silently — you always choose whether to update.

6. Governing law

This licence is governed by the laws of South Africa.

7. Contact

Questions, permission requests, or anything else: jackalnode@gmail.com

Last updated: 16 July 2026