How many tool categories are too many on a homepage?
When I first built AllInOneTools, I made a simple decision:
Add more categories → help users find tools faster.
So I kept adding.
Image tools PDF tools SEO tools Converters Calculators Security tools Social tools
Eventually…
I had 12 categories on the homepage.
At first, it felt complete.
But then I started questioning something:
Does more categories help users…
or overwhelm them?
What users actually do
Most users don’t explore everything.
They scan.
They try to spot their category instantly.
If they see it → they click.
If they don’t → they hesitate.
And hesitation is dangerous.
The real trade-off
More categories means:
✔ Better coverage ✔ Easier tool discovery
But also:
❌ More cognitive load ❌ More visual complexity
At some point…
More becomes worse.
What I’m testing now
I’m experimenting with:
• Showing fewer categories • Showing clearer categories • Showing more tools inside each
Instead of just adding more sections.
Because clarity matters more than quantity.
Curious how others approach this:
How many categories do you think is ideal on a homepage?
• Less than 5? • 5–10? • 10+?
At what point does it become too much?