diff --git a/packages/tools/README.md b/packages/tools/README.md
index 1f5726d254..3b7f8ad36d 100644
--- a/packages/tools/README.md
+++ b/packages/tools/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,14 @@
 # tools for internal development use
 
-- json-edit: A CLI tool to edit JSON files such as package.json in e2e tests
-- json-sort: A CLI tool to sort JSON keys in a file
+## Bins
+
+- json-edit: A CLI tool to edit JSON files such as package.json, used by the release workflow to stamp build versions
+
+## `tool` subcommands
+
+Run with `tool <name>`:
+
+- sync-remote: Sync upstream dependency sources and catalog versions from `.upstream-versions.json`
+- install-global-cli: Install the locally built `vp` global CLI into `~/.vite-plus`
+- brand-vite: Apply Vite+ branding patches to the synced vite source (also runs at the end of sync-remote)
+- local-npm-registry: Serve locally packed checkout packages behind a real registry HTTP interface for snapshot tests, ecosystem e2e, and local `vp migrate`/`vp create` iteration
diff --git a/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/array.json b/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/array.json
deleted file mode 100644
index c7522ca60d..0000000000
--- a/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/array.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-[
-  {
-    "name": "test",
-    "age": 18
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "abc",
-    "age": 20
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "def",
-    "age": 15
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "ghi",
-    "age": 18
-  }
-]
diff --git a/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/snap.txt b/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/snap.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index e8913e1bb5..0000000000
--- a/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/snap.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-> cat array.json # should show original array.json file
-[
-  {
-    "name": "test",
-    "age": 18
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "abc",
-    "age": 20
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "def",
-    "age": 15
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "ghi",
-    "age": 18
-  }
-]
-
-> tool json-sort array.json '_.name' && cat array.json # should sort array.json file by name
-[
-  {
-    "name": "abc",
-    "age": 20
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "def",
-    "age": 15
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "ghi",
-    "age": 18
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "test",
-    "age": 18
-  }
-]
-
-> tool json-sort array.json '_.age' && cat array.json # should sort array.json file by age
-[
-  {
-    "name": "def",
-    "age": 15
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "ghi",
-    "age": 18
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "test",
-    "age": 18
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "abc",
-    "age": 20
-  }
-]
diff --git a/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/steps.json b/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/steps.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 56950a4ad1..0000000000
--- a/packages/tools/snap-tests/json-sort/steps.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "ignoredPlatforms": ["win32"],
-  "env": {},
-  "commands": [
-    "cat array.json # should show original array.json file",
-    "tool json-sort array.json '_.name' && cat array.json # should sort array.json file by name",
-    "tool json-sort array.json '_.age' && cat array.json # should sort array.json file by age"
-  ]
-}
diff --git a/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/foo/example.toml b/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/foo/example.toml
deleted file mode 100644
index 08894361bc..0000000000
--- a/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/foo/example.toml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-[package]
-name = "foo"
-version = "0.0.0"
-edition = "2024"
-
-[[bin]]
-name = "vite"
-path = "src/main.rs"
-
-[dependencies]
-clap = { workspace = true, features = ["derive"] }
-crossterm = { workspace = true }
-napi = { workspace = true }
-napi-derive = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/snap.txt b/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/snap.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 7575397ed7..0000000000
--- a/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/snap.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-> cat foo/example.toml # should show original toml file
-[package]
-name = "foo"
-version = "0.0.0"
-edition = "2024"
-
-[[bin]]
-name = "vite"
-path = "src/main.rs"
-
-[dependencies]
-clap = { workspace = true, features = ["derive"] }
-crossterm = { workspace = true }
-napi = { workspace = true }
-napi-derive = { workspace = true }
-
-> tool replace-file-content foo/example.toml 'version = "0.0.0"' 'version = "1.0.0"' && cat foo/example.toml # should edit toml file
-[package]
-name = "foo"
-version = "1.0.0"
-edition = "2024"
-
-[[bin]]
-name = "vite"
-path = "src/main.rs"
-
-[dependencies]
-clap = { workspace = true, features = ["derive"] }
-crossterm = { workspace = true }
-napi = { workspace = true }
-napi-derive = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/steps.json b/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/steps.json
deleted file mode 100644
index a08732cdd6..0000000000
--- a/packages/tools/snap-tests/replace-file-content/steps.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "env": {},
-  "commands": [
-    "cat foo/example.toml # should show original toml file",
-    "tool replace-file-content foo/example.toml 'version = \"0.0.0\"' 'version = \"1.0.0\"' && cat foo/example.toml # should edit toml file"
-  ]
-}
diff --git a/packages/tools/src/index.ts b/packages/tools/src/index.ts
index cde286f144..2eb8f417b3 100644
--- a/packages/tools/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/tools/src/index.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,10 @@
 const subcommand = process.argv[2];
 
 switch (subcommand) {
-  case 'replace-file-content':
-    const { replaceFileContent } = await import('./replace-file-content.ts');
-    replaceFileContent();
-    break;
   case 'sync-remote':
     const { syncRemote } = await import('./sync-remote-deps.ts');
     await syncRemote();
     break;
-  case 'json-sort':
-    const { jsonSort } = await import('./json-sort.ts');
-    jsonSort();
-    break;
   case 'install-global-cli':
     const { installGlobalCli } = await import('./install-global-cli.ts');
     installGlobalCli();
@@ -37,7 +29,7 @@ switch (subcommand) {
   default:
     console.error(`Unknown subcommand: ${subcommand}`);
     console.error(
-      'Available subcommands: replace-file-content, sync-remote, json-sort, install-global-cli, brand-vite, local-npm-registry',
+      'Available subcommands: sync-remote, install-global-cli, brand-vite, local-npm-registry',
     );
     process.exit(1);
 }
diff --git a/packages/tools/src/json-sort.ts b/packages/tools/src/json-sort.ts
deleted file mode 100755
index b96da2e098..0000000000
--- a/packages/tools/src/json-sort.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-
-import assert from 'node:assert';
-import { readFileSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
-import { parseArgs } from 'node:util';
-
-export function jsonSort() {
-  const { positionals } = parseArgs({
-    allowPositionals: true,
-    args: process.argv.slice(3),
-  });
-
-  const filename = positionals[0];
-  const script = positionals[1];
-
-  if (!filename || !script) {
-    console.error('Usage: tool json-sort <filename> <script>');
-    console.error("Example: tool json-sort array.json '_.name'");
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-
-  const data = JSON.parse(readFileSync(filename, 'utf-8'));
-  assert(Array.isArray(data), 'json data must be an array');
-  // sort json by script
-  // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/no-implied-eval
-  const func = new Function('_', `return ${script};`);
-  const sortedJson = data.toSorted((a: unknown, b: unknown) => {
-    const aValue = func(a);
-    const bValue = func(b);
-    if (aValue < bValue) {
-      return -1;
-    }
-    if (aValue > bValue) {
-      return 1;
-    }
-    return 0;
-  });
-
-  writeFileSync(filename, JSON.stringify(sortedJson, null, 2) + '\n', 'utf-8');
-}
diff --git a/packages/tools/src/replace-file-content.ts b/packages/tools/src/replace-file-content.ts
deleted file mode 100755
index f43e9ce582..0000000000
--- a/packages/tools/src/replace-file-content.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-import { readFileSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
-import path from 'node:path';
-import { parseArgs } from 'node:util';
-
-export function replaceFileContent() {
-  const { positionals } = parseArgs({
-    allowPositionals: true,
-    args: process.argv.slice(3),
-  });
-
-  const filename = positionals[0];
-  const searchValue = positionals[1];
-  const newValue = positionals[2];
-
-  if (!filename || !searchValue || !newValue) {
-    console.error('Usage: tool replace-file-content <filename> <searchValue> <newValue>');
-    console.error(
-      'Example: tool replace-file-content example.toml \'version = "0.0.0"\' \'version = "0.0.1"\'',
-    );
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-
-  const filepath = path.resolve(filename);
-  const content = readFileSync(filepath, 'utf-8');
-  const newContent = content.replace(searchValue, newValue);
-  writeFileSync(filepath, newContent, 'utf-8');
-}