Tldraw

Tldraw is an open-source SDK and web application that provides an infinite canvas engine for building whiteboarding and diagramming applications within React environments. The software allows developers to integrate a fully functional drawing surface into their own products or use it as a standalone tool for visual collaboration.

The software is deployed as a web app or integrated into existing projects via an SDK. It supports real-time multiplayer collaboration and works across desktop browsers, tablets, and mobile devices. Users can employ the default whiteboarding toolset for immediate use or leverage the library primitives to create entirely new shapes, bindings, and interactions tailored to specific project requirements.

Key features

• Real-time multiplayer collaboration via self-hostable sync
• Pressure-sensitive drawing and geometric shape tools
• DOM-based canvas rendering supporting embedded websites
• Extensible architecture for custom shapes, tools, and UI components
• Editor API for driving the canvas at runtime
• Support for rich text, arrows, and snapping to shapes
• Image and video integration with image export capabilities
• Canvas primitives designed for LLM and AI integrations

The architecture relies on a DOM canvas, which allows the whiteboard to render any content the browser supports, including live embeds. To accelerate development, the project provides several MIT-licensed starter kits for specific use cases. These include a workflow kit for building drag-and-drop node builders for automation pipelines, an agent kit for AI that can read and modify canvas content, and a shader kit utilizing WebGL for interactive visual effects. The SDK is designed for developers who need a flexible, programmable drawing surface that can scale from a simple sketch tool to a complex visual programming interface.

Tldraw positions itself as a foundational engine for developers building collaborative visual tools and infinite canvas experiences.