✨ A tool so smooth, it feels like magic.
🎨 A whiteboard, a design surface, a collaboration space — all in one.
😳 “This feels like cheating...”
As a developer or indie maker, how many times have you opened up Figma, Miro, or a basic drawing tool just to sketch out an idea — and immediately felt friction?
Too many buttons.
Too many steps.
Too slow to just... think visually.
That’s where tldraw changes everything.
🚀 What is tldraw?
tldraw is a free, open-source whiteboard tool designed for instant thinking.
But don’t let the word “whiteboard” fool you — it’s so much more.
✅ What makes it special:
- Instant use. Open the site — no sign-up needed.
- Real-time multiplayer. Invite a friend — you both draw live.
- Drag-and-drop UI design. Sketch apps, flows, and systems.
- Markdown, shapes, stickies, connectors. Perfect for dev planning.
- Open source. Self-host it or build on top.
👨💻 How Developers Use It
Here’s how I (and many other devs) use tldraw every day:
🧠 1. Thinking Through Features
Before writing code, I’ll sketch out logic or page layouts.
Not pretty — just fast. I can drag arrows between parts and write notes inline.
"It's like drawing on glass with my brain plugged in."
🧪 2. Explaining Systems to Others
When a client or team asks, "How does this API flow work?"
Boom — open tldraw, diagram it in real time, and everyone gets it.
🛠️ 3. Designing Without Getting Stuck
I don’t want Figma layers or design tokens. I just want to explore.
tldraw helps me stay in build mode without switching to pixel-perfect mode.
🔥 Bonus Power: Self-Hosting
Want to use tldraw for your startup? You can fork it on GitHub and:
- Integrate it into your product
- Add custom elements
- Save/load diagrams in your app
- Use it as a collaborative playground
GitHub repo → https://github.com/tldraw/tldraw
😌 Why It Feels Like Cheating
It’s not just fast — it’s freeing.
You go from idea → diagram → shared understanding in seconds.
You don’t need to think about the tool.
You just think — and the tool follows.
🧠 Final Thought
Good tools disappear.
Great tools feel like superpowers.
tldraw is one of those. Try it once — and you'll start using it every day.
Top comments (1)
Totally get what you mean about tools feeling invisible when they're this smooth. Have you tried pushing tldraw with any custom plugins or AI integrations yet?