✨ 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.
