What it does
tldraw is a React SDK for infinite-canvas applications with drawing, shapes, arrows and custom tools. It provides a working canvas to extend, with separate licence terms for development and production.
Import the Tldraw component and its CSS into a React project, then render it in a full-screen container. This produces a single-user canvas with drawing, text, images, zoom and undo. Adding a persistenceKey saves the document in browser storage and synchronizes tabs that use the same key.
For a collaboration prototype, install @tldraw/sync and connect useSyncDemo to a room ID. Its demo server hosts temporary rooms. The onMount callback gives your code an Editor instance, so an application can create shapes, select them or move the viewport programmatically.
Development use is free. Production needs an active licence key: a 100-day trial, a negotiated commercial licence or an approved free hobby licence for non-commercial work. Hobby projects must display the tldraw watermark. The SDK is source available, with restrictions that prevent it from qualifying as open-source software.
Strengths
- Custom shapes, tools and interface components can adapt the canvas to a specific application.
- Production licence keys can be validated offline.
Watch out for
- A trial deployment stops working when its licence key expires.
Best for
- Teams designing custom canvas or diagramming applications
Sources
- tldraw quick start (Oct 27, 2026)
- tldraw SDK licence (Oct 27, 2026)
- tldraw pricing and licensing (Oct 27, 2026)