The private whiteboard where you & your AI agents build architecture together.
Stop paying monthly SaaS subscriptions and leaking system designs to cloud servers. OpenBoard is the 100% private infinite canvas stored in local SQLite—with a built-in MCP server that lets Claude Code and Cursor draw and inspect topology in real time.
100% Local SQLite
Zero cloud dependencies. Your system topology stays securely in ~/.openboard/openboard.db with Write-Ahead Logging.
13 Semantic MCP Tools
High-level tools for Claude Code, Cursor, and OpenCode to create shapes, connect nodes, and inspect visual hierarchy.
0% Cloud Telemetry
Completely air-gapped with zero telemetry beacons, zero tokens logged, and zero recurring seat subscriptions.
MIT Open Source
Free forever for individuals and engineering teams without seat limits or enterprise paywalls.
Built for the Problems Engineers Actually Care About
We eliminated mandatory cloud logins, expensive seat subscriptions, and text-only AI limitations to give you a private, agent-collaborative canvas.
Cloud Whiteboards Leak Proprietary Architecture
SaaS tools require logins, charge per-seat subscriptions, and upload your confidential database schemas and microservice topology to third-party clouds.
All boards, nodes, and metadata live in ~/.openboard/openboard.db. Zero accounts, zero cloud telemetry, fully air-gapped.
AI Coding Assistants Cannot See or Draw Architecture
Claude Code and Cursor generate thousands of lines of code, but remain blind to visual system topology and cannot sketch or review design documents.
Built-in Model Context Protocol server unlocks tools to create nodes, draw labeled arrows, group services, and query visual relationships.
Canvas SDKs Require Massive Boilerplate
Raw drawing SDKs leave you to build persistence, state sync, board managers, trash lifecycles, and export engines entirely from scratch.
Run `npx openboard-app start` to instantly get a full-featured multi-board workspace, dark UI, debounced auto-save, and live SSE updates.
Sub-5ms Headless Canvas Inspection
AI agents can inspect canvas element hierarchies and export crisp vector SVG snapshots in milliseconds without requiring heavy headless browsers.
Live Terminal-to-Browser Projection (SSE)
When your terminal AI agent modifies a whiteboard, mutations stream directly into your browser viewport in real time over Server-Sent Events.
Keyboard-First Flow for Night Owls
Press N for new board, / to search, Space+Drag to pan, and Cmd+D to duplicate. Built to keep your hands on the keyboard.
How OpenBoard Coordinates You & AI Agents Locally
No cloud servers, no webhooks, no third-party telemetry. All coordination happens over fast local IPC, SQLite, and Server-Sent Events.
1. AI Coding Agent
Claude Code, Cursor, or autonomous coding agents issue visual architecture requests during codebase exploration, planning, or refactoring.
2. OpenBoard Core & SQLite
Executes atomic shape mutations and vector queries against embedded SQLite (~/.openboard/openboard.db) with sub-5ms transaction speed.
3. Live Browser Viewport
Interactive tldraw whiteboard receives real-time mutations via Server-Sent Events (SSE). You can pan, zoom, draw, or edit collaboratively.
Connect OpenBoard to Your AI Assistant
Select your coding agent to get the exact configuration snippet. Unlocks 13 visual diagramming tools in seconds.
{
"mcpServers": {
"openboard": {
"command": "openboard",
"args": ["mcp"]
}
}
}13 Semantic Tools for Autonomous Diagramming
Coding agents aren't just given a blank canvas; they receive structured, high-level primitives to build, modify, and query architecture deterministically.
create_board(title: string, description?: string)Creates a new whiteboard canvas document in the local SQLite database and returns the generated board ID.
OpenBoard vs Legacy Whiteboards
See why software architects and AI practitioners switch from cloud SaaS to local-first SQLite whiteboarding.
| Engineering Requirement | OpenBoard (Localhost) | Excalidraw |
|---|---|---|
Model Context Protocol (MCP) for AI Agents Allows Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex to autonomously create and inspect diagrams. | 13 Semantic Tools (stdio + SSE) | No Native MCP Server |
Storage & Persistence Reliable multi-board relational persistence with zero cloud account dependencies. | Local SQLite Database (~/.openboard/openboard.db) | Browser LocalStorage / Cloud SaaS |
Multi-board Dashboard & Favorites Organize dozens of architectural whiteboards with soft delete, favorites, and search. | Cloud Subscription Only | |
Live AI Agent Browser Sync Mutations from terminal coding agents project instantly into the open browser tab. | Real-time Server-Sent Events (SSE) | |
Headless Vector SVG Export Export diagrams directly from terminal scripts without spinning up Chromium. | CLI & MCP (Sub-5ms) | Browser DOM Dependent |
License Full freedom to self-host, fork, and embed anywhere. | MIT (100% Open Source) | MIT (Core) / Closed (Cloud SaaS) |
Latest Articles on Local-First & AI Whiteboarding
Architectural deep-dives on local SQLite persistence, MCP protocols, and agent diagramming.
Why Local-First Whiteboards are the Future of Secure Engineering
Discover why top engineering teams are ditching cloud subscriptions for 100% private, local SQLite-backed infinite canvases.
Open Source Board: The Developer's Guide to 100% Private Collaboration
Everything you need to know about choosing, deploying, and building with open-source whiteboard workspaces without SaaS lock-in.
Supercharging AI Coding Agents with Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Learn how to give Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex the superpower of visual architecture diagramming through 13 semantic tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear, honest answers about technical privacy, local SQLite persistence, Model Context Protocol, and open-source guarantees.
Start Diagramming in Seconds
No signup, no telemetry, no payment details. Run one command to launch your private local whiteboard.