Status: Active Development — core features are working but the project is not yet stable. APIs and interfaces may change. We are actively looking for contributors to help shape v1.
Fork it, shape it, make it yours.
An open-source foundation for building your own online graphic design tool. This monorepo gives you a working canvas editor, a Next.js frontend, a CMS-backed admin panel, and a mock API — so you can skip starting from scratch and focus on what makes your product unique.
- Homepage: canvaclone.com
- Docs: canvaclone.com/docs
- License: MIT with No Resale Clause
| Package | Description |
|---|---|
apps/canva-web |
Next.js 16 frontend — templates, projects, auth, i18n |
apps/canva-admin |
Strapi CMS backend — templates, assets, users |
apps/mock-api |
Express mock API for local development without a real backend |
apps/canva-web-e2e |
Playwright end-to-end test suite |
apps/i18n |
Internationalisation string management |
libs/canva-editor |
Core React canvas editor (shapes, text, images, layers) |
Stack: React 19 · Next.js 16 · TypeScript · Tailwind CSS · Drizzle ORM · PostgreSQL · Better Auth · Zustand · Nx monorepo · pnpm
- Node.js 20.x
- pnpm (
npm install -g pnpm) - PostgreSQL 15+
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/canva-clone.git
cd canva-clone
pnpm installcp apps/canva-web/.env.example apps/canva-web/.env
# Fill in your DB connection string, auth secrets, and storage configmake web_up # Next.js frontend on localhost:3000
make admin_up # Strapi admin on localhost:1337
make mock_up # Mock API on localhost:3001
make editor_up # Canvas editor in watch modeSee CONTRIBUTING.md for the full setup guide, including database restore and all available commands.
This project is under active development. Here is a rough picture of where things stand:
| Area | Status |
|---|---|
| Canvas editor (shapes, text, images) | Working |
| Template browsing & rendering | Working |
| User authentication | Working |
| Project save / load | Working |
| Internationalisation | Working |
| Export (PNG / PDF) | In progress |
| Real-time collaboration | Planned |
| Plugin / extension system | Planned |
| Comprehensive test coverage | Needs help |
| Full documentation | Needs help |
Anything marked In progress or Planned is a great place to contribute.
We need your help. This project is most useful when it has many contributors improving it together.
Whether you want to fix a bug, add a feature, improve documentation, or just report an issue — all contributions are welcome. Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on how to get set up and submit your first PR.
Not sure where to start? Look for issues labelled:
good first issue— approachable tasks for newcomershelp wanted— areas where maintainers want outside inputdocumentation— docs improvements that do not require deep codebase knowledge
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| Homepage | https://www.canvaclone.com/ |
| Docs | https://www.canvaclone.com/docs |
| Contributing guide | CONTRIBUTING.md |
| License | LICENSE.md |