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System design whiteboard

A free system design whiteboard for interviews, design reviews and architecture jams — sketch components, sequences and trade-offs on a real-time canvas, share one URL, no signup.

Open a system design board → Interview use case →

Built for how system design actually happens

Interview pace. Land on a blank board in one click; send the link to the other side of the call.
Boxes and arrows first. Freehand and shapes for services, stores and trust boundaries — then tighten with Mermaid sequence or flowchart nodes if you want crisp diagrams.
Trade-off notes. Sticky notes for latency, consistency, cost and failure modes next to the drawing, not buried in a separate doc.
Optional AI assist. MCP agents can propose a first-cut topology on the same board while you interview or review.

How to run a system design session on cnvs.app

Open a board via Open a system design board and copy the URL into the meeting chat.
Frame the problem with a short prompt sticky, then sketch the high-level request path.
Deepen with data stores, caches, queues and failure modes; add a Mermaid sequence when the flow stabilizes.
Leave the URL as the artifact — no export gymnastics required for follow-ups.

System design whiteboard options

Capability	Slide / doc sketch	Enterprise whiteboard	cnvs.app
Time to first stroke	Slow	Login + seat	Instant URL
Real-time multiplayer	No	Yes (paid)	Yes (free)
Mermaid sequence on canvas	Rare	Plugin / no	Native
Signup for candidates	N/A	Often required	Never
Price	Indirect	Per seat	$0

FAQ

Is this system design whiteboard free for interviews?

Yes. Open a board, share the URL with the interviewer or candidate, and sketch together. No signup and no seat licenses.

What should I draw in a system design interview?

Typical boards show clients, API gateways, services, data stores, caches, queues and the request path — plus sticky notes for CAP/latency trade-offs. cnvs.app supports freehand, text, and Mermaid sequence or flowchart nodes on one canvas.

Can multiple interviewers join the same board?

Yes. Anyone with the board URL joins the live canvas. Cursors and edits sync in real time without creating accounts.

Can I reuse the board after the interview?

Yes. The URL keeps working. Export or screenshot as needed, or keep iterating with teammates on the same design.

System design whiteboard

Built for how system design actually happens

How to run a system design session on cnvs.app

System design whiteboard options

FAQ

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