Open-Source Databases · gridaco

grida

Grida is an open-source canvas editor and 2D graphics engine built on Rust, Skia, and WebAssembly. It combines design tooling (similar to Figma), SVG editing, database/CMS integration with Supabase, and forms—all in a single TypeScript/Rust monorepo with a stable FlatBuffers document format.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/gridaco/grida

2.6k

GitHub stars

140

Forks

TypeScript

Primary language

Apache-2.0

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	gridaco/grida
Owner	gridaco
Primary language	TypeScript
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	2.6k
Forks	140
Open issues	102
Latest release	v0.0.6 (2026-07-02)
Last updated	2026-07-07
Source	https://github.com/gridaco/grida

What grida is

Grida implements a node-based 2D graphics renderer with dual backends: DOM (for HTML/CSS workflows) and Skia/WASM (WebGL2 in browser, raster in Node.js). The core engine is Rust + Skia exposed via @grida/canvas-wasm; documents use FlatBuffers (.grida format); interoperability includes Figma import, SVG round-trip editing, and headless rendering via @grida/refig.

Quickstart

Get the grida source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/gridaco/grida.git2cd grida3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Headless Design Rendering & Export Pipelines

Use @grida/refig to render Figma designs (.fig files or REST JSON) to PNG/JPEG/PDF/SVG in Node.js without a browser, enabling automated export in CI/CD or batch processing workflows.

Round-Trip SVG Editing with AI Collaboration

Deploy @grida/svg-editor for AI-human co-editing workflows where byte-equal round trips and minimal file diffs allow AI agents and humans to safely edit the same SVG files without unwanted mutations.

Internal Design-to-Database CMS Workflows

Integrate Grida's Database/CMS module with Supabase for teams building no-code admin panels, forms, and content management tied directly to design artifacts and real-time data.

Implementation considerations

Requires Node.js 24+ and pnpm 11+ for development and build; ensure your team's toolchain is compatible.
FlatBuffers schema (@grida/canvas-wasm, format/grida.fbs) is alpha; expect breaking changes in document format between releases—plan versioning and migration strategies.
Headless rendering (@grida/refig) requires .fig file access (offline) or Figma API credentials; design artifact sourcing must be upstream.
Tight coupling to Supabase for CMS/Forms; if adopting Grida's database module, commit to Supabase or fork/fork the CMS layer.
Rust + WASM compilation adds build complexity; CI/CD pipelines need Rust toolchain and wasm-pack; validate build times and artifact sizes for your deployment target.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Mature, Production-Grade Design Tool Replacement Needed Now — Latest release is v0.0.6 (July 2026). Component/instance models and WebGPU backends are not yet implemented. If you need feature parity with Figma today, wait or use Figma.
Non-Supabase or Proprietary Database Backend — Database/CMS and Forms modules are architected tightly around Supabase (Tables, Views, Storage, Auth). If your stack uses PostgreSQL elsewhere or a different backend, integration effort is high.
Enterprise Security & Compliance Mandates — No security audit, SOC2, or compliance documentation is mentioned. Alpha-stage tooling; unknown vendor security posture. Internal use may be acceptable; production SaaS or regulated data requires thorough vetting.
Windows Desktop-First Deployment — Quickstart mentions Node.js 24+, pnpm, and a monorepo dev workflow. Desktop app binaries (Electron, native) are listed in Downloads but stability, platform support, and release cadence are not detailed.

License & commercial use

Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI-approved license allowing use, modification, and redistribution in commercial and proprietary contexts, provided copyright and license notices are retained and changes documented.

Apache-2.0 permits commercial use, including derivative works and closed-source products, without royalties or attribution requirements (though attribution is encouraged). However, no commercial support, SLA, indemnification, or warranty is explicitly offered by the Grida team. Use of Grida in production SaaS, commercial products, or regulated environments requires your own due diligence on dependencies, security, and maintenance risk.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	High
DEV.co fit	Possible
Assessment confidence	Medium

Security considerations

Pre-release tooling; no public security audit, threat model, or vulnerability disclosure policy mentioned. WASM execution (WebGL2 via Skia in browser, raster in Node) should be considered—Skia has its own CVE history, but pinned versions in package.json are your responsibility. If handling user-uploaded .fig files or SVG, sanitize and validate inputs. Supabase integration introduces external authentication/authorization—review Supabase's security posture separately. No guidance on secure configuration, secrets management, or data handling in forms/CMS module.

Alternatives to consider

Figma / Figma API + Figma Plugins

Industry standard for collaborative design. If you need headless rendering, Figma offers REST API + export. Higher cost, closed-source, but battle-tested and mature. Consider if you already have Figma licenses and need programmatic access.

Excalidraw (open-source, MIT)

Lightweight, open-source diagram/sketch editor with stable APIs. Better for rapid prototyping, collaborative whiteboards, and embedded use cases. Less powerful graphics engine; not a Figma replacement, but lower complexity and maintenance burden.

Full-featured open-source design tool (Figma competitor). AGPL license; commercial use requires Penpot cloud SaaS or server-side modifications. Better for teams wanting Figma-like tooling on-premise; higher complexity than Grida's modular approach.

Software development agency

Build on grida with DEV.co software developers

Grida is ideal for headless design rendering, SVG round-trip editing, and no-code CMS workflows. If you need a Figma replacement or production support, contact Devco to discuss architecture, integration, and risk assessment.

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grida FAQ

Can I use Grida as a drop-in Figma replacement?

Not yet. Grida Canvas is in alpha (v0.0.6); critical features like component/instance models are not implemented. Best suited for specific workflows (headless rendering, SVG editing, CMS integration) rather than full design team replacement. For that, use Figma or Penpot.

Do I need Supabase to use Grida?

No. @grida/canvas-wasm, @grida/refig, and @grida/svg-editor work standalone. Supabase is required only if you use the Database/CMS and Forms modules. Canvas, SVG editing, and headless rendering are Supabase-agnostic.

What is the licensing risk for commercial use?

Apache-2.0 is permissive; commercial use is allowed. No royalties, no attribution required (though appreciated). However, Grida is alpha-stage with no commercial support contract or warranty. You assume maintenance, security, and support risk; vet dependencies and conduct your own security review before production deployment.

Can Grida export my design to code (HTML/CSS/React)?

Not clearly stated in the provided data. Grida supports Figma import and SVG round-trip, but design-to-code generation features are not explicitly listed. Check docs or GitHub issues for code generation roadmap.

Custom software development services

From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like grida. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across open-source databases and beyond.

Evaluate Grida for Your Design Workflow

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