HyCanvas

HyCanvas is a free, open-source, AI-native design platform from HyScaler. It covers social graphics, presentations, video, whiteboards, docs, and print in a single browser-based editor, with a built-in template catalog, brand kits, and export to PNG and PDF — with no paywalls and no watermarks. Documents live in an open format: any design can be downloaded as a portable .hyc file (readable JSON) and imported on any HyCanvas instance, so your work is never locked in.

Where Canva ties AI features to paid tiers, HyCanvas takes a bring-your-own-key approach: AI provider keys are configured per workspace (or per user) at runtime, stored encrypted, and used directly against your chosen provider. A generation API turns a prompt into a complete, editable presentation — with optional grounding sources, language, and brand palette — and every instance serves an MCP endpoint so AI agents get the same generate, fetch, export, and share capabilities. Scoped API keys, budgets, and a 90-day audit trail are built in for workspace admins.

Self-hosting is deliberately simple: the production bundle is a single self-contained Go binary with the statically-exported Next.js frontend embedded, serving the UI, REST API, and realtime WebSocket on one port — no Node runtime required. Prebuilt binaries ship for Linux (amd64/arm64), macOS (Intel/Apple Silicon), and Windows, alongside a Docker Compose setup and a first-run setup wizard that configures PostgreSQL, storage (local or S3/MinIO), SMTP, and reverse-proxy settings. Compared to Canva, you trade the hosted convenience and stock-content library for full data ownership, an open file format, and AI you control — realtime collaboration and AI media generation are still on the roadmap.