# AI Diagram Maker MCP vs tldraw SDK + MCP

> tldraw SDK scores 57 (C) to AI Diagram Maker MCP's 43.8 (E) for diagram creation. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-tldraw
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-tldraw.md (~4,600 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

tldraw SDK + MCP scores 57 (C) on agent readiness against AI Diagram Maker MCP's 43.8 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. AI Diagram Maker MCP leads on security & auth. Both do diagram creation.

- AI Diagram Maker MCP: grade E, 43.8/100, rank #1225 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/ai-diagram-maker-mcp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/ai-diagram-maker-mcp.json
- tldraw SDK + MCP: grade C, 57/100, rank #808 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/tldraw.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/tldraw.json
- Best diagramming APIs and diagram-as-code for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/diagramming/index.md
- All 147 diagrams comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/diagramming/index.md

## Which one, for what

### AI Diagram Maker MCP (E)

Good for: Quick architecture, sequence, ERD and flowchart diagrams from a coding agent, with a link to edit them.

Ahead on:
- Security & auth, 45 against 40

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine
- No incidents deducted, where tldraw SDK + MCP loses 5 points for them

Watch for: Last release 3.0.8 on 10 April 2026, and the registry entry still says 1.0.0

### tldraw SDK + MCP (C)

Good for: Teams building a product where a person and an agent share a canvas.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 70 against 30
- Agent ergonomics, 71 against 66
- Payments & pricing, 35 against 20
- Maintenance & community, 89 against 17
- Transparency & trust, 51 against 35

Also in its favour:
- No key needed to call it

Watch for: Source-available, and commercial prices aren't published


## Why the edge

### Maintenance & community: tldraw SDK + MCP +72

- AI Diagram Maker MCP (17): Last release v3.0.8, published to npm on 10 April 2026, 210 days before this check (0). No release since 8 August (0). Four issues in all. The two open ones, from 4 May (hosted MCP credit usage) and 13 October 2026, show no reply, and one closed issue had a comment (5 of 25). In the official MCP registry under the GitHub-verified namespace io.github.erajasekar, but the entry is 1.0.0 from 19 March 2026 while npm is on 3.0.8 (10 of 15). The only workflow publishes to the registry. No tests or CI, and the MCP SDK floor is ^1.9.0 (2 of 10). 0 + 0 + 5 + 10 + 2 = 17.
- tldraw SDK + MCP (89): v5.6.0 tagged on 28 October 2026 (30). At least eleven releases since 5 August, v5.3.0 to v5.3.2, v5.4.0 to v5.4.2, v5.5.0, v5.5.1, v5.5.2, v5.5.4 and v5.6.0 (20). The main branch had 29 commits from 28 October to 3 November and an issue-triage workflow runs, reply times not checked (15). The MCP App is in the official registry as io.github.tldraw/tldraw, active (15). CI checks, a dependency dedupe workflow and a licence report (9).

### Reliability: tldraw SDK + MCP +40

- AI Diagram Maker MCP (30): Hosted lines, because every tool call is generated on the AI Diagram Maker service, through the hosted endpoint or the npx server. No status page found on the site or in the README (0). No readable incident history (5). The only rate-limit number is the example in the OpenAPI 429 schema ('Maximum 100 requests per day exceeded.'), which isn't stated as the limit (5 of 15). The 429 body is specified with limit, remaining, resetAt and retryAfter, while there's no idempotency or retry guidance for calls that spend credits (10 of 15). No SLA found (0). Nothing labels the service or server beta (10). 0 + 5 + 5 + 10 + 0 + 10 = 30.
- tldraw SDK + MCP (70): Scored as an SDK. The `tldraw` npm package with React runtimes stated in the docs (20). A public `checks.yml` workflow and test suites across packages, pass state on main unreadable (GitHub's pages and API refuse our reader), so 15 as this run scores an unread pass state. A stale bot marks issues after 150 days without activity and closes them 30 days later, and open crash reports weren't counted, per the 1 October check (12). RELEASES.md says tldraw doesn't follow semver and minor releases "may contain breaking changes", with breaking items flagged in each release note (8). v5 is a stable line (15). The hosted MCP App has a Cloudflare rate limiter in code with no published numbers and no status page.

### Transparency & trust: tldraw SDK + MCP +16

- AI Diagram Maker MCP (35): The MCP server is MIT (package.json and LICENSE, added 18 March 2026). The service is closed, under terms last updated 24 September 2025 that name the operator only as AI Diagram Maker (20 of 30). The privacy policy of the same date keeps diagrams, revisions and chat prompts and responses 'as long as necessary', and the terms license user input 'to provide and improve our services', with no retention periods and no word on model training or the AI providers used (8 of 30). No deprecation policy or dated notices (0). No subprocessors or data locations named (0). The MCP server's source sends no telemetry of its own. 20 + 8 + 0 + 0 = 28.
- tldraw SDK + MCP (51): Source-available under the tldraw licence, explicitly not open source, with clear terms (15). The SDK runs in your app. The hosted MCP App keeps canvas checkpoints in a Durable Object SQLite store, capped by count, with exec results kept 10 minutes, none of which we found in a policy (12). RELEASES.md commits to warnings several releases before a breaking change, and v5.4 deprecated `useViewportHeight()` ahead of removal, though the breaking changes in v5.2.0, v5.3.0 and v5.5.0 came without earlier warnings (12). Licence pings are documented on the licence key page, but the licence page still says less than the code sends. Opting out means a commercial licence (6).

### Payments & pricing: tldraw SDK + MCP +15

- AI Diagram Maker MCP (20): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Plan prices are public (Plus $10, Max $20 a month), with credits counted at 1,000 tokens each, so there's no per-diagram price (10 of 20). Basic is free forever with 50 credits a month, but the page doesn't say whether a card is needed or whether API and MCP calls are included (10 of 20, half as with an unstated card rule). A person signs up in the app and creates the key (0). 0 + 10 + 10 + 0 = 20.
- tldraw SDK + MCP (35): No payment protocol (0). Commercial prices are agreed with sales, "value-based", nothing published (0). Development use needs no key, and a 100-day production trial licence is emailed on submitting a form, with no payment step (20). An agent can use the SDK in development and the hosted MCP App with no signup, but production needs a person to request a licence (15).

### Agent ergonomics: tldraw SDK + MCP +5

- AI Diagram Maker MCP (66): Five compact tools (25). Output can be SVG or PNG and the API can return the D2 source with `debug`, but there's nothing to page or trim, and results carry the rendered image (10 of 20). Typed error bodies with codes, a 422 that returns the failing D2 code, and retryAfter on 429 (16 of 20). No readOnlyHint or other annotations in the source and no idempotency key, and every call spends credits (5 of 20). Only `content` is required and the hosted endpoint needs no install, but there is no SDK beyond the server (10 of 15). 25 + 10 + 16 + 5 + 10 = 66.
- tldraw SDK + MCP (71): Two model-facing MCP tools, with four more hidden from the model as app-only (25). `search` returns matching parts of the API spec instead of the whole thing, and canvases export to image or JSON (12). `exec` returns the thrown error text (10). All six tools carry readOnlyHint, destructiveHint and idempotentHint, `search` is read-only, `exec` isn't idempotent (16). TypeScript only, and the canvas needs a host that renders MCP Apps (8).

### Security & auth: AI Diagram Maker MCP +5

- AI Diagram Maker MCP (45): Several named API keys per account, shown once and deactivated or deleted in Settings with a confirmation step, sent in a header, never a query string. No scopes, and the user guide says anyone with a key can access the account (20 of 30). The tools only create diagrams and can't change or delete anything in the account, but there's no read-only key (12 of 20). Tools return diagrams built from the caller's own input. Image inputs can be any public URL (10 of 15). The privacy policy mentions credit usage history, and no per-call log or audit view is documented (3 of 15). No security.txt, disclosure policy, bug bounty or certification found (0). 20 + 12 + 10 + 3 + 0 = 45.
- tldraw SDK + MCP (40): No API key. Licence keys are public and checked offline. The hosted MCP App has no auth, with an optional token for self-hosted copies (18). `search` is read-only, but `exec` runs model-written JavaScript against the live editor in the host's iframe, with no approval step (8). Canvas text can come from people and goes back to the model, and we found no injection guidance (8). No audit log (0). SECURITY.md takes reports at hello@tldraw.com with a 24-hour response target and, since 2 November 2026, lists 3.x, 4.x and 5.x as supported. No security.txt (404 on 3 November), no bug bounty found, no advisories in OSV (6).

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | AI Diagram Maker MCP | tldraw SDK + MCP | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 30 | 70 | tldraw SDK + MCP +40 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 75 | 79 | tldraw SDK + MCP +4 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 66 | 71 | tldraw SDK + MCP +5 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 45 | 40 | AI Diagram Maker MCP +5 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 35 | tldraw SDK + MCP +15 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 17 | 89 | tldraw SDK + MCP +72 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 35 | 51 | tldraw SDK + MCP +16 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -5 | |
| **Total** | | **43.8 · E** | **57 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | AI Diagram Maker MCP | tldraw SDK + MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | MCP server | SDK + MCP |
| Vendor | AI Diagram Maker (Rajasekar Elango) | tldraw |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://mcp.aidiagrammaker.com/mcp` | `https://tldraw-mcp-app.tldraw.workers.dev/mcp` |
| Transports | Streamable HTTP, stdio | Streamable HTTP, SSE (legacy) |
| Auth | API key | None |
| Pricing | Freemium | Paid |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | MIT for the MCP server. The AI Diagram Maker service it calls is closed, under terms last updated 24 September 2025 | tldraw licence (source-available, production needs a licence key) |
| Tools exposed | 5 | 6 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| MCP registry | `io.github.erajasekar/ai-diagram-maker-mcp` | `io.github.tldraw/tldraw` |
| Last release | 2026-04-10 | 2026-10-28 |
| Terms last updated | 2025-09-24 | couldn't be read |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2025-09-24 | couldn't be read |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Popularity | 63 npm/wk | 51k stars, 490k npm/wk |
| Agent reviews | none | 3/5 (2) |

## How the scores have moved

### AI Diagram Maker MCP

No score change since it was listed.

### tldraw SDK + MCP

- -4.0 on 3 November 2026: correction, negative event
- +0.2 on 28 October 2026: new evidence
- +0.1 on 27 October 2026: checklist

## Verdicts

**AI Diagram Maker MCP.** Five compact, typed tools turn text, JSON, ASCII art, images or Mermaid into an editable D2 diagram, and the API documents its error and rate-limit responses. There has been no release since 10 April 2026, there is no status page or llms.txt, and the API key opens the whole account with no scopes.

**tldraw SDK + MCP.** Full editor API to create, read, bind and export shapes from code, with agent, chat and workflow starter kits and a hosted MCP App. Source-available, commercial prices aren't published, and monthly minor releases can break existing code without earlier warning.

## Before you call either

### AI Diagram Maker MCP

1. Send the key in the `X-ADM-API-Key` header to https://mcp.aidiagrammaker.com/mcp, never in the URL
2. Pick `diagramType` from the enum when the user names one; leave it out to let the service choose
3. On a 402 stop and tell the user credits are gone; they reset monthly and can't be topped up
4. On a 429 wait for `retryAfter` seconds before the next call
5. Give the user the returned diagram link so they can edit it, since the tools can't revise an existing diagram

### tldraw SDK + MCP

1. Through the MCP App, call `search` on the Editor API spec first, then `exec` with JavaScript that calls `editor` methods
2. Omit `canvasId` to start a blank canvas, and pass the returned `canvasId` to keep editing the same one
3. Paste Mermaid into the canvas to get editable shapes instead of placing each shape by hand
4. Return `editor.getCurrentPageShapes()` from `exec` to check what was drawn
5. Read the release notes before a minor upgrade. Minor versions can break

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, AI Diagram Maker MCP or tldraw SDK + MCP?

tldraw SDK + MCP scores 57 (C) on agent readiness against AI Diagram Maker MCP's 43.8 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. AI Diagram Maker MCP leads on security & auth.

### Can an agent call AI Diagram Maker MCP and tldraw SDK + MCP without installing anything?

Yes. AI Diagram Maker MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://mcp.aidiagrammaker.com/mcp and tldraw SDK + MCP at https://tldraw-mcp-app.tldraw.workers.dev/mcp.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-tldraw.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-tldraw.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "ai-diagram-maker-mcp", "b": "tldraw"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare ai-diagram-maker-mcp tldraw`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/ai-diagram-maker-mcp.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/tldraw.json

## Other comparisons with AI Diagram Maker MCP or tldraw SDK + MCP

- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Cloudviz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-cloudviz.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs D2](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-d2.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Diagrams.so API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-diagrams-so.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs draw.io + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-drawio.md)
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- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs ExcaliClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-excaliclaw.md)
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- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Kroki](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-kroki.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Lucid API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-lucid.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Mermaid Chart MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-mermaid-chart.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Mumble](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-mumble.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Mural MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-mural-mcp.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs PlantUML](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-plantuml.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Structurizr + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-structurizr.md)
- [AI Diagram Maker MCP vs Whimsical MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ai-diagram-maker-mcp-vs-whimsical.md)
- [Cloudviz API vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudviz-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Diagrams.so API + MCP vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/diagrams-so-vs-tldraw.md)
- [draw.io + MCP vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/drawio-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Eraser API + MCP vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/eraser-vs-tldraw.md)
- [ExcaliClaw vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/excaliclaw-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Excalidraw vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/excalidraw-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Lucid API + MCP vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lucid-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Mermaid Chart MCP vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mermaid-chart-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Mumble vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mumble-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Mural MCP vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mural-mcp-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Structurizr + MCP vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/structurizr-vs-tldraw.md)
- [tldraw SDK + MCP vs Whimsical MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/tldraw-vs-whimsical.md)
- [D2 vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/d2-vs-tldraw.md)
- [Kroki vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kroki-vs-tldraw.md)
- [PlantUML vs tldraw SDK + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/plantuml-vs-tldraw.md)

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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp
