# Doory: A Free, Open-Source Canva Alternative You Can Host Yourself

Canva is a great tool. Even Doory's own README says so.

But if you've used any online design tool for a while, you know the pattern. The free plan gets you started, the good features sit behind a paid plan, and your files live on someone else's servers.

Doory takes a different route. It's a full design editor that runs in your browser. Every feature is free. And you can run the whole thing on your own machine.

I spent some time going through the repo and its README. This post covers what Doory is, what's inside, how to set it up, and where I'd be careful.

> 💡 **Quick take:** Doory is a young project with a lot packed into it. If you want a free, self-hostable design editor, it's worth a look. If you need a huge template library today, read the "Things to watch" section first.

* * *

## What is Doory?

Doory is an open-source design editor made by a developer called Siam (GitHub: shaongitbd). You can make posters, social posts, stories, slides, invitations, resumes, thumbnails and business cards.

You can start from a template or a blank page. Then you can export to PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, MP4 or GIF.

Here are the basics at a glance:

|   |   |
| --- | --- |
| What it is | A browser-based design editor, like Canva |
| Price | Free, every feature |
| Account needed? | No, you can start designing right away |
| Self-hosting | Yes, with Docker Compose |
| Frontend | React 19, TypeScript, Vite |
| Backend | Django 5, PostgreSQL |
| License | Attribution Assurance License |
| Website | doory.art |
| Repo | github.com/shaongitbd/doory |

* * *

## Why people might pick it

The README gives four reasons. I think they hold up as a good way to explain the project.

**1\. Free, for real.** There is no Pro plan, no locked templates, no watermarks and no ads. Tools like background removal and video export are open to everyone.

**2\. Start in one click.** You open the editor and design. If you're a guest, your work is saved in the browser. When you decide to make an account, your designs move over in one step.

**3\. Yours to host.** One `docker compose up` runs the app, the API, the database and live collaboration on your own server. Your designs and uploads stay with you.

**4\. A real editor.** This isn't a toy canvas. More on that next.

* * *

## What's inside the editor

Here is the feature list from the README, grouped so it's easier to read.

| Area | What you get |
| --- | --- |
| Text | Headings, curved text, text effects, font pairings, bulleted and numbered lists, an open-licensed font catalogue, and your own uploaded fonts |
| Elements | Shapes, lines and arrows, about 25,000 icons, emoji and illustrations, stickers, QR codes |
| Photos | Upload, crop, masks and filters, one-click background removal, stock photo search |
| Layout | Layers with lock and hide, groups, alignment guides, snapping, rulers, multi-page designs, magic resize |
| Motion | Enter, exit and emphasis animations and page transitions on a timeline |
| Sound | Music loops, sound effects, uploads, voiceover recording, trims and fades |
| Present | Present mode with speaker notes, timing, auto-advance, a laser pointer and a second presenter window |
| Together | Share links, comments, version history, real-time co-editing |
| Brand | Brand kits with your colours, fonts and logos |
| Export | PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, MP4, WebM and animated GIF |

A few of these deserve a closer look.

### Background removal that runs in your browser

The background removal model runs in the browser, not on a remote service. That matters if you care about where your photos go.

On a self-hosted setup you install the model with one command: `sync_models`.

### Animation and video

Doory has 27 enter and exit animations, 12 emphasis effects and 16 page transitions. There is also a built-in audio library with 24 music loops and 88 sound effects, all CC0.

You can present a design, or export it as MP4, WebM or an animated GIF. The README says these exports are made in your browser.

### Print-ready PDFs

If you're designing something to print, you can get a PDF with bleed and crop marks. That's a detail you only find in tools that were built with real use in mind.

### Working together

You can share a design with a link that lets people view, comment or edit. Links can be password protected. There are pinned comments, version history, and real-time co-editing with live cursors.

* * *

## Templates: the honest part

Doory ships with ten starter templates:

-   Gig poster
    
-   Wedding invitation
    
-   Event story
    
-   Sale post
    
-   Café flyer
    
-   Quote card
    
-   Resume
    
-   YouTube thumbnail
    
-   Pitch deck
    
-   Business card
    

Each one has its own palette, uses open-licensed fonts, and is fully editable. You can add your own templates in the admin area and browse them by category, size and orientation.

Ten is a small number. Canva has a very large library, and Doory's README says so itself. If you live on templates, this is the biggest gap.

* * *

## Doory vs Canva

The README has its own comparison table. Keep in mind that it comes from the Doory author, so it shows their point of view.

|   | Doory | Canva |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free, every feature | Free plan, paid Pro and Teams plans |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Run it on your own server | Yes | No |
| Design without an account | Yes | No |
| Files stay on infrastructure you control | Yes | No |
| Real-time co-editing and comments | Yes | Yes |
| Animation, video and GIF export | Yes | Yes |
| Background removal | Yes, in your browser | Yes |
| Template library | 10 starter templates, plus any you add | A very large library |

The pattern is clear. Doory wins on openness and control. Canva wins on content.

* * *

## How it's built

Here is the stack, straight from the README:

-   **In the browser:** React 19, TypeScript, Vite, Fabric.js, Yjs and Zustand
    
-   **On the server:** Django 5, Django REST Framework, Channels and PostgreSQL
    
-   **Around it:** Docker Compose with nginx, optional Redis and S3-compatible storage
    

The README explains the request flow in one line. The `web` container serves the app and forwards `/api` and `/ws` to the backend, so the browser only talks to one address.

Here is how that looks:

![Mermaid Diagram](https://mermaid.ink/img/pako:eNqFkE1PwzAMhv-K8WlIKR-CA9oBaQMhkIY0WsEOCwe39bpAGkdJoHztv6NsiBMSR79-HtvyJzbSMo5xZWVo1hQSzErtAACmS43TIEPkAKOSqUlA3u9rfISiOP_S6CUkODs6O9L4BYulxoFraMQlMi47rjPuLfO7eYsf7ZC8ycYkz6fmmV0Lo8sncp38AQ9xy-7SSU5hvhxpnEtMXeDqbqZx__G3fbC1xCcjjmxWy0yX3Jr4D1hlsDopGuk9JVNbhpgkUMdZRIU9h55Mi-NPTGvu89daXtGLTah2yQMFQ7XlmJmVuHRFvbHvOMaCvLdcxPeYuFcwtcY931JTbesrcUmBxoo7Ybi_0aiglFqSKLhm-8rJNKRgEgxZBZFcLCIHs0K1XVKZj3zL8al_w81GYd1diJWAY9wb1iYxbr4BVcyabQ?type=png)

My guess is that Yjs handles the shared document state for co-editing, and Channels carries it over WebSockets. I haven't dug into the code to confirm that, so treat it as a guess.

* * *

## Self-hosting it

This is where the project shines. The README promises three commands, and that is what it shows.

```bash
cp .env.example .env     # set DJANGO_SECRET_KEY and POSTGRES_PASSWORD
docker compose up -d --build
docker compose exec api python manage.py createsuperuser
```

Then open `http://localhost:8080` and start designing.

> ⚠️ **Before you run it:** the `.env` file needs a `DJANGO_SECRET_KEY` and a `POSTGRES_PASSWORD`. The README suggests `openssl rand -base64 48` for the secret key.

### A new site starts empty

This surprised me a little. A fresh install has no templates, icons, fonts or audio. You add them yourself with a few commands:

```bash
docker compose exec api python manage.py seed_gallery         # template categories
docker compose exec api python manage.py sync_fonts --popular 100
docker compose exec api python manage.py seed_templates       # the starter templates
docker compose exec api python manage.py seed_elements        # shapes and graphics
docker compose exec api python manage.py sync_element_packs   # icons, emoji and illustrations
docker compose exec api python manage.py sync_models          # background removal model
docker compose exec api python manage.py sync_audio           # music and sound effects
```

It's a small extra step, but it's good to know about before you wonder where all the content went.

### Settings worth knowing

These live in your `.env` file:

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| SITE_URL | The public address of the site, like https://doory.example.com, with no trailing slash |
| DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS | The host names the site answers to, comma separated |
| SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT, SECURE_COOKIES | Set to true behind HTTPS, false for plain http:// |
| EMAIL_URL, DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL | SMTP settings. Without them, emails are printed to the API log |
| WEB_PORT, WEB_BIND | Where the site is published (default 0.0.0.0:8080) |
| INSTALL_CHROMIUM | Set to false to skip the headless browser that server-side PDF export needs |
| GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID | Turns on "Sign in with Google" |
| UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY, PEXELS_API_KEY | Turn on stock photo search |
| USE_S3 and AWS_* | Store uploads in S3-compatible storage instead of a local volume |

### Running it for development

If you want to hack on it instead:

```bash
make setup     # virtualenv, dependencies, local database
make dev-api   # API on http://localhost:8000
make dev-web   # app on http://localhost:5173 (second terminal)
```

Run `make help` to see the other targets, like tests and lint.

* * *

## Where do your designs live?

This is a fair question for any design tool, and the README answers it clearly:

-   **Guest designs** and their images stay in the browser, on that device.
    
-   **Signed-in designs** are stored on the server that runs Doory. If you self-host, that's your server.
    
-   **Uploads** can go to a local volume or to S3-compatible storage.
    

One thing follows from this. If you design as a guest and then clear your browser data, that work is tied to the browser. If you care about keeping a design, make an account.

* * *

## The license: read this part

Doory uses the Attribution Assurance License. You can use it, change it and redistribute it, including for commercial work.

But there's a condition. You must credit the author. That means keeping the license and NOTICE files with the code, and showing a credit line in the running app. The credit names Siam and links to the repo.

> 📌 **Worth knowing:** if you plan to host Doory for your own users or your business, the credit has to be visible in the app. Read the `LICENSE` and `NOTICE` files yourself before you commit. I'm not a lawyer, and this is a summary of what the README says.

Third-party software, fonts and content keep their own licenses. Those are listed in `THIRD_PARTY.md`.

* * *

## Things to watch

I like the ambition here. But a few facts are worth knowing before you build on it.

**It's early.** When I looked, the repo had 6 commits, 3 stars, 0 forks and 16 pull requests. That's a young project with a small community. Expect rough edges, and don't assume a big team is behind it.

**The template library is small.** Ten starters is a good base. It's not a Canva replacement for someone who wants thousands of ready-made layouts.

**Setup takes more than three commands.** The three commands get the app running. Getting templates, fonts, icons and audio in place takes the extra seed steps above.

**You become the admin.** Self-hosting is the whole point, but it also means you handle updates, backups and email setup. That's real work.

**The comparison table is the author's view.** I didn't verify Canva's current features, so check them if the details matter to you.

* * *

## Who should try it?

Doory looks like a good fit if you:

-   want a free design tool with no paywalled features
    
-   care about keeping files on your own infrastructure
    
-   run a small team, community or school and want one shared editor
    
-   like reading and contributing to open-source projects
    

It's probably not the right fit if you need a huge template library today, or you don't want to look after a server.

* * *

## Final thoughts

What I like most about Doory is how complete the feature list is for an open-source project. Layers, animation, video export, print-ready PDFs and live co-editing are not small things to build.

It's young, and the template library is small. But the direction is clear, and the three-command setup makes it easy to try.

If you're curious, start here:

-   **Website:** [doory.art](https://doory.art)
    
-   **Source code:** [github.com/shaongitbd/doory](https://github.com/shaongitbd/doory)
    

And if the project is useful to you, the README asks for a ⭐ on GitHub. It helps other people find it.

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