Pad.ws is a browser-based whiteboard that doubles as a development environment. It pairs visual ideation with in-browser coding, offering a canvas for sketches and a built-in Terminal and code editor in the same workspace. (github.com)

Key Features

Visual whiteboard interface powered by Excalidraw for rapid ideation and collaboration
In-canvas IDE: terminals and a VS Code-like editor
Cloud dev environments powered by Coder, accessible directly in the browser
Seamless workflow: switch between drawing and coding
Use your own tools: connect to a VM from a desktop client (VS Code & Cursor supported) (github.com)

Use Cases

Quick prototyping and in-browser development sessions with live collaboration
Educational demos and hands-on coding labs without local setup
Remote team brainstorming where ideas are translated into runnable code

Limitations and Considerations

Pad.ws is in an active beta; the docker-compose setup is intended for development and testing, not production use
Security, authentication, and enterprise-grade reliability are still evolving as the project matures

Conclusion

Pad.ws offers an in-browser whiteboard coupled with cloud development environments to accelerate ideation-to-implementation workflows. It is best suited for experimentation and early-stage prototyping during its beta phase.