Shadcn UI is a modern component library for React and Next.js that combines aesthetics, accessibility and full code control. Built on Tailwind CSS and Radix UI, it allows you to create modern interfaces without compromise. In this article we explain what Shadcn UI is, what makes it different, how to use it and why it is becoming one of the most interesting solutions for modern frontend developers.
Shadcn UI is a component library for React that is particularly useful for Next.js-based applications. It provides a set of high-quality, ready-to-use components built using technologies such as Tailwind CSS and Radix UI. This combination makes it possible not only to quickly implement aesthetically pleasing and responsive interfaces, but also to easily customize them according to project requirements. Importantly, Shadcn UI does not work like a classic library with external code – instead, it generates components directly in your code, giving you full control over their appearance and behavior. This makes it ideally suited to the design philosophy of modern, flexible frontend applications.
Shadcn UI is an ideal choice for frontend developers who want to create consistent, modern interfaces without giving up control of the code. It’s great for teams that care about UI quality, accessibility and the ability to further scale the project. Developers working in React and Next.js environments will gain the most value from it – it is with Next.js in mind that the file structure, routing system and the way styles are integrated were designed. As a result, setup is fast and integration is almost seamless. It is a tool not only for aesthetes, but also for pragmatists who value transparency and efficiency.
The biggest difference between Shadcn UI and libraries such as MUI or Chakra UI is the philosophy behind it – here you don’t get a “black box” with components, but actual code that you can immediately modify for your needs. Unlike MUI, you don’t have to wade through layers of abstraction or style overrides. Chakra UI offers great components, but with a strong link to its own style system – Shadcn relies on Tailwind and minimalism. Finally, while Tailwind CSS is a powerful tool, it doesn’t provide components on its own – Shadcn UI fills this gap by offering ready-made, elegant components based precisely on Tailwind. Combined with native compatibility with Next.js, this library becomes one of the most ergonomic tools for modern web applications.
Unlike many libraries, Shadcn UI does not hide components behind a layer of internal abstractions. Each component is physically generated in the project as source code that can be freely viewed, edited and expanded. For example, if you add an alert dialog to a project, you will receive a complete .tsx file with the logic and styles – without having to overwrite anything or find ways to “get around” the default settings. This working model gives you maximum flexibility – you can change the styling on the fly, add your own logic, remove unnecessary elements or even rebuild the entire component structure. For frontend teams, this means no more struggling with library limitations – now the components really belong to you.
Shadcn UI components are fully based on Tailwind CSS, which gives them great performance and styling flexibility. Tailwind allows you to write styled code without leaving JSX, which significantly speeds up your work and minimizes the need to write external CSS files. What’s more, Shadcn UI styles are consistent, well thought out and can be easily customized by editing variables or utility classes. For example, changing the color scheme of the entire button system (e.g. from the default slate gray to emerald green) literally requires just one variable in the configuration.
Shadcn UI was created with the Next.js environment in mind – it is no coincidence that the library’s default configuration integrates flawlessly with Next’s architecture. The routing system, folder structure, support for Server Components or dynamic imports – everything works smoothly. The library is equally at home in classic React projects, but it is with Next.js that it forms the perfect combination. If you are developing an SSR application or using the App Router, Shadcn UI will not only “work”, but will feel right at home.
Every component in Shadcn UI is based on Radix UI, a proven library of low-level components with full accessibility support (ARIA, keyboard, screen-readers). This means you don’t have to worry about every WCAG detail yourself – Shadcn UI offers accessible components “out of the box” by default. For example, the dialog box component not only looks good, but also supports focus trapping, closing with the ESC key, ARIA description and other details that are crucial for users of assistive technologies.
In Shadcn UI, you won’t find unreadable abstractions, global configurators or magic wrappers that make debugging difficult. The code is explicit, simple and follows React best practices. When you add a component to your project, you don’t “import” it from an external package – you create a local version of it, which you can get to know, change and understand. This makes debugging and developing your project easier, and you don’t have to worry about the library limiting you at key moments in the development of your application.
One of Shadcn UI’s greatest strengths is its rich yet well-thought-out set of components. It’s not about quantity, but about quality, flexibility and full control. Each component – from buttons to complex modals – is a ready-to-use block that you can freely edit, style and expand. What’s more, these components have been designed with modern UX standards, accessibility and aesthetics in mind, making them ideal for both prototyping and production applications. Below you will find an overview of the most important ones – the ones you really need to know.
Buttons are a fundamental element of interaction in web applications. Shadcn UI offers a variety of button variants that can be customized in terms of style, size, or color. Thanks to the integration with Tailwind CSS, modifying the appearance of buttons is intuitive and fast.
Forms are an indispensable part of many applications, enabling the collection of data from users. Form components in Shadcn UI are designed with accessibility and usability in mind, ensuring proper functioning on different devices and for different user groups.
Modals allow you to display additional information or interactions without leaving the current page. Modals in Shadcn UI are responsive and easy to configure, allowing for their effective use in various application scenarios.
Cards are used to group related information into coherent blocks. Shadcn UI provides flexible card components that can be customized to present content in an attractive and readable way.
Effective navigation is key to a positive user experience. Shadcn UI offers navigation components such as menu bars and breadcrumbs that help you create intuitive paths through your application.
The presentation of data in tabular form requires readability and functionality. Table components in Shadcn UI allow you to display data in a clear way, with the possibility of sorting, filtering or pagination.
Informing users about important events or errors is essential for interaction with the application. Shadcn UI provides alert and notification components that can be easily customized to the context and style of the application.
Integrating Shadcn UI into a Next.js-based application is quick and intuitive. Thanks to the built-in wizard, the whole process can be completed in just a few steps.
First, make sure you have a Next.js-based environment. If you don’t have a project yet, create one using, for example, create-next-app. Then run the command:
pnpm dlx shadcn@latest init
During initialization, you will be asked to choose the Tailwind configuration, style system, default color and directory for UI components. The wizard will automatically detect that you are using Next.js and match the settings to its structure.
Tip: If you are using Tailwind CSS version 3, be sure to install a compatible version of shadcn(shadcn@2.3.0).
Once the configuration is complete, you can start adding finished components to your project. For example, to add a card component , type:
pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add card
This command will generate local component files (e.g. components/ui/card.tsx), which you can edit freely. The component is immediately ready to use.
Just import the component in any React/Next.js file, for example in app/page.tsx:
import { Card, CardContent } from "@/components/ui/card";
export default function Page() {
return (
<Card>
<CardContent>
<p>This is a card from a component Shadcn UI.</p>
</CardContent>
</Card>
);
}
All styles, animations and behaviors are already configured – you don’t have to do anything else. Of course, you can customize each component by editing its source code directly.
Shadcn UI is a solution designed for projects where the look and feel of the interface must be fully controllable. If you are developing a product where design is not an “option” but a must-have, e.g. a SaaS application with a unique brand or a custom-made UI system, Shadcn UI gives you exactly what you need: components that you can customize. You don’t have to fight with style overrides like with Material UI (MUI) or limit yourself to predefined design schemes. You can simply go into the code and customize it – how you want, when you want.
It is also great for applications that have to meet high accessibility requirements. Because Shadcn UI components are based on Radix UI, they support all major ARIA standards, correct keyboard navigation and compatibility with screen readers. This is a huge advantage in educational, public, government or corporate projects where WCAG is not an optional bonus, but a requirement.
Shadcn UI is also worth considering when standard component libraries prove too rigid or too “heavy”. For example, in MUI, changing the behavior of a modal requires going through documentation, hooks, prop-drilling, and additional extensions. In Shadcn UI, you simply edit the local dialog.tsx component and have complete freedom. Thanks to the integration with Tailwind CSS, the whole thing remains light and fast, and the code is readable and easy to maintain.
So if you need:
– full control over the appearance and logic of components,
– readiness for scaling and further development,
– compliance with accessibility requirements,
– and at the same time you don’t want to compromise on convenience and good UX
Shadcn UI is a solution that gives you all of this at once.
Shadcn UI is not just a library – it is a dynamically developing open-source project that is gaining more and more recognition in the frontend community every month. Thanks to the transparent development model, every user has access to the roadmap, can follow the progress, report problems, and even co-create new versions of components. This is particularly important in the era of “black box” tools, where many libraries are closed within their own ecosystems – Shadcn goes in the exact opposite direction.
On GitHub, the project has an active discussion and pull request section, where authors and the community jointly shape the direction of development. Thanks to this, new features appear quickly, but not at the expense of quality – each component undergoes verification and has a well-thought-out structure. Importantly, the project does not strive for function “inflation” – it develops where there is a real need. An example of this is the addition of support for App Router from Next.js even before many other libraries had had time to adapt.
Interestingly, Shadcn UI is also one of the first frontend projects designed with integration with AI-based tools in mind. Since the components are local and explicit, language models (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) can easily recognize their structure and modify them correctly, which significantly speeds up development.
The community gathered around the project is not only made up of users, but also contributors, creators of templates, plugins, and extensions. An active Discord channel, dozens of tutorials on YouTube and the high responsiveness of the developers mean that you are not left to your own devices. Instead of “learning the library”, you learn well-written code – and that is much more. We recommend the official source and documentation https://ui.shadcn.com/.
1. Can I use Shadcn UI in projects without Next.js, e.g. in CRA or Vite?
Yes. Shadcn UI also works in classic React projects – e.g. with Vite, CRA or Remix. However, full support and default configurations are optimized for Next.js.
2. Can I use Shadcn UI in commercial applications?
Yes, the library is open-source and MIT licensed, which means you can use it freely in commercial projects without any fees.
3. What are the differences between Shadcn UI and Tailwind UI?
Tailwind UI is a closed set of ready-made components that you cannot freely edit. Shadcn UI generates the full component code in your project – you can change and develop it as you wish.
4. Are Shadcn UI components ready for dark mode?
Yes. The components support dark mode by default, using Tailwind classes (dark:) and a CSS variable system that you can easily customize.
