NextUI vs Shadcn: Which One is Better in 2025?

When comparing UI frameworks, NextUI and Shadcn often come up as top contenders. Both offer unique features and cater to different needs. In this article, we'll explore their key features, pricing, limitations, and user reviews to help you make an informed decision.

NextUI: Overview and Key Features

NextUI is a modern UI framework designed to enhance the development experience with a focus on performance and customization.

• Component Library: NextUI offers a rich library of pre-built components, including buttons, forms, and modals, which can be easily customized to fit any design.
• Dark Mode Support: NextUI includes built-in dark mode support, allowing users to switch between light and dark themes effortlessly.
• Responsive Design: NextUI ensures that all components are fully responsive, adapting to various screen sizes and devices without additional configuration.
• Custom Themes: NextUI allows users to create custom themes using a simple and intuitive theming system, enabling consistent branding across applications.
• Accessibility: NextUI prioritizes accessibility by adhering to ARIA standards and providing components that are keyboard and screen reader friendly.
• Performance Optimization: NextUI is optimized for performance, with features like lazy loading and code splitting to ensure fast load times and efficient resource usage.
• TypeScript Support: NextUI offers full TypeScript support, providing type safety and better developer experience for those using TypeScript in their projects.
• Integration with Next.js: NextUI integrates seamlessly with Next.js, leveraging its features like server-side rendering and static site generation for improved performance and SEO.

NextUI's Reviews

Overall, users find NextUI to be a powerful and efficient UI framework, though some areas could use improvement.

1. Product Hunt: 4.8/5

• "NextUI in combination with TailwindCSS has enabled me and my team to ship with unprecedented speed thanks to lovely ergonomical API design from the NextUI team 💯" - Gus
• "Beautiful animated and customizable components! Probably my favorite component UI library for React/NextJS. I use it with App Router, many components work in React server components, but obviously more complex components will only work in client components." - Noah Youngs
• "NextUI is a game-changer! 🚀 Its intuitive design and components have completely transformed my UI development process. Kudos to the team behind NextUI for creating such a powerful library!" - Yury Volk
• "Tailored functionalities allow for a high degree of personalization, making it suitable for a variety of business needs across industries." - Huzaifa Kamboh
• "My development is now much faster with NextUI. If you want to enjoy coding you should use this." - Hüseyin Ataş

Positive Aspects:

• User-friendly and intuitive interface
• Powerful and advanced features
• Quick and easy app development
• Strong community and customer support

Common Concerns:

• High pricing, especially for the Business plan
• Occasional slow loading speeds
• Limitations in publishing apps to major app stores
• Restrictions on the number of users and data rows

Shadcn: Overview and Key Features

Shadcn is a UI framework that emphasizes flexibility and performance, catering to developers seeking robust and customizable solutions.

• Component Library: Shadcn offers a comprehensive library of pre-built components, such as buttons, forms, and tables, which can be easily customized to fit various design needs.
• Custom Themes: Shadcn allows users to create and apply custom themes, ensuring consistent branding and design across different applications.
• Responsive Design: Shadcn ensures all components are fully responsive, adapting to different screen sizes and devices without additional configuration.
• Accessibility: Shadcn adheres to ARIA standards, providing components that are keyboard and screen reader friendly, enhancing usability for all users.
• Performance Optimization: Shadcn includes features like lazy loading and code splitting, which help improve load times and resource efficiency.
• TypeScript Support: Shadcn offers full TypeScript support, providing type safety and a better developer experience for those using TypeScript in their projects.
• Integration with Next.js: Shadcn integrates well with Next.js, leveraging features like server-side rendering and static site generation for improved performance and SEO.

Shadcn's Reviews

Overall, user feedback on Shadcn is highly positive, highlighting its strengths in design and usability while noting few areas for improvement.

1. Product Hunt: 4.8/5

• "High quality, minimalist UI library that I love the most." - Clu Soh, 5/5
• "They enhance the overall user experience, making navigation and interaction a breeze for end-users." - Denise Moore, 5/5
• "This library is amazing. It is evident by how many new startups are adopting this UI library." - Ife Odubela, 5/5
• "I appreciate the way it's crafted with minimal aesthetics. This design system is time-saving, loved it!" - Ahnaf Habib, 5/5
• "This library is so good. I used this library in my previous product company, LUMI." - Muhammad Rayyan, 5/5

Positive Aspects:

• High-quality and minimalist design
• Enhances user experience
• Time-saving
• Provides actionable insights
• Widely adopted by startups

Common Concerns:

• The reviews do not highlight any common concerns, indicating overall user satisfaction.

Feature Comparison: NextUI vs. Shadcn

Similarities

Despite targeting slightly different audiences, NextUI and Shadcn share some important similarities:

• Component Libraries: Both frameworks offer extensive libraries of pre-built components, such as buttons, forms, and tables, which can be customized to fit various design needs.
• Custom Themes: Each framework allows users to create and apply custom themes, ensuring consistent branding and design across different applications.
• Responsive Design: Both ensure that all components are fully responsive, adapting to different screen sizes and devices without additional configuration.
• Accessibility: Adhering to ARIA standards, both frameworks provide components that are keyboard and screen reader friendly, enhancing usability for all users.
• Performance Optimization: Features like lazy loading and code splitting are included in both frameworks to improve load times and resource efficiency.
• TypeScript Support: Both frameworks offer full TypeScript support, providing type safety and a better developer experience for those using TypeScript in their projects.

Differences

Critical differences between NextUI and Shadcn will likely influence your choice.

• Primary Focus:
  • NextUI: Emphasizes performance and customization for modern web applications.
  • Shadcn: Focuses on building component libraries with beautifully-designed, accessible components.
• Customization and Design Flexibility:
  • NextUI: Offers extensive customization through a custom TailwindCSS plugin.
  • Shadcn: Provides theming options and works with popular frameworks like Tailwind v4.
• Component Library:
  • NextUI: Includes accessible components built on top of React Aria.
  • Shadcn: Showcases a versatile range of components for various use cases like Mail, Dashboard, and Forms.
• Theming Options:
  • NextUI: Supports light and dark themes with automatic dark mode recognition.
  • Shadcn: Offers dynamic theming capabilities with a "Toggle theme" button.
• Integration Capabilities:
  • NextUI: Fully compatible with Next.js and supports React server components.
  • Shadcn: Designed to work with popular frameworks and is open-source, facilitating easy integration.

Pricing Comparison: NextUI vs. Shadcn

NextUI Pricing

NextUI offers a range of pricing plans designed to cater to different user needs, from individual developers to large organizations.

• Solo Plan: $249 (one-time payment plus local taxes)
  • Single user license
  • Access to all components
  • Lifetime access
  • Unlimited projects
  • Customer support
  • Free updates
  • All Figma files included
• Startup Plan: $399 (one-time payment plus local taxes)
  • 5 user licenses
  • Access to all components
  • Lifetime access
  • Unlimited projects
  • Priority tech support
  • Customer support
  • Free updates
  • All Figma files included
• Organization Plan: $799 (one-time payment plus local taxes)
  • 25 user licenses
  • Access to all components
  • Lifetime access
  • Unlimited projects
  • Priority tech support
  • Customer support
  • Free updates
  • All Figma files included

Shadcn' Pricing

Shadcn's pricing structure is designed to accommodate various user needs, though specific details are not readily available on their website.

• Shadcn does not list explicit pricing plans on their website.
• For detailed pricing information, users are advised to contact the company's support team.

Subframe, a Better Alternative to NextUI and Shadcn

Subframe is a visual UI design tool that makes building user interfaces fast and easy. We combine a drag-and-drop editor with real, component-based design, giving you precise control for pixel-perfect, responsive layouts. Our tool instantly translates designs into clean, production-ready React and Tailwind code, eliminating the need for handoff and speeding up your delivery process.

Subframe's Features

Subframe is a visual UI design tool that makes building user interfaces fast and easy.

• Component-Based Design: Subframe helps create user interfaces with real, reusable components instead of static mockups. The visual editor includes a responsive drag-and-drop canvas for building precise, production-ready layouts.
• Pre-Built UI Templates: Subframe offers a library of customizable templates inspired by established design patterns. Each template is built with reusable components to help speed up the design process.
• Code Export: Subframe generates clean, production-quality React and Tailwind code. Designs can be copied directly into a codebase, reducing time spent on handoff and manual CSS adjustments.
• Free to Get Started: Subframe offers free access to its visual design tools with no credit card required.
• AI Integration: Subframe leverages AI to assist in design, adapting to user inputs and streamlining the creation process from idea to interface.

Subframe's Pricing

Subframe pricing is designed to cater to different user needs:

• Free: $0 per user/month
  • 1 project
  • Up to 3 page designs
  • Up to 3 team members
  • 100s of UI templates
  • Limited AI features
• Pro: $29 per user/month
  • Up to 3 projects
  • Unlimited page designs
  • Unlimited team members
  • Custom components
  • 100s of UI templates
  • Full AI beta access
• Custom: Pricing upon contact
  • Unlimited projects
  • Unlimited page designs
  • Integrate your components
  • Dedicated Slack support
  • Figma plugin
  • Unlimited AI

For more details, visit the Subframe Pricing page. Book a demo with us to explore how Subframe can transform your UI design process.

Subframe's Reviews

Users have shared positive feedback about Subframe, noting its user-friendly interface, time-saving tools, and the quality of the UI designs it produces. The platform has earned a 5/5 rating on Product Hunt. Customers especially value the visual editor, drag-and-drop functionality, and AI features that help refine designs based on user input.

Product Hunt: 5/5

• "Without Subframe, the frontend build of this tool would've taken a lot longer and a lot more financial resources." - Erin Kim
• "Subframe helped us make a super clean UI for our console without designers." - Carl Peterson
• "Huge shoutout to Subframe guys! Super easy to create UI, and the support is great. Highly recommend!" - Amartya Jha

NextUI, Shadcn or Subframe? Which is The Best Tool For You

NextUI, Shadcn, and Subframe each offer unique strengths tailored to different needs. NextUI excels in performance and customization, making it ideal for developers focused on modern web applications. Shadcn stands out with its beautifully-designed, accessible components, perfect for those prioritizing design aesthetics and flexibility.

However, if you seek a tool that seamlessly integrates design and code, Subframe is the optimal choice. It combines a visual drag-and-drop editor with real component-based design, generating production-ready React and Tailwind code. This makes Subframe a standout for those looking for both design flexibility and efficient code generation in one platform.

Get started on Subframe for free to see how it can streamline your workflow and elevate your UI design process.