Shadcn vs PrimeReact: Which One is Better in 2025?

When comparing UI component libraries, Shadcn and PrimeReact often come up as top contenders. Both offer robust features but serve different needs. In this article, we'll examine their key features, pricing, limitations, and user reviews to help you make an informed decision.

Shadcn: Overview and Key Features

Shadcn is a UI component library designed to offer a comprehensive set of tools for building modern web applications.

• Component Variety: Shadcn provides a wide range of pre-built components, including buttons, forms, and modals, which can be easily integrated into any project.
• Custom Themes: Users can create and apply custom themes to ensure consistent styling across their applications. This feature supports both light and dark modes.
• Accessibility: Shadcn prioritizes accessibility by adhering to ARIA standards, making it easier to build applications that are usable by everyone, including those with disabilities.
• Responsive Design: The library includes responsive design utilities, allowing components to adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes and orientations.
• Documentation: Shadcn offers extensive documentation, including code examples and usage guidelines, to help developers quickly understand and implement its features.
• Performance Optimization: Shadcn components are optimized for performance, ensuring fast load times and smooth interactions, which is crucial for user experience.
• Integration with Popular Frameworks: Shadcn supports integration with popular JavaScript frameworks like React and Vue, making it versatile for various development environments.
• Community Support: A strong community backs Shadcn, providing forums, tutorials, and third-party plugins to extend its functionality and assist users.

Shadcn's Reviews

Overall, user feedback on Shadcn highlights its high-quality design and user-friendly features, though some areas for improvement are noted.

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, 4.5/5
• "This library is amazing. It is evident by how many new startups are adopting this UI library." - Ife Odubela, 4.7/5
• "I appreciate the way it's crafted with minimal aesthetics. This design system is time-saving, loved it!" - Ahnaf Habib, 4.8/5
• "This library is so good. I used this library in my previous product company, LUMI." - Muhammad Rayyan, 4.6/5

Positive Aspects:

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

Common Concerns:

• No significant concerns were mentioned in the provided reviews.

PrimeReact: Overview and Key Features

PrimeReact is a comprehensive UI component library for React, offering a wide range of features for building modern web applications.

• Rich Component Library: PrimeReact includes over 80 UI components such as data tables, charts, and form elements, providing extensive options for developers.
• Custom Themes: PrimeReact offers a powerful theme designer, allowing users to create and apply custom themes. It supports both light and dark modes for better user experience.
• Accessibility: PrimeReact adheres to WAI-ARIA standards, ensuring that applications are accessible to users with disabilities. This includes keyboard navigation and screen reader support.
• Responsive Design: PrimeReact components are designed to be fully responsive, adapting to various screen sizes and orientations without additional configuration.
• Internationalization: PrimeReact supports multiple languages and locales, making it easier to build applications for a global audience. It includes built-in localization for common languages.
• Performance Optimization: PrimeReact components are optimized for performance, featuring lazy loading and virtual scrolling to handle large datasets efficiently.
• Integration with Popular Tools: PrimeReact integrates seamlessly with popular tools and frameworks like Redux and Next.js, enhancing its versatility in different development environments.

PrimeReact's Reviews

Overall user feedback on PrimeReact highlights its extensive UI component library and ease of use, though some areas for improvement are noted.

1. Product Hunt: 4.7/5

• "PrimeReact is a collection of rich UI components for React." - Onur Senture, 5/5
• "The components are well-designed and easy to integrate, but documentation could be more detailed." - Cristian M., 4.5/5
• "Great for building complex applications quickly, though some components lack customization options." - Alex T., 4.6/5

Positive Aspects:

• Comprehensive collection of UI components
• Enhances development experience in React
• Well-designed and easy to integrate
• Facilitates quick development of complex applications

Common Concerns:

• Documentation could be more detailed
• Some components lack customization options

Feature Comparison: Shadcn vs. PrimeReact

Similarities

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

• Component Variety: Both libraries offer a wide range of UI components, from buttons to complex data tables, to assist in building modern web applications.
• Custom Themes: Each platform allows users to create and apply custom themes, supporting both light and dark modes for a consistent user experience.
• Accessibility: Both adhere to accessibility standards, ensuring applications are usable by individuals with disabilities.
• Responsive Design: Components in both libraries are designed to be fully responsive, adapting to various screen sizes and orientations.
• Integration with Popular Frameworks: Both support integration with popular JavaScript frameworks, enhancing their versatility in different development environments.
• Community Support: Each library has a strong community backing, offering forums, tutorials, and third-party plugins to extend functionality and assist users.

Differences

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

• Component Library Size: PrimeReact offers over 80 UI components and 400+ pre-designed UI blocks, while Shadcn's exact component count is not specified but includes a variety of components and blocks.
• Internationalization: PrimeReact supports multiple languages and locales, making it easier to build applications for a global audience. Shadcn does not emphasize this feature.
• Enterprise Support: PrimeReact provides enterprise support with a response time of within 1 business day, whereas Shadcn relies on community support and open-source contributions.
• Pre-designed Templates: PrimeReact offers professionally designed, customizable application templates. Shadcn does not provide pre-designed templates but focuses on customizable themes and blocks.
• TypeScript Support: PrimeReact includes comprehensive TypeScript support with types and tooling assistance. Shadcn does not highlight TypeScript support as a key feature.

Pricing Comparison: Shadcn vs. PrimeReact

Shadcn Pricing

Shadcn offers a range of pricing plans tailored to different needs. Here is a breakdown of the available options:

• Free Plan: Includes access to a limited set of components and basic support through community forums.
• Pro Plan: $29/month. Provides access to the full component library, priority support, and additional customization options.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing. Offers all Pro Plan features plus dedicated support, custom component development, and integration assistance. Contact support for more details.

PrimeReact' Pricing

PrimeReact offers a variety of pricing plans to cater to different needs and budgets:

• Community Plan: Free. Includes access to the core library and community support.
• Pro Plan: $79/month. Provides access to premium components, professional support, and additional resources.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing. Offers all Pro Plan features plus dedicated support, custom component development, and integration assistance. Contact support for more details.

Subframe, a Better Alternative to Shadcn and PrimeReact

Subframe is a visual UI design tool that syncs directly with your code. We offer a drag-and-drop editor that uses real components, making it easy to create pixel-perfect, responsive layouts. Our platform instantly converts designs into clean, production-ready React and Tailwind code, eliminating the need for handoff and speeding up your workflow.

Subframe's Features

Subframe is the UI design tool for the AI era, offering a seamless integration of design and code.

• Component-Based Design: Create user interfaces with real, reusable components instead of static mockups, ensuring precise, production-ready layouts.
• Pre-Built UI Templates: Access a library of customizable templates inspired by established design patterns, built with reusable components to speed up the design process.
• Code Export: Generate clean, production-quality React and Tailwind code, allowing designs to be copied directly into a codebase, reducing time spent on handoff and manual CSS adjustments.
• Free to Get Started: Enjoy free access to Subframe's visual design tools with no credit card required, making it easy to start designing immediately.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Collaborate with team members in real-time, ensuring everyone stays on the same page and design iterations happen seamlessly.

Subframe's Pricing

Subframe pricing is designed to cater to different needs:

• Free: $0 per user/month. Includes 1 project, up to 3 page designs, up to 3 team members, 100s of UI templates, and limited AI features.
• Pro: $29 per user/month. Includes up to 3 projects, unlimited page designs, unlimited team members, custom components, 100s of UI templates, and full AI beta access.
• Custom: Pricing is negotiable. Includes unlimited projects, unlimited page designs, integration of your components, dedicated Slack support, Figma plugin, and unlimited AI.

For more details, visit the Subframe Pricing page. Book a demo with Subframe to see how it 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.

• "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

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

Shadcn, PrimeReact, and Subframe each offer unique strengths tailored to different needs. Shadcn excels in providing a minimalist, high-quality design system with strong community support. PrimeReact stands out with its extensive component library, internationalization, and enterprise support.

If you prioritize a minimalist design and community-driven support, Shadcn is a great fit. For those needing a comprehensive component library and enterprise-level support, PrimeReact may be the better choice. However, if you seek a seamless integration of design and code, with AI-powered features and production-ready React and Tailwind code, Subframe stands out.

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