Creative Tim UI vs shadcn-vue
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A set of React/Next.js UI components and page blocks you add to shadcn/ui projects via a CLI.
Open source · MIT
A Vue port of shadcn-ui: copy-in UI components you can customize and build on.
The short answer
Choose Creative Tim UI if you need…
- Developers building a Next.js site who already use or want to use shadcn/ui
- Teams that want ready-made landing page sections such as footers, FAQs, or contact forms
- Projects that use Tailwind CSS and want components they can customize
Choose shadcn-vue if you need…
- Vue developers who want ready-made UI components they can edit directly
- Teams building their own internal component library
- Projects that want accessible, customizable components as a base
Side-by-side
| Creative Tim UI | shadcn-vue | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.1k | 10.8k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | See the README |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 8 months ago | 9 days ago |
What each one is
Creative Tim UI
Creative Tim UI is a collection of pre-built, customizable React components and page blocks (such as modals, testimonials, footers, and checkout sections) built on top of shadcn/ui. A command-line tool copies the chosen components into your Next.js project so you can edit them directly. It is aimed at getting web app interfaces built faster.
shadcn-vue
shadcn-vue is a set of UI components for Vue, ported from the shadcn-ui project. The README describes them as designed components you can customize, extend, and build on, and it encourages using the code as a starting point for your own component library. The project is MIT licensed and has a documentation site at shadcn-vue.com.
Best for
Creative Tim UI
- Developers building a Next.js site who already use or want to use shadcn/ui
- Teams that want ready-made landing page sections such as footers, FAQs, or contact forms
- Projects that use Tailwind CSS and want components they can customize
shadcn-vue
- Vue developers who want ready-made UI components they can edit directly
- Teams building their own internal component library
- Projects that want accessible, customizable components as a base
Strengths
Creative Tim UI
- Components are built on shadcn/ui, a widely used foundation
- Installs via the standard npx command or the shadcn CLI
- Code is MIT licensed and can be edited after it is added to your project
shadcn-vue
- MIT licensed, so it can be used and modified freely
- Open code: the README emphasizes that you can change the components themselves
- Documentation is available on a dedicated site
Not ideal for
Creative Tim UI
- Projects not using React or Next.js, since the README describes setup for Next.js projects only
- People who need a finished app template rather than individual components and blocks
- Anyone who cannot set up shadcn/ui and Tailwind CSS first, since these are listed as prerequisites
shadcn-vue
- People who want a finished visual theme with no code changes; the README frames it as a starting point to customize
- Non-developers, since it is a code-level component set
- Projects that need a framework other than Vue
Trade-offs
Creative Tim UI
- The README is short on details about individual components, so you will rely on the website documentation for specifics
- Requires several prerequisites (Node.js 18+, shadcn/ui, Tailwind CSS) before it works
shadcn-vue
- The README is short and does not list specific components or install steps, so details must be checked on the docs site
- Depends on the Vue ecosystem; you need to be comfortable with Vue and TypeScript
- Latest release is v2.9.0 with no binaries, so it is consumed as code rather than as an app
Getting started
Creative Tim UI
Add all components (uses the Creative Tim CLI)
npx @creative-tim/ui@latest add allAdd a single component
npx @creative-tim/ui@latest add <component-name>shadcn-vue
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/unovue/shadcn-vueFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Creative Tim UI and shadcn-vue?
Creative Tim UI: A set of React/Next.js UI components and page blocks you add to shadcn/ui projects via a CLI. shadcn-vue: A Vue port of shadcn-ui: copy-in UI components you can customize and build on. Creative Tim UI suits developers building a next.js site who already use or want to use shadcn/ui, while shadcn-vue suits vue developers who want ready-made ui components they can edit directly.
Are Creative Tim UI and shadcn-vue free?
Creative Tim UI: Free and open source. shadcn-vue: Free and open source.
Is Creative Tim UI or shadcn-vue more popular?
Creative Tim UI has more GitHub stars (12.1k) than shadcn-vue (10.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Creative Tim UI and shadcn-vue?
Other options people compare them with include daisyUI, Naive UI, PrimeVue, Layui, Vant.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.