shadcn/ui
Copy-paste components, no dependency. CLI v4 (March 2026) ships `shadcn/skills` engine, Presets (compress tokens+font+color into shareable code), namespaced registries (`@retail/Button`), `shadcn docs`, `shadcn info --json`, `registry:base` (entire DS), `registry:font`, zero-config MCP server (`npx shadcn registry:mcp`).
Strengths
- No dependency, components live in your repo, you own them
- Built on Radix UI + Tailwind: accessibility and styling out of the box
- CLI npx shadcn add adds only the needed components
- Full customization: modify code directly without CSS overrides
Limitations
- No versioning: updates require manual re-copy
- Implicit dependency on Tailwind and Radix, migration to other CSS = refactor
- Requires full design token rework for a personalized look
Best for
- Dashboards, admin panels, SaaS with clean design system
- Vibe coding projects where the LLM natively knows shadcn