Mantine vs. Shadcn UI

By SW Habitation

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Table of contents

What is Mantine?

Key Features of Mantine

Advantages of Mantine

Disadvantages of Mantine

What is Shadcn UI?

Key Features of Shadcn UI

Advantages of Shadcn UI

Disadvantages of Shadcn UI

Comparison Between Mantine vs Shadcn UI

Use Cases of Mantine

Use Cases of Shadcn UI

Other Resources

Conclusion

Frequently asked questions

Mantine

Shadcn UI

You know how building a website can feel like a lot, especially when you’re trying to style every little thing yourself? Buttons, forms, layouts… it adds up fast. That’s where UI frameworks really save the day. They give you a bunch of premade design elements that you can just drop in and go. It’s like having a design starter pack that helps your site look clean and professional, without spending forever tweaking the details.

What is Mantine?

Mantine is a React component library with over 100 UI components and 50+ custom hooks, designed to help developers build modern, accessible, and performant UIs. It supports RTL layouts, dark mode, and complete theme customization, all while staying lightweight.

Mantine doesn’t force you into a predefined design system. You build your own style while enjoying great developer experience, full TypeScript support, and zero CSS-in-JS lock-in.

Key Features of Mantine

100+ Modular Components: Buttons, modals, tabs, date pickers, accordions, and more.
50+ Built-in Hooks: Clipboard, notifications, form validation, hotkeys, modals, etc.
Full Theming System: Custom colors, fonts, spacing, radii, shadows, etc. with MantineProvider.
Dark Mode & RTL Support: Native dark mode toggle and right-to-left support out of the box.
Flexible Styling Options: Use Emotion, CSS Modules, or inline styles — your choice.
Responsive Design: Built-in Grid and responsive props.

Advantages of Mantine

Fast Development: Prebuilt components + hooks mean fewer extra dependencies.
Design Freedom: No locked-in theme or design system — perfect for building your own brand UI.
Dark Mode + RTL: Native support with easy toggles — no extra setup.
Hook-Powered: Includes handy hooks like useClipboard, useHotkeys, useForm, etc.
Lightweight: Optimized and tree-shakable — loads faster with a smaller bundle size.
Fully Typed: Built with and for TypeScript — no need for custom typings.

Disadvantages of Mantine

Smaller Community: Limited plugins, templates, and community resources compared to MUI or Bootstrap.
No Predefined Design System: Offers full freedom but requires extra design effort for polished UIs.
Still Evolving: Newer framework; some components may lack long-term maturity.
Lacks Pro-Level Components: No built-in advanced elements like data grids or calendars.
Low Enterprise Adoption Not yet common in large-scale corporate environments.

What is Shadcn UI?

Shadcn UI is a beautiful and modern component library built on top of Radix UI, styled with Tailwind CSS, and intended for Next.js projects. It offers accessible, production-ready components with theming, variants, and built-in dark mode support.

You install components via CLI and get full control over the code.

Key Features of Shadcn UI

Built on Radix Primitives: Accessibility and flexibility included.
Tailwind CSS Styling: Easy customisation with utility-first approach.
CLI Installation: Add only the components you need.
Dark Mode Support: Pre-configured light and dark theme switching.
TypeScript Friendly: Built entirely with TypeScript.
Optimised for Next.js: Uses App Router structure and conventions.

Advantages of Shadcn UI

Pre-styled and fast to use, ideal for building modern apps quickly.
Easily theme-able using Tailwind and variants.
Components are accessible by default.
Ideal for SaaS apps, dashboards, and websites.
Each component is editable because you own the code.

Disadvantages of Shadcn UI

Requires Tailwind CSS, less suitable if you're not using Tailwind.
Not suitable for other frameworks like Vue or Angular.
Depends on Radix primitives, understanding Radix helps.
Bundle size can grow if you install too many components.
You need to manage components in your codebase manually.

Comparison Between Mantine vs Shadcn UI

Features	Mantine	Shadcn UI
Philosophy	Modern UI components + utility hooks for flexible development	Pre-built components using Radix + Tailwind
Ease of Use	Very beginner-friendly with simple API and built-in docs	Beginner-friendly for React + Tailwind users
Customization	Fully customizable via theme overrides, component-level props	Tailwind-based customization
Design System	No predefined system; freedom to create your own	Modern design system included
Responsiveness	Responsive components and props + built-in Grid	Responsive with Tailwind classes
File Size	Lightweight and tree-shakable	Medium to large; depends on usage
Learning Curve	Low to moderate (faster with React/TypeScript knowledge)	Low to medium
Pricing	Free and open-source (MIT licensed)	Free and open-sourc
Best For	Custom UIs, modern dashboards, fast MVPs, RTL/dark mode projects	React + Tailwind apps needing sleek UIs
Styling Method	Emotion (default), also supports inline styles and CSS Modules	Tailwind CSS
Accessibility	Fully accessible components with ARIA, keyboard nav	Inherits accessibility from Radix
Dark Mode	Built-in toggle support via theme	Built-in with Tailwind config
Framework	React only	React (Next.js focused)
Bundle Size	Small to medium; optimized with tree-shaking	Medium to large; depends on usage

Use Cases of Mantine

Custom UIs with full design freedom
Modern dashboards, admin panels
Lightweight SaaS apps
RTL and dark-mode web apps
Startups and solo developers

Use Cases of Shadcn UI

Fast development for SaaS products and dashboards
Admin panels, marketing websites, and eCommerce platforms
React/Next.js projects with Tailwind CSS setup
Projects requiring built-in light/dark theming
Startups and devs who want pre-built UI with flexibility

Other Resources

Conclusion

UI frameworks make building a polished website way easier. Whether you're working on something simple or a big project, they help you get things looking just right without having to stress over every little design decision. With ready-to-use components, responsive layouts, and modern styles, you can build faster and smarter.

So, pick one that works for you, and start creating a site that looks amazing from the get-go.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Mantine production-ready?

Yes. Mantine is stable, actively maintained, and used in real-world production apps across various industries.

Does Mantine support dark mode and RTL?

Absolutely. Dark mode and right-to-left (RTL) layout support are built-in and easy to toggle with the theme.

Can I use Mantine without Emotion?

Mantine uses Emotion by default, but you can also style components using inline styles, CSS Modules, or even external CSS.

Does Mantine work with TypeScript?

Yes, Mantine is built with full TypeScript support, including auto-complete, prop types, and IDE hints.

How does Mantine compare to MUI or Chakra UI?

Mantine is more flexible with fewer design constraints. It offers built-in hooks and modern developer experience, while MUI and Chakra follow stricter design systems.

What is Shadcn UI?

It’s a modern UI library built using Radix UI components, styled with Tailwind CSS, and ready for React apps.

Is Shadcn UI customizable?

Yes, heavily! It uses Tailwind for full styling control and supports variants.

Does Shadcn UI support dark mode?

Yes, via Tailwind’s dark mode and included config setup.

Is Shadcn UI production-ready?

Absolutely. It’s ideal for building sleek, modern, accessible UIs with minimal setup.

Does Shadcn UI work with other frameworks like Vue?

No, it’s built for React (especially Next.js) and not compatible with Vue or Angular.