Aceternity UI alternatives for Next.js and Tailwind

Aceternity UI is a big library of animated sections for marketing pages. If you want something different, like MIT licensed code, a shadcn registry your AI editor installs, or animated app screens instead of landing sections, these are the options worth a look.

What Aceternity UI does well

Aceternity UI has a large set of free animated components and a paid set of blocks and templates. It suits teams building many marketing pages who want one big library to pull from.

Why people look at other options

  • You want every piece under the MIT licence, free for any project.
  • Your app already runs on shadcn/ui and you want pieces that install with the shadcn CLI, so Cursor, v0 or Lovable can add them for you.
  • You are building the product itself (login, checkout, navigation, dashboard) more than a landing page.
  • You only need a few text or background effects, not a whole library.

Free and open source, with a similar animated look

  • Magic UIThe closest match in spirit: animated landing pieces, built on shadcn/ui, with a free open-source library.
    Free:
    A free open-source component library
    Stack:
    React, Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Motion, shadcn/ui
    Magic UI next to qodesign
  • Eldora UIEye-catching animated sections for landing pages, all free and MIT, for projects already on shadcn/ui.
    Free:
    All 150+ animated components and effects, free and open source
    Licence:
    MIT (GitHub)
    Stack:
    React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS and Motion. It installs the same way as shadcn/ui: shadcn@latest init, then shadcn@latest add @eldoraui/<name> copies the source into your project
    Eldora UI next to qodesign
  • AnimataFree animated building blocks under MIT that you copy and adapt to your own design.
    Free:
    Everything, open source under the MIT licence
    Licence:
    MIT
    Stack:
    React, Tailwind CSS (copy into your project)
    Animata next to qodesign
  • Cult UIFree animated shadcn components and device mockups, all MIT.
    Free:
    Everything in the library, under the MIT licence
    Licence:
    MIT
    Stack:
    React, Tailwind CSS, Motion, installed into shadcn/ui projects
    Cult UI next to qodesign

Installs through the shadcn CLI, good for AI editors

  • Kokonut UILanding sections and templates that an AI agent installs for you, with an open-source library under MIT.
    Free:
    The open-source library: 75 components listed on kokonutui.com
    Licence:
    Free library: MIT
    Stack:
    React, Tailwind CSS, Motion, shadcn/ui; Pro is a private shadcn registry that agents install through the shadcn MCP server
    Kokonut UI next to qodesign
  • SmoothUILots of free motion for shadcn/ui projects, including AI chat pieces, with an official shadcn registry and an MCP setup.
    Free:
    Everything: every component, block and template is free, for personal and commercial projects
    Licence:
    MIT (GitHub and its FAQ)
    Stack:
    React, Tailwind CSS v4 and Motion (GSAP in some pieces). Installs with its own CLI or as an official shadcn registry (@smoothui), and the code lands in your project. Primitives ship on Base UI by default. It has an MCP setup, an llms.txt and a public API
    SmoothUI next to qodesign

Just the effects

  • React BitsA large free library of text animations, animated backgrounds and creative effects.
    Free:
    The open-source library on GitHub
    Licence:
    MIT + Commons Clause: free to use in your apps, but the components can't be sold or redistributed
    Stack:
    React, JavaScript or TypeScript, plain CSS or Tailwind CSS; copy the source or install with a CLI
    React Bits next to qodesign
  • Fancy ComponentsPlayful text effects and small interactions, MIT, added through a shadcn registry.
    Free:
    Everything in the library
    Licence:
    MIT (GitHub)
    Stack:
    React, TypeScript and Tailwind CSS, mostly animated with Motion (formerly Framer Motion). You add a piece with the shadcn CLI after adding its @fancy registry to components.json, or copy the source from each component's page
    Fancy Components next to qodesign

When qodesign is the better fit

Pick qodesign when the moment you want to animate is inside the app: a login, an OTP screen, a checkout, a tab bar or a dashboard. Each piece is a whole interaction in React + TypeScript and Tailwind, with an HTML version and a PROMPT.md you paste into Cursor, v0 or Lovable so the agent wires it to your own logic. You buy only the pieces you use, and the free kit and the MIT repo on GitHub let you try the way they are built first.

Side by side with Aceternity UI: qodesign vs Aceternity UI.

Questions

Is there a free alternative to Aceternity UI?
Yes. Magic UI, Eldora UI, Animata and Cult UI all have free animated components, and Eldora UI, Animata and Cult UI are fully MIT licensed. Aceternity UI itself also has a large free set.
Which Aceternity UI alternative works best with shadcn/ui?
Magic UI, Cult UI, Eldora UI, Kokonut UI and SmoothUI are all built for shadcn/ui projects. Kokonut UI and SmoothUI install through the shadcn CLI, which also lets Cursor, v0 or Lovable add them for you.
Does Aceternity UI work in a Cursor, v0 or Lovable app?
Yes, it is React and Tailwind. The alternatives here are too. The difference is mostly how a piece gets into your project: copy and paste, a shadcn registry, or a prompt for your AI editor.
What should I use for an animated login or checkout instead of a landing section?
Look at libraries built for app screens. qodesign makes whole animated app interactions, like logins, OTP screens, carts, checkout and tab bars, each with a prompt for your AI editor.

Facts about each library come from its own site and GitHub, checked October 21, 2026. Each comparison page links its sources. Libraries change, so check their site before you decide.

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