Magic UI alternatives for shadcn/ui projects

Magic UI is a popular free library of animated pieces for shadcn/ui landing pages. If you want more choice, motion for the menus and dialogs you already have, or animated screens for the app itself, here is what else to look at.

What Magic UI does well

Magic UI has a free open-source component library plus Pro templates and landing sections, on React, Next.js, Tailwind, Motion and shadcn/ui. It is strong for landing pages built on shadcn/ui.

Why people look at other options

  • You want a different look, or more pieces of one kind, such as text effects or AI chat parts.
  • You want your existing shadcn menus, dialogs and tabs to move, not new sections.
  • You want small motion building blocks you compose yourself.
  • You are building app screens (login, checkout, navigation) more than a marketing site.

Free animated libraries for shadcn/ui

  • Aceternity UIA big library of animated sections with a large free set, for teams building many marketing pages.
    Free:
    100+ free components
    Stack:
    React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion
    Aceternity UI next to qodesign
  • Eldora UIAnimated sections and effects for landing pages, all free and MIT, made for shadcn/ui projects.
    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
  • 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
  • SmoothUILots of free motion, including AI chat pieces, installed from an official shadcn registry.
    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

Motion for the app you already have

  • Animate UIAnimated versions of the primitives you already use, so existing menus, dialogs and tabs move without a rewrite.
    Free:
    The animated primitives, plus backgrounds, animated icons and styled pieces like the Liquid, Flip and Theme Toggler buttons
    Licence:
    MIT with a Commons Clause condition (LICENSE.md on GitHub): free in your own apps and sites, commercial ones included, but the components themselves can't be sold or redistributed
    Stack:
    React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS and Motion (npm install @animate-ui/react motion), on top of the primitive library you already use: Radix UI, Base UI or React Aria. Its CLI finds your shadcn/ui components through components.json and swaps their imports for animated ones. Docs include Skills for Claude Code, Cursor and Codex, and the shadcn MCP server
    Animate UI next to qodesign
  • Motion PrimitivesSmall motion building blocks you compose yourself: text effects, number tickers, dialogs, toolbars.
    Free:
    All 33 components in the docs (our count of the sidebar)
    Licence:
    MIT, as listed for ibelick/motion-primitives on GitHub
    Stack:
    React, Tailwind CSS and Motion, plus a cn() helper (clsx, tailwind-merge) and lucide-react icons
    Motion Primitives next to qodesign

Copy, paste and adapt

  • AnimataFree animated building blocks under MIT that you copy and make your own.
    Free:
    Everything, open source under the MIT licence
    Licence:
    MIT
    Stack:
    React, Tailwind CSS (copy into your project)
    Animata next to qodesign
  • Fancy ComponentsPlayful text effects and small interactions for landing pages and portfolios, MIT.
    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 you are building the app itself and want the login, checkout or navigation to feel alive. Each piece is a whole interaction in React + TypeScript and Tailwind, installs into a shadcn project, and comes with an HTML version and a PROMPT.md for Cursor, v0 or Lovable. You buy one piece at a time, and the free kit and the MIT repo on GitHub let you try them first.

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

Questions

What is a good free alternative to Magic UI?
Eldora UI, Cult UI, Animata and SmoothUI are free and MIT licensed. Aceternity UI also has a large free set of animated components.
I already use shadcn/ui. Which option fits best?
If you want new animated sections, Eldora UI, Cult UI or SmoothUI. If you want the shadcn menus, dialogs and tabs you already have to move, Animate UI. For whole animated app screens, qodesign.
Can Cursor, v0 or Lovable install these for me?
Libraries that publish a shadcn registry, such as SmoothUI and Fancy Components, can be added with the shadcn CLI, which these AI editors can run. qodesign pieces also ship with a prompt to paste into the agent chat.
Is there a Magic UI alternative for app screens rather than landing pages?
Yes. qodesign focuses on app moments like logins, OTP screens, checkout, tab bars and dashboards.

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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