qodesign vs Headless UI
Headless UI is a free, MIT-licensed set of 16 unstyled, fully accessible components for React and Vue, made by Tailwind Labs to pair with Tailwind CSS. It handles keyboard navigation, focus and open and close state, and leaves every pixel of the design to you. qodesign is the other end: finished, animated flows like a login, a tab bar or a checkout, sold one at a time as a single HTML file and a React + Tailwind version.
| qodesign | Headless UI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3 each, or $29 once for all of them (the Shelf) | Free (MIT). Tailwind Labs sells predesigned Tailwind examples built on it separately, in Tailwind Plus |
| Free | 1 free component, no account needed | Every component, for React and Vue (@headlessui/react v2.2.10 on GitHub, Apr 7 2026) |
| Size | 17 components, more added as they ship | 16 unstyled, accessible building blocks: Dropdown Menu, Disclosure, Dialog, Popover, Tabs, Transition, plus form parts like Combobox, Listbox, Select, Switch and Radio Group |
| What's in a download | React + Tailwind (TSX), PROMPT.md, HTML file | See their site |
| Licence | Personal, commercial and client projects; no reselling the source | MIT, as listed for tailwindlabs/headlessui on GitHub |
| Stack | React + TypeScript, Tailwind (most also use Framer Motion), HTML version included | React or Vue, styled by you with Tailwind CSS (npm install @headlessui/react). Keyboard navigation and focus handling are built in; the look is yours to write |
| Best for | One memorable animated moment in your app (login, checkout, nav, dashboard) | Tailwind projects that want accessible menus, dialogs and form controls without anyone else's styling |
Which one to pick
- Pick Headless UI if
- You want accessible dropdowns, dialogs, comboboxes and switches as a base and you're happy to design and animate them yourself.
- Pick qodesign if
- You want one screen that already looks and moves like a finished product, with a PROMPT.md your AI editor can follow, instead of styling primitives from scratch.
qodesign pieces to look at first
Related reading: How to choose a React + Tailwind component library in 2026