A shadcn/ui Alternative with Blocks, Dashboards, and Animations
If you like shadcn/ui but need more than primitives, Watermelon UI is a free alternative that works the same way. You copy the code into your project or install it with the shadcn CLI. On top of that it adds 180+ page blocks, full dashboards, and 130+ animated components, all MIT licensed.
You do not have to choose one. Watermelon publishes a shadcn registry, so its components install into an existing shadcn project next to the ones you already have.
At a glance
| Watermelon UI | shadcn/ui | |
|---|---|---|
| Price and license | Free, MIT | Free, MIT |
| How you use it | Copy-paste, installs with the shadcn CLI | Copy-paste with the shadcn CLI and registries |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS v4 | Tailwind CSS v4 |
| Animated components | Yes, 130+ Motion-based animated components | Not a focus |
| Page sections and dashboards | 180+ blocks, dashboards, templates | Some official blocks, large third-party registry ecosystem |
Where shadcn/ui is stronger
- It is the standard. Most tutorials, AI tools, and registries assume shadcn/ui.
- Primitive choice: new projects default to Base UI, with Radix UI and React Aria as options.
- A huge ecosystem of third-party registries built on its CLI.
What Watermelon adds
- Finished sections: hero sections, pricing, footers, login pages, and more.
- Complete dashboard templates you can preview and copy.
- Animated components for the motion shadcn/ui leaves out.
- An MCP server so AI agents can search and install components.
Using both together
Keep shadcn/ui for primitives and pull Watermelon items in by URL: npx shadcn@latest add https://registry.watermelon.sh/r/<name>.json. The files follow the same conventions, so there is nothing new to learn.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free shadcn/ui alternative?
Yes. Watermelon UI is free, MIT licensed, and uses the same copy-paste model and CLI. See also the best free shadcn alternatives.
Is there a shadcn alternative for Next.js?
Watermelon UI works in Next.js and Vite, the same as shadcn/ui.
Is there a shadcn alternative without Tailwind?
Watermelon also uses Tailwind. For a library without Tailwind, look at Mantine or MUI. See shadcn vs Mantine.