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Comparison guide

@headlessui/react vs Shadcn-ui

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Shadcn-ui

2.5 KB gzipped

Most Popular

@headlessui/react

8.8M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Shadcn-ui

80/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

@headlessui/react

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

@headlessui/react

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

  1. @headlessui/react

    A set of completely unstyled, fully accessible UI components for React, designed to integrate beautifully with Tailwind CSS.

    8.8M weekly downloads · 61.5 KB gzip · Health 73/100

    0
  2. shadcn-ui

    Add components to your apps.

    196.2K weekly downloads · 2.5 KB gzip · Health 75/100

    0

Choosing between @headlessui/react and Shadcn-ui? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

@headlessui/react leads with 8.8M weekly downloads — roughly 44.7x more. Shadcn-ui has 196.2K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Shadcn-ui has the smallest gzipped bundle at 2.5 KB. @headlessui/react comes in at 61.5 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Shadcn-ui has an overall health score of 75/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. @headlessui/react has an overall health score of 73/100 (good), with strong security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose @headlessui/react if you value large community support, strong security track record. Choose Shadcn-ui if you value minimal bundle footprint, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both @headlessui/react and Shadcn-ui are solid choices for JavaScript development. Shadcn-ui has the edge in overall health score (75/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is @headlessui/react better than shadcn-ui?
It depends on your needs. @headlessui/react has a health score of 73/100 while Shadcn-ui scores 75/100. @headlessui/react has more recorded weekly downloads (8.8M). Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, @headlessui/react or shadcn-ui?
Shadcn-ui has the smaller gzipped bundle at 2.5 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use @headlessui/react vs shadcn-ui?
@headlessui/react has more recorded weekly downloads (8.8M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, @headlessui/react or shadcn-ui?
Shadcn-ui has a maintenance score of 80/100. @headlessui/react scores 60/100 and Shadcn-ui scores 80/100 on maintenance.

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