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Agentic UI Kit vs free shadcn/ui
Both install the same way: the shadcn CLI copies components into your repository as source files you own. shadcn/ui is free and open source. Agentic UI Kit is a paid, private shadcn registry on top of it, with 828 components, 18 app templates and 16 blueprints, plus a local MCP server and agent skills that make your coding agent reuse the catalog before it writes new UI.
What is the same
- Components install through the shadcn CLI and land in your repository as source files you own and edit.
- Radix UI primitives (the kit also ships a Base UI variant), Tailwind CSS and theming through CSS variables.
- Your coding agent can use an MCP server: shadcn/ui has an official one for browsing and installing from shadcn-compatible registries, including private ones.
Because the kit is a shadcn registry (@agentic-ui), the install command is the one you already know: npx shadcn@4.17.0 add @agentic-ui/<component>, with your license key as the registry token.
What you get on top
828 components
Pages, layouts, features, blocks, motion and effects, each with a live preview and sample data you replace.
18 app templates and 16 blueprints
Whole apps you explore live; a blueprint installs every screen with one command.
26 theme presets and a Theme Studio
One theme styles every component; your agent applies it before it adds anything.
A local MCP server with 9 tools
Search by intent and get a reuse, adapt or build-new decision for your project.
4 agent skills and the agentic-ui CLI
Step-by-step skills for a new app, a rework, a feature or an audit; the CLI refuses to add a second design system.
Which one do you need?
If you want the base components (buttons, dialogs, forms, tables) and are happy to compose every screen yourself, free shadcn/ui covers it. Agentic UI Kit is for when you want finished screens and whole apps to start from, and a coding agent that picks from them instead of generating new UI each time. Everything in the kit runs live on this site, so you can check before you buy.
Questions
Is Agentic UI Kit built on shadcn/ui?
It follows shadcn/ui conventions and installs through the shadcn CLI, as source files in your repository, from a private registry. Components are built on Radix UI or Base UI primitives, like shadcn/ui.
Can I use both in the same project?
Yes. Kit components install next to the shadcn/ui components you already have and use the same CSS variables. The agentic-ui CLI refuses to add a second design system to a project that already has one.
What do I get that free shadcn/ui does not include?
828 components, 18 app templates and 16 one-command blueprints, 26 theme presets, and agent tooling: a semantic catalog, a local MCP server with 9 tools and 4 agent skills.
Is it a subscription?
No. One-time payment for one developer, with unlimited projects and all 1.x updates.
shadcn/ui facts from its own documentation (ui.shadcn.com/docs and ui.shadcn.com/docs/mcp), checked October 7, 2026. shadcn/ui is a project by shadcn; Agentic UI Kit is not affiliated with it.