Creative Tim UI vs daisyUI
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A set of React/Next.js UI components and page blocks you add to shadcn/ui projects via a CLI.
Open source · MIT
A free component library of ready-made UI pieces for Tailwind CSS.
The short answer
Choose Creative Tim UI if you need…
- Developers building a Next.js site who already use or want to use shadcn/ui
- Teams that want ready-made landing page sections such as footers, FAQs, or contact forms
- Projects that use Tailwind CSS and want components they can customize
Choose daisyUI if you need…
- Developers already using Tailwind CSS who want prebuilt components
- Solo builders or small teams prototyping a web interface quickly
- People who want a consistent look with simple class names
- Projects that want MIT-licensed, free UI building blocks
Side-by-side
| Creative Tim UI | daisyUI | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.1k | 42.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 8 months ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
Creative Tim UI
Creative Tim UI is a collection of pre-built, customizable React components and page blocks (such as modals, testimonials, footers, and checkout sections) built on top of shadcn/ui. A command-line tool copies the chosen components into your Next.js project so you can edit them directly. It is aimed at getting web app interfaces built faster.
daisyUI
daisyUI is an open-source component library for Tailwind CSS, a popular utility-class styling tool. It provides ready-made interface pieces such as buttons and other common components, so builders can assemble web pages faster without writing every style from scratch. The README is short and mostly links to the official website and documentation for details.
Best for
Creative Tim UI
- Developers building a Next.js site who already use or want to use shadcn/ui
- Teams that want ready-made landing page sections such as footers, FAQs, or contact forms
- Projects that use Tailwind CSS and want components they can customize
daisyUI
- Developers already using Tailwind CSS who want prebuilt components
- Solo builders or small teams prototyping a web interface quickly
- People who want a consistent look with simple class names
- Projects that want MIT-licensed, free UI building blocks
Strengths
Creative Tim UI
- Components are built on shadcn/ui, a widely used foundation
- Installs via the standard npx command or the shadcn CLI
- Code is MIT licensed and can be edited after it is added to your project
daisyUI
- Free and MIT-licensed, with a large public following (about 42,700 GitHub stars)
- Built on Tailwind CSS, so it fits existing utility-class workflows
- Active project with a recent push and published releases
Not ideal for
Creative Tim UI
- Projects not using React or Next.js, since the README describes setup for Next.js projects only
- People who need a finished app template rather than individual components and blocks
- Anyone who cannot set up shadcn/ui and Tailwind CSS first, since these are listed as prerequisites
daisyUI
- Projects not using Tailwind CSS, since daisyUI is built on top of it
- Teams that need a fully custom visual identity with no shared styling defaults
- Non-developers looking for a no-code website builder
Trade-offs
Creative Tim UI
- The README is short on details about individual components, so you will rely on the website documentation for specifics
- Requires several prerequisites (Node.js 18+, shadcn/ui, Tailwind CSS) before it works
daisyUI
- Depends on Tailwind CSS; you must understand Tailwind to use it well
- The README gives little detail on specific components, so the official docs are needed for specifics
Getting started
Creative Tim UI
Add all components (uses the Creative Tim CLI)
npx @creative-tim/ui@latest add allAdd a single component
npx @creative-tim/ui@latest add <component-name>daisyUI
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/saadeghi/daisyuiFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Creative Tim UI and daisyUI?
Creative Tim UI: A set of React/Next.js UI components and page blocks you add to shadcn/ui projects via a CLI. daisyUI: A free component library of ready-made UI pieces for Tailwind CSS. Creative Tim UI suits developers building a next.js site who already use or want to use shadcn/ui, while daisyUI suits developers already using tailwind css who want prebuilt components.
Are Creative Tim UI and daisyUI free?
Creative Tim UI: Free and open source. daisyUI: Free and open source.
Is Creative Tim UI or daisyUI more popular?
daisyUI has more GitHub stars (42.7k) than Creative Tim UI (12.1k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Creative Tim UI and daisyUI?
Other options people compare them with include shadcn-vue, TW Elements, Ant Design, HyperUI, UI Kitten.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.