CustomTkinter vs Mantine
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 Python library that gives Tkinter GUIs a modern, customizable look, including dark mode.
Open source · MIT
A React component library with 100+ UI components and 80+ hooks, MIT licensed.
The short answer
Choose CustomTkinter if you need…
- Python developers who already know Tkinter and want a newer look
- Students building simple desktop apps in Python
- Developers who want built-in dark mode for a Python desktop tool
Choose Mantine if you need…
- React developers building web apps who want many components out of the box
- Teams that want dark mode and theming support built in
- Developers who need forms, notifications, or charts without assembling separate libraries
- Projects written in TypeScript
Side-by-side
| CustomTkinter | Mantine | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 13.6k | 31.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Python | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 months ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
CustomTkinter
CustomTkinter is a Python UI library built on top of Tkinter, the standard GUI toolkit that ships with Python. It provides replacement widgets that look more modern and can be customized, with a dark theme option based on the repository's description and topics. People use it to build desktop windows and applications in Python without learning a new GUI framework.
Mantine
Mantine is a collection of ready-made user interface parts (buttons, forms, modals, and more) for building websites and apps with React and TypeScript. It also includes a set of helper hooks for common state and UI tasks. Developers use it to build interfaces faster instead of writing every component from scratch.
Best for
CustomTkinter
- Python developers who already know Tkinter and want a newer look
- Students building simple desktop apps in Python
- Developers who want built-in dark mode for a Python desktop tool
Mantine
- React developers building web apps who want many components out of the box
- Teams that want dark mode and theming support built in
- Developers who need forms, notifications, or charts without assembling separate libraries
- Projects written in TypeScript
Strengths
CustomTkinter
- Built on Tkinter, so it relies on the standard library rather than a separate GUI engine
- Widely starred and actively maintained, with a recent push date listed in the metadata
- Released under the permissive MIT license
Mantine
- Large set of components and hooks covering many common needs
- Packaged as modular @mantine packages, so you can install only what you use
- Released under the permissive MIT license
Not ideal for
CustomTkinter
- Web or mobile app developers, since this produces desktop GUIs only (inferred from the Tkinter base)
- Projects needing a large ecosystem of ready-made complex widgets, since the README was not available to confirm its widget set
Mantine
- People who are not writing React code, since the library is only for React
- Projects that need a design system fully different from Mantine's look without customization work
- Beginners with no React experience, who should learn React basics first
Trade-offs
CustomTkinter
- The README was truncated, so detailed features, setup steps, and limitations could not be verified here
- Being based on Tkinter means it inherits that toolkit's constraints on styling and widget choice
Mantine
- Requires working knowledge of React and TypeScript
- Large ecosystem of packages means more to learn and keep updated
- Some features rely on third-party tools such as Recharts, highlight.js, and Tiptap, which add their own dependencies
Getting started
CustomTkinter
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/TomSchimansky/CustomTkinterMantine
Clone the repository (source access)
git clone https://github.com/mantinedev/mantineFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between CustomTkinter and Mantine?
CustomTkinter: A Python library that gives Tkinter GUIs a modern, customizable look, including dark mode. Mantine: A React component library with 100+ UI components and 80+ hooks, MIT licensed. CustomTkinter suits python developers who already know tkinter and want a newer look, while Mantine suits react developers building web apps who want many components out of the box.
Are CustomTkinter and Mantine free?
CustomTkinter: Free and open source. Mantine: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, CustomTkinter or Mantine?
CustomTkinter is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Mantine is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is CustomTkinter or Mantine more popular?
Mantine has more GitHub stars (31.9k) than CustomTkinter (13.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to CustomTkinter and Mantine?
Other options people compare them with include Kivy, FTXUI, Chakra UI, Material UI, Ant Design.
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.