21st.dev - The component library that changes everything
Posted on - February 4, 2026 by Andy Cinquin
Hey! Today I wanted to tell you about a tool that I've been using every day for the past few weeks and that has literally changed the way I design complex interfaces: 21st.dev!
What is 21st.dev?
Basically, it's a community React component library based on shadcn/ui. But be careful, it's not a traditional library where you install an npm package and end up with abstract code that you can't modify.
No, no, the concept here is different: the code is yours!
The idea is simple:
- You find a component you like
- You click a button
- The component is copied directly into your project
- You can modify it however you like
And the best part? It's Tailwind CSS and Radix UI under the hood, so you know exactly what you're working with!
Why is this revolutionary?
Integration with AI tools
Where 21st.dev really gets crazy is its integration with AI assistants like Cursor, Windsurf, or even Antigravity!
When you find a component on 21st.dev, you have two options:
Option 1: The classic
pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add "https://21st.dev/r/username/component"
Option 2: The future (my favorite!) You copy the prompt provided and paste it directly into your AI IDE. The assistant understands exactly how to install and use the component in your project!
It's magic: you copy, paste into Cursor, and BAM! The component is integrated, configured, and ready to use. No more reading the documentation for 30 minutes to understand how it works ;)
Amazing components
The community has created some truly impressive components:
- Animated heroes with shaders
- Buttons with 3D effects
- Ready-to-use AI Chat components
- Ultra-stylish forms
- Calendars, tables, modals...
And the most downloaded? An interactive 3D robot! Yes, you read that right :D
How I use it on a daily basis
My workflow has become super simple:
- I search for a component on 21st.dev (their search engine is really good)
- I preview the component live on their site
- I copy the prompt for Cursor
- I paste it into my project
- I customize it with Tailwind if necessary
What used to take me 2-3 hours (creating a component from scratch, styling it, managing states, etc.) now takes me 10 minutes. And the result is often cleaner than what I would have done myself!
The advantages
- ✅ Free for the component library
- ✅ Open source at the component level (the code is truly yours)
- ✅ Tailwind CSS + Radix UI = modern and accessible stack
- ✅ Native AI integration (prompts for Cursor, Windsurf, etc.)
- ✅ Active community that regularly uploads new components
- ✅ Easily searchable by category
Magic MCP (paid)
They also have a paid feature called "Magic" that uses the MCP protocol to go even further. You can write prompts like
/ui create a sign up form and the AI generates a component based on their registry.Personally, I don't use this feature because the free tier is more than enough for me, but if you want to go further, it's an interesting option!
Conclusion
If you're using React with Tailwind and an AI-powered IDE (Cursor, Windsurf, or other), go for 21st.dev!
It's truly the future of component libraries: community-driven, modifiable, and perfectly integrated with modern development tools.
And there you have it, now you know everything! Now it's your turn :D
Tips
- Start by exploring the "Best of the Week" section to see the best recent components.
- Use the category filters (Hero, Button, Card, etc.) to quickly find what you need
- Feel free to modify components after installation—that's what they're there for!
🚀 Thanks for reading!
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💡 Got an idea? Let's talk !☕