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Next.js vs shadcn/ui

Based on 596 and 50 real audits

View Next.js details | View shadcn/ui details
MetricNext.jsshadcn/uiWinner
Performance3847shadcn/ui
Accessibility9090Tie
Best Practices8886Next.js
SEO9495shadcn/ui
Security6768shadcn/ui
TTFB289ms333msNext.js
Composite7475shadcn/ui
Performance
Next.js
38
shadcn/ui
47
Accessibility
Next.js
90
shadcn/ui
90
Security
Next.js
67
shadcn/ui
68
SEO
Next.js
94
shadcn/ui
95
Composite
Next.js
74
shadcn/ui
75

shadcn/ui outperforms Next.js in 4 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (75 vs 74). Next.js leads in best practices, TTFB.

When to choose Next.js

Choose Next.js when your primary concern is server response time and best practices. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

When to choose shadcn/ui

Choose shadcn/ui when your primary concern is performance and SEO. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 596 audited Next.js sites and 50 audited shadcn/ui sites in the BeaverCheck database. Every audit runs the same 100+ checks — Lighthouse performance, security headers, accessibility, SEO, server response time — against a real URL. No vendor input, no sponsorship, no affiliate links. Read the full methodology →

FAQ

Which is faster, Next.js or shadcn/ui?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, shadcn/ui sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (47 vs 38 on average).
Which has better security, Next.js or shadcn/ui?
shadcn/ui sites score higher on security analysis (68 vs 67 on average).
Which has better accessibility, Next.js or shadcn/ui?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor Next.js (90 vs 90). Both technologies can be made fully accessible with care — the difference reflects common patterns in the sampled sites, not inherent platform limits.
Which is better for SEO, Next.js or shadcn/ui?
shadcn/ui sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (95 vs 94 on average), which cover meta tags, crawlability, mobile friendliness, and structured data. Content strategy and backlinks still matter more than platform choice for ranking.
Which has faster server response (TTFB), Next.js or shadcn/ui?
Next.js sites show lower Time to First Byte (289 ms vs 333 ms on average). TTFB depends heavily on hosting and CDN setup rather than the technology itself, but the sampled sites suggest a meaningful difference in common deployment patterns.
Should I choose Next.js or shadcn/ui for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. shadcn/ui scores higher on overall composite score while Next.js may excel in metrics you care about most. Run a free BeaverCheck audit on a real site using each to compare the metrics relevant to your use case.
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