Shadcn/UI switches default from Radix to Base UI
Original: Shadcn/UI now defaults to Base UI instead of Radix
Why This Matters
The shift signals Base UI's growing adoption as the leading headless UI primitive for React ecosystems.
As of July 2026, shadcn/ui now defaults to Base UI instead of Radix for new projects. Base UI has reached v1.6.0 with 6M+ weekly downloads, and projects on shadcn/create chose Base UI over Radix at a 2-to-1 ratio, prompting the official switch.
Shadcn/ui announced in its July 2026 changelog that Base UI is now the default component library, replacing Radix as the out-of-the-box selection for new projects. When shadcn/ui launched in January 2023, it was built on Radix, which the team described as unmatched at the time for its headless, accessible component design. Base UI is developed by the same team behind Radix, incorporating lessons learned from the first iteration. The library reached v1.6.0 and now records over 6 million weekly downloads. Rather than forcing a migration, shadcn rebuilt every component for Base UI while preserving the same abstraction layer, allowing users to choose either library. Usage data showed that projects created via shadcn/create selected Base UI over Radix at a 2-to-1 rate, which the team cited as justification for making the change official. Running `npx shadcn init` now defaults to Base UI; Radix remains fully supported and can be selected with the `-b radix` flag. Existing Radix-based projects do not need to migrate. For those who wish to transition, a migration skill is available via `pnpm dlx skills add shadcn/ui`, enabling component-by-component migration using a coding agent.