Pegasus vs shadcn/ui: when free code is enough and when it isn't

The shadcn/ui docs say it plainly: this is not a component library, it is "how you build your component library." Pegasus took that at its word and built on it, so this comparison is less a contest than a question of how many layers you want to build yourself.

shadcn/ui is a free, MIT-licensed set of accessible React components and a code distribution platform: its CLI copies component source into your project, and you own it. Pegasus is a design system built on shadcn/ui and Base UI that adds a matching Figma library, one token source, Storybook, a local MCP server, and 84 templates, for a one-time price. If your team designs in code, shadcn/ui alone is often enough. If designers work in Figma, the extra layers pay for themselves.

shadcn/ui vs Pegasus at a glance

As of October 2026.

What does shadcn/ui give you for free?

A lot, and it deserves the credit. The core idea is open code: components arrive as source files in your repo, not as a dependency you can't edit. Around that idea, the project has grown into a full toolchain:

• CLI v4 (March 2026) scaffolds Next.js, Vite, Laravel, React Router, Astro, and TanStack Start projects, and packs colors, fonts, icons, and radius into a preset code you can switch later.
• Three bases. Base UI became the default for new projects in July 2026, React Aria joined the same month, and Radix remains fully supported.
• Eight styles that restyle the same components.
• Theming through CSS variables in semantic background and foreground pairs, with dark mode handled by overriding the same tokens.
• Registries, including private GitHub registries since August 2026, so teams can distribute their own components with the same CLI.
• An MCP server that lets Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, and OpenCode browse, search, and install registry items.
• AI Elements (October 2026): 21 patterns for agentic interfaces, built from shadcn/ui components.

All of it costs nothing, under the MIT license.

Is shadcn/ui alone enough?

Often, yes. It is the right call when:

• The people designing the product work in code, and Figma is for sketches at most.
• You want to choose your own base (Base UI, Radix, or React Aria) and your own style.
• You plan to grow your own library and will own its documentation and tests.
• You are prototyping, and speed matters more than a design file.
• Your budget for UI tooling is zero.

If nobody on your team designs in Figma, a Figma library is a cost, not a feature.

What does Pegasus add on top of shadcn/ui?

Pegasus starts from shadcn/ui, Base UI primitives, recharts for charts, and Tailwind CSS, in TypeScript. Then it adds the layers that shadcn/ui leaves to you.

A Figma library and one token source

The Figma library has 1,540 components for web and native mobile, with the same names, variant structure, and tokens as the React code. Its 470 tokens live as Figma variables in light and dark modes, and the same token source themes the code's theme object, so a rebrand is a token change rather than a redesign.

Storybook and an MCP server that knows your catalog

Storybook ships with stories and tests. The local MCP server exposes the Pegasus catalog (components, props, variants, tokens) to MCP clients such as Claude Code and Cursor. The shadcn/ui MCP server can serve a registry you publish yourself; Pegasus ships the catalog already described.

The layer ledger: count what you'd build yourself

List the layers above the code and mark each one "need it this year" or "don't".

1. Figma mirror. A Figma library with the same names and variants as your code.
2. Token bridge. One token source that feeds both Figma variables and CSS variables.
3. Living catalog. Storybook stories for every component, an included test runner that renders and accessibility-checks every story, and interaction tests for key components.
4. Agent context. An MCP server that describes your components and tokens to AI tools.
5. Starting screens. Templates for dashboards, sign-up flows, and landing pages.

Count your "need it" marks. Zero or one: use shadcn/ui alone and build that layer when it hurts. Two: build or buy, depending on who would maintain it. Three or more: treat the layers as a product, built or bought, because maintaining them is a standing job.

If nobody on your team designs in Figma, a Figma library is a cost, not a feature.

A note on Base UI and Radix

Pegasus is built on Base UI, which shadcn/ui made its default in July 2026. Its changelog also says Radix is not deprecated, new components ship for both, and existing projects don't need to change.

Where Pegasus fits

Pegasus is shadcn/ui with the design side filled in: React code in TypeScript on shadcn/ui, Base UI primitives, recharts, and Tailwind CSS, plus a Figma library that matches it name for name. That library holds 1,540 components for web and native mobile, Auto Layout throughout, light and dark variants of every component, and 1,200 hand-drawn icons in 9 sizes, with a matching fill for every line icon.

The two surfaces share 470 tokens from one source, so retheming happens once. Storybook and the local MCP server come with it, and 84 example templates cover landing pages, dashboards, native app screens, and sign-up and login. Accessibility is built to WCAG 2.1 AA, with keyboard paths, focus states, and contrast documented per component.

As of October 2026 the Figma library is $79 and the full system $149, both one-time, with unlimited team seats on the full system, a perpetual license, and free updates. Pegasus Lite is a free subset to try first.

FAQ

Is shadcn/ui free for commercial use?

Yes. shadcn/ui is open source under the MIT license, which permits commercial use. Its CLI copies component source into your project, so the code becomes part of your codebase and you can change it freely. As of October 2026, the components, CLI, and MCP server are all free.

Does shadcn/ui have an official Figma file?

No. As of October 2026, the shadcn/ui docs include a Figma page that lists free and paid kits and notes that the Figma files are contributed by the community. If you need a Figma library, you pick one of those kits or build your own, and keeping it matched to your code is your job.

Is Pegasus built on shadcn/ui?

Yes. Pegasus's React components are written in TypeScript on shadcn/ui, Base UI primitives, recharts for charts, and Tailwind CSS. On top of that code, Pegasus adds a Figma library with the same component names, variant structure, and tokens, plus Storybook and a local MCP server that exposes the catalog to AI tools.

Does shadcn/ui have an MCP server?

Yes. The shadcn MCP server runs locally through the shadcn CLI and lets AI assistants browse, search, and install items from registries. The docs list setup for Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, and OpenCode. It also supports third-party and private registries configured in your project, including your company's own.

Sources

• Introduction, shadcn/ui (2026)
• Changelog, shadcn/ui (2026)
• July 2026: Base UI as the Default, shadcn/ui (2026)
• March 2026: shadcn/cli v4, shadcn/ui (2026)
• Figma, shadcn/ui (2026)
• MCP Server, shadcn/ui (2026)
• Theming, shadcn/ui (2026)
• shadcn-ui/ui repository, GitHub (2026)