21 Best Free React Templates 2026
Looking for a free React template that’s actually free — MIT-licensed for commercial use, no “free tier with locked features,” no “free with attribution required” — that you can fork and ship? These 21 picks are 100% genuinely free, open-source, and ready for production. Every entry includes the GitHub repo + live demo, stack details, and a clear license badge so you know exactly what you can do with it. Covered: admin dashboards, Material UI / Tailwind / Bootstrap stacks, landing pages, starter kits, and boilerplates. Every demo verified May 2026.
Free React templates in 2026 are no longer the “starter quality” downgrade they used to be. The top free options (Ant Design Pro at 38.3k GitHub stars, Refine at 34.8k stars, T3 Stack at 28.9k stars, react-admin at 26k stars) are battle-tested by hundreds of thousands of production deployments — they regularly outperform paid templates on feature completeness, code quality, and active maintenance. The trick is knowing which free template fits which use case: a Material UI admin starter is different from a Tailwind landing page, which is different from a Next.js + tRPC SaaS scaffold.
We’ve grouped the 21 picks below into 5 categories — modern admin dashboards, Material UI templates, Tailwind / shadcn / modern stack templates, classic Bootstrap dashboards, and starter kits / boilerplates — followed by a clearly-labeled “Premium upgrade path” section for the 3 paid options most readers eventually consider. For Next.js-specific templates, see our Next.js templates hub; for the full React templates roundup (including premium), see React templates.
Related reading: React admin dashboard templates, React SaaS templates, React portfolio templates, React landing page templates, and React templates (free + premium).
⭐ Editor’s Recommendation (Premium)
If you can spare a one-time fee, start with Apex Dashboard instead.
Free templates are great for prototypes, but the moment you need 5 pre-built dashboard variations (Overview, Analytics, eCommerce, CRM, SaaS), 20+ application pages (Chat, Mail, File Manager, Kanban, Calendar), a live theme customizer, RTL support, i18n across 3 languages, Storybook with 15 component stories, and 125+ static routes — every free template on this list stops short. Apex Dashboard ships all of it on the current Next.js 16 + React 19 + Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui stack with an MIT-licensed source code purchase.
Below the recommendation, every entry on this list is genuinely free and MIT-licensed (or similar permissive license). We also highlight 2 more category-specific premium picks — ArchitectUI React PRO for Bootstrap projects and TailPanel for Tailwind projects — at the natural decision points within each section.
Quick Picks — Best React Template by Use Case
- ⭐ Best premium overall (most-recommended): Apex Dashboard — Next.js 16 + React 19 + shadcn/ui, 5 dashboard variations + 125+ routes, MIT-licensed source on purchase
- ⭐ Best premium Bootstrap: ArchitectUI React PRO — 5 dashboard layouts, color skins, multi-framework editions (React + HTML + Vue + Angular)
- ⭐ Best premium Tailwind: TailPanel — Tailwind-first React dashboard with utility-best-practices baseline
- Best free overall (enterprise admin): Ant Design Pro — 38.3k+ stars, React 19 + Umi Max 4 + antd 6 + Tailwind v4, AI Assistant included
- Best free starter kit foundation: T3 Stack — 28.9k+ stars, CLI scaffold for Next.js + tRPC + Tailwind + Prisma/Drizzle + NextAuth
- Best free CRUD admin framework: Refine — 34.8k+ stars, React meta-framework with built-in auth + permissions + state management
- Best free with shadcn/ui: Shadcn Admin — 11.1k+ stars, React + Vite + Tailwind + shadcn/ui components in your project
- Best free auto-CRUD: react-admin — 26k+ stars, generates CRUD interfaces from your REST or GraphQL API
- Best free MUI dashboard: Devias Kit — 6k+ stars, polished Material UI dashboard by Devias
- Best free Tailwind dashboard: TailAdmin React — 1.2k+ stars, React 19 + Tailwind CSS v4 + Vite, 35+ components
- Best free Bootstrap dashboard: CoreUI React — MIT, Bootstrap 5 + 50+ ready-to-use UI components
- Best free landing page: Cruip Open React Template — 4.6k+ stars, Next.js + Tailwind v4 + RSC
- Best free MDX blog: Tailwind Next.js Starter Blog — 10.5k+ stars, blog + portfolio combo
- Best free single-config portfolio: Magic UI Portfolio — 1.4k+ stars, edit one resume.tsx and deploy
- Best free Chakra UI dashboard: Horizon UI — React + Chakra UI + Tailwind, modern aesthetic
Is There an Official AdminLTE React Port?
Short answer: no, there isn’t an officially maintained AdminLTE React port. AdminLTE itself is a Bootstrap-based HTML/jQuery admin template that has been ported informally to React by various community projects, but none are currently maintained by the AdminLTE team. If you’re searching for “AdminLTE React,” you’re typically looking for one of two things:
- A React-based admin template with similar layout / functionality: CoreUI React is the closest equivalent — Bootstrap 5 foundation, similar sidebar / topbar / dashboard layout, MIT-licensed, 50+ pre-built UI components. Maintained more actively than any AdminLTE React port.
- A modern shadcn/ui-based admin: Shadcn Admin is the contemporary equivalent — Vite + Tailwind + shadcn/ui components that live in your project, full ownership, no Bootstrap dependency. The pattern most developers move to from AdminLTE in 2026.
Both are in this list below. If you’d like the original AdminLTE in its native HTML / Bootstrap form, see AdminLTE on the main site.
Comparison Table — Premium & Free React Templates
The 3 premium picks listed at the top are the upgrade paths we recommend when free templates stop short on features. The 12 free picks below are MIT-licensed and commercial-use ready.
| Template | Stack | License | GitHub Stars | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Apex Dashboard (Premium) | Next.js 16 + React 19 + shadcn/ui + Tailwind v4 | Premium (MIT source) | — | Modern Next.js admin with 125+ routes |
| ⭐ ArchitectUI React PRO (Premium) | React + Bootstrap | Premium | — | Bootstrap admin with 5 dashboard layouts |
| ⭐ TailPanel (Premium) | React + Tailwind CSS | Premium | — | Tailwind-first React dashboard |
| Ant Design Pro | React 19 + Umi Max 4 + antd 6 | MIT | 38.3k | Enterprise admin / B2B internal tools |
| Refine | React + Next.js or Vite | MIT | 34.8k | CRUD admin / internal dashboards |
| T3 Stack | Next.js + tRPC + Tailwind + Prisma | MIT | 28.9k | Type-safe full-stack SaaS |
| react-admin | React + Material UI + REST/GraphQL | MIT | 26k | Auto-CRUD from your API |
| Shadcn Admin | React + Vite + Tailwind + shadcn/ui | MIT | 11.1k | Modern shadcn-first admin |
| Tailwind Next.js Starter Blog | Next.js + MDX + Tailwind + Contentlayer | MIT | 10.5k | Personal site / technical blog |
| Devias Kit | React + Material UI + Vite | MIT | 6k | Polished MUI dashboard starter |
| CoreUI React | React + Bootstrap 5 | MIT | 5k | Bootstrap React admin (AdminLTE equivalent) |
| Cruip Open React Template | Next.js + React + Tailwind v4 + RSC | GPL | 4.6k | Free landing page / marketing site |
| Material Dashboard React | React + Material UI + CRA | MIT | 3k | Material Design dashboard |
| Berry Dashboard | React + Material UI | MIT | 3k | MUI dashboard with curated UX |
| Magic UI Portfolio | Next.js + shadcn/ui + Magic UI | MIT | 1.4k | Developer portfolio + MDX blog |
Best Free Modern React Admin Dashboards
The top tier — battle-tested at scale, actively maintained, and ranging from 11k to 38k GitHub stars. These are the free options that genuinely compete with $200-600 premium boilerplates on feature completeness.
1. Ant Design Pro
Why we like it: The most-starred React enterprise admin template on GitHub. Backed by Alibaba, built on React 19, Umi Max 4 (their internal framework), and Ant Design 6 — designed specifically for enterprise applications with comprehensive forms, tables, lists, profiles, and user management pages. Built-in i18n, mock dev solutions, Tailwind CSS v4 + antd-style theming, and an AI Assistant chatbot powered by Ant Design X.
2. Refine
Why we like it: “A React meta-framework for CRUD-heavy web applications” with built-in support for SSR via Next.js (or Remix), authentication, access control, routing, and state management. Pre-built templates include CRM apps, admin panels, PDF invoice generators, and ecommerce storefronts. Supports any data provider (REST, GraphQL, Supabase, NestJS, Strapi).
Best pick when your React project is primarily admin / internal-tool / dashboard. Refine handles the CRUD boilerplate (lists, edit forms, validation, permissions, audit logs) so you focus on business logic. The headless architecture means you can pair it with any UI library — Material UI, Ant Design, Chakra, or your own shadcn/ui components.
3. react-admin
Why we like it: Battle-tested for over a decade by marmelab. Automatically generates CRUD interfaces from your REST or GraphQL API. Comes with declarative components for lists, edit forms, show pages, filtering, sorting, pagination, optimistic UI, and undo/redo. The mature pick for “point at an API, get a usable admin in an hour.”
Best when you have an existing REST or GraphQL backend and want a working admin without designing forms yourself. The declarative approach (define your fields, react-admin generates the UI) saves weeks of work compared to building admin from scratch.
4. Shadcn Admin
Why we like it: The contemporary equivalent of what AdminLTE is for Bootstrap. shadcn/ui’s copy-paste philosophy means components live in your project (not node_modules) — you fully own and customize every element. React + Vite + Tailwind v4 + TypeScript baseline. Sidebar layout, dashboard pages, settings, tasks, and a modern command palette all pre-built.
Best when you want full control over your component library without fighting an abstraction. The Vite base means sub-second dev startup compared to Next.js, and the shadcn/ui copy-paste pattern is the dominant React component ecosystem in 2026.
💎 Premium upgrade for modern admins: When the free options above stop short — you need 5 dashboard variations, 20+ application pages, a live theme customizer, and 125+ routes — Apex Dashboard is the recommended next step. Same Next.js 16 + shadcn/ui + Tailwind v4 stack as Shadcn Admin (above) but with all the production features the free tier skips.
Best Free Material UI React Templates
Material UI (MUI) dominates the Material Design React ecosystem. These free templates ship with MUI v5 / v7 components, Material Design 3 aesthetics, and battle-tested dashboard layouts. Best for enterprise B2B apps, healthcare admin, financial tools, and any project where Material Design familiarity reduces user training.
5. Devias Kit
Why we like it: Devias has been shipping React admin templates since 2019, and Devias Kit is their polished free MUI offering. Clean visual design with thoughtful typography, well-organized component structure, and ready-to-use pages for dashboard, users, products, settings, and account management.
Best when you want a production-quality MUI starter without paying — Devias also sells a Pro version with more pages and integrations, but the free Kit is genuinely usable for most projects.
6. Material Dashboard React
Why we like it: Creative Tim’s long-running React Material Design template. Classic Material Design 3 aesthetic, comprehensive component coverage, and over 2.7M registered users across Creative Tim’s ecosystem. Free version covers dashboard, tables, forms, notifications, login pages.
CRA-based, so you’ll want to plan migration to Vite or Next.js for new projects (CRA is officially deprecated). The Material Design patterns themselves are timeless. Pro version ($149) adds extra pages and components.
7. Berry Dashboard
Why we like it: CodedThemes has been refining React + MUI dashboards across multiple products (Berry, Mantis, Material Pro). Berry’s free tier ships a clean Material UI dashboard with Redux state management, multiple chart integrations, and authentication scaffolding. Berry Pro adds more pages and advanced features.
8. Mantis Dashboard
Why we like it: Mantis combines Material UI v7 functionality with Ant Design-inspired design principles for a unique visual identity. Built with React 19 and Vite — one of the more modern free MUI dashboards available. Comprehensive dashboard components, chart integrations, and responsive layouts.
9. Minimal UI Kit
Why we like it: A minimalist take on the Material UI dashboard pattern — fewer pre-built pages than Devias Kit but a cleaner starting point if you’ll heavily customize. Vite-based for fast dev. Premium Minimal Dashboard adds 30+ pages and advanced features.
💎 Premium upgrade for MUI projects: Free MUI starters (Devias, Berry, Mantis, Material Dashboard) are solid foundations but stop at ~10-15 pre-built pages. When you need a complete MUI-quality experience with depth, Apex Dashboard ships 125+ pages on the modern shadcn/ui stack (which works alongside or instead of MUI). Devias also sells a Pro variant if you want to stay on Material UI specifically.
Best Free Tailwind / shadcn React Templates
Tailwind CSS dominates the modern React styling ecosystem — utility-first classes, no design system lock-in, and the dominant choice for shadcn/ui-based projects. These free templates ship with Tailwind v3 or v4 and modern React patterns.
10. TailAdmin React
Why we like it: The free version of TailAdmin Pro — React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS v4, Vite. 35+ dashboard components and 50+ UI elements, dark mode, multiple dashboard variations (Ecommerce, Analytics, Marketing, CRM), calendar with drag-and-drop, chat functionality. Sidebar, data visualization, authentication forms, tables, and charts all pre-built.
One of the cleanest free React 19 + Vite dashboards available. Upgrade to TailAdmin Pro when you need the dedicated SaaS dashboard variant, the additional 450+ components, or the Figma design files. Otherwise the free version is genuinely production-ready.
11. Notus React
Why we like it: Creative Tim’s Tailwind-based React dashboard. 100+ frontend elements, clean component organization, and broader page coverage than most free Tailwind dashboards. Good starting point if you want Creative Tim’s curated UX patterns without paying for Pro.
12. Horizon UI
Why we like it: One of the few maintained Chakra UI dashboard templates. Modern aesthetic, modular components, and the option to use either Chakra or Tailwind via Horizon’s separate Tailwind variant. Free version covers core dashboard pages; Pro adds advanced components and the full Figma design system.
13. Cruip Open React Template
Why we like it: The most polished free landing page template available — by the Italian designer / developer duo at Cruip. App Router + React Server Components, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS v4. Animated hero section, feature grid, testimonials, newsletter signup. Free Figma design files included via Figma Community.
GPL license — fine for personal and commercial projects, attribution appreciated but not required. Best when you need a polished free landing page and don’t want to design one from scratch. For full landing page roundup, see our React landing page templates.
💎 Premium upgrade for Tailwind projects: Free Tailwind dashboards (TailAdmin React free, Notus, Horizon UI) ship ~30-50 components. TailPanel is the recommended premium upgrade — Tailwind-first React dashboard built with utility-best-practices throughout, so customization is editing class names rather than wrestling with an abstraction. For a more shadcn-flavoured premium, Apex Dashboard bundles Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui + 125+ routes.
Best Free Bootstrap React Dashboards
Bootstrap is still the most-deployed CSS framework in 2026 — billions of pages run on it. These free Bootstrap-based React templates are the modern equivalents of AdminLTE’s Bootstrap admin pattern, ported to React.
14. CoreUI React (Closest AdminLTE Equivalent)
Why we like it: CoreUI is the closest direct equivalent to AdminLTE for React. Bootstrap 5 foundation, classic sidebar / topbar / dashboard layout that AdminLTE users immediately recognize, 50+ ready-to-use UI components, multi-framework variants (also available in HTML, Vue, Angular). Active maintenance with regular updates.
If you came here searching for “AdminLTE React,” this is the answer. CoreUI delivers the same Bootstrap admin pattern with first-class React support. CoreUI Pro adds advanced components and premium templates.
15. ArchitectUI React Free
Why we like it: The free tier of ArchitectUI’s React admin template. Clean architecture, organized component structure, and a polished Bootstrap-based design. Available in HTML, Angular, and Vue editions if your team works across frameworks. Pro version (covered in premium section below) adds five dashboard layouts and color skins.
16. Volt React
Why we like it: A free and open-source admin dashboard template by Themesberg based on the latest Bootstrap 5 CSS framework. Over 100 UI elements, plugins, and component examples built with React. Strong choice if you specifically need Bootstrap 5 (vs older Bootstrap 4 templates that don’t use the modern CSS variables system).
17. Argon Dashboard React
Why we like it: Creative Tim’s Argon Design System applied to a React + Bootstrap admin dashboard. Modern, minimal aesthetic with pastel color palette and generous whitespace — distinct from typical Material Design or Ant Design dashboards. Premium Argon PRO ($149) adds 30+ pages.
18. Soft UI Dashboard React
Why we like it: Creative Tim’s take on the neumorphism / soft UI design trend — subtle shadows, rounded edges, low-contrast palettes. Polarizing aesthetic but distinctive — best when you want a design that doesn’t look like every other Bootstrap dashboard. Soft UI Pro ($89) is the cheapest premium upgrade in Creative Tim’s catalog.
💎 Premium upgrade for Bootstrap projects: Free Bootstrap dashboards (CoreUI, ArchitectUI Free, Volt, Argon, Soft UI) ship the layouts but stop short on advanced pages and skin variations. ArchitectUI React PRO is the direct premium upgrade — 5 dashboard layouts, multiple color skins, and a fixable header / sidebar / footer system. Also includes the same template ported to HTML, Angular, and Vue if your team works across frameworks.
Best Free React Starter Kits & Boilerplates
Beyond admin dashboards, these free starter kits give you the foundational stack for any new React project — type-safe routing, testing, CI workflows, and pre-configured tooling. Best when you’ll build the UI yourself but want production-grade scaffolding from day one.
19. T3 Stack (create-t3-app)
Why we like it: Interactive CLI (npm create t3-app@latest) that scaffolds a full-stack, type-safe React application with your stack picks. Each technology component (tRPC, Tailwind, NextAuth, Prisma vs Drizzle) is optional. Solve specific problems, enforce type-safety throughout, bleed responsibly with emerging tech.
20. Tailwind Next.js Starter Blog
Why we like it: The most popular personal-site / blog template in the Next.js ecosystem. MDX blog with syntax highlighting, RSS, sitemaps, KaTeX math, Pliny for SEO and analytics, newsletter integration, multiple layout options, and three optional comment systems (Giscus, Utterances, Disqus).
Best free pick for a developer portfolio + blog combo. For more portfolio-focused options, see React portfolio templates.
21. Magic UI Portfolio (dillionverma)
Why we like it: The cleanest “single config file” portfolio template in the React ecosystem. Edit one resume.tsx file and your hero, work history, projects, hackathons, and blog all populate from typed data. Setup takes under an hour from clone to deployed Vercel URL.
The Magic UI design language has 21,000+ stars on the core library — poured-on polish in every component. Pairs with shadcn/ui patterns naturally.
💎 Premium upgrade for starter kits: Free foundational starters (T3 Stack, Tailwind Next.js Starter Blog, Magic UI Portfolio) give you the type-safe scaffolding but expect you to build the dashboards and product pages yourself. Apex Dashboard is the recommended fast-forward — same Next.js + TypeScript foundation as T3, plus 125+ pre-built pages, 5 dashboard variations, and a live theme customizer that would take months to build.
Premium Upgrade Path
Most of the free templates above eventually run into the same wall: you need features the free tier doesn’t cover (multi-tenancy, Stripe billing, advanced data tables, AI integrations). The three premium templates below are the ones we recommend as upgrade paths — each ships with deep feature coverage that would take 100-300 hours to build yourself.
Apex Dashboard (Premium)
Why upgrade: 5 dashboard variations (Overview, Analytics, eCommerce, CRM, SaaS), 20+ application pages including Chat, Mail, File Manager, Kanban Board, Calendar. Cmd+K command palette, live theme customizer with 6 color presets, RTL support, internationalization (3 languages), Storybook with 15 component stories, and 125+ static routes. The premium that covers what free templates skip.
ArchitectUI React PRO (Premium)
Why upgrade: Five dashboard layouts, multiple color skins, flexible component system with fixable header / sidebar / footer elements. Also available in HTML, Angular, and Vue editions for cross-framework consistency. Best Bootstrap upgrade from the free ArchitectUI tier above.
TailPanel (Premium)
Why upgrade: Built from scratch with Tailwind best practices — every component follows utility-first patterns, so customization is as simple as editing class names. Pixel-perfect design with dark mode support and responsive layouts throughout. Best Tailwind upgrade from the free TailAdmin React tier above.
How to Choose a Free React Template
The right pick depends on what you’re building:
- Building enterprise admin / B2B internal tools? Ant Design Pro — 38.3k stars, deepest component library available free.
- Auto-generating CRUD from an existing API? react-admin (REST/GraphQL) or Refine (multi-data-source).
- Want modern shadcn/ui patterns? Shadcn Admin — full component ownership, Vite-based.
- Searching for AdminLTE’s React equivalent? CoreUI React — Bootstrap 5, same layout patterns, MIT.
- Need Material UI specifically? Devias Kit (cleanest), Material Dashboard React (Creative Tim), or Mantis Dashboard (MUI v7 + React 19).
- Need Chakra UI? Horizon UI — one of the few maintained Chakra admin templates.
- Want a free landing page? Cruip Open React Template — Next.js + Tailwind v4 + RSC.
- Starting a developer portfolio? Magic UI Portfolio (single-config) or Tailwind Next.js Starter Blog (blog-first).
- Want type-safe full-stack scaffolding? T3 Stack — CLI scaffold with tRPC + Prisma + Tailwind.
- Outgrew the free tier? Apex Dashboard (Next.js + shadcn/ui), ArchitectUI React PRO (Bootstrap), or TailPanel (Tailwind) — see Premium Upgrade Path section above.
Free React Templates FAQ
Are these React templates really free for commercial use?
Yes — every template listed above (apart from the clearly-labeled Premium Upgrade Path section) is MIT-licensed or similar permissive open-source license. MIT explicitly permits commercial use, modification, and redistribution. The one nuance is GPL (used by Cruip Open React Template) — fine for personal and commercial projects, but the copyleft means you can’t easily relicense derivatives. Always check the LICENSE file in the GitHub repo before deploying to production.
What’s the best free React template for a SaaS app?
For full SaaS scaffolding (auth + billing + multi-tenancy), pick from our React SaaS templates or Next.js SaaS templates roundups — those templates ship Stripe, Auth.js / Clerk, and team management out of the box. For the foundational SaaS layer, T3 Stack (#19) is the canonical free choice — adds tRPC + Prisma + NextAuth on top of Next.js. For the dashboard side, Apex Dashboard (premium) or Shadcn Admin (#4 free) deliver the polished UI.
What’s the best free React admin template with TypeScript?
All top picks ship with full TypeScript support: Ant Design Pro (#1), Refine (#2), Shadcn Admin (#4), and TailAdmin React (#10) are all TypeScript-first. The strongest TypeScript-strict-mode codebase among free templates is Shadcn Admin — every component is fully typed and the codebase is small enough to audit end-to-end. For type-safe full-stack scaffolding (TypeScript + tRPC for end-to-end API types), pick T3 Stack (#19).
Is there an official AdminLTE port for React?
No, there isn’t an officially maintained AdminLTE React port. AdminLTE itself is a Bootstrap-based HTML/jQuery admin template. For a React-based equivalent with similar layout and Bootstrap foundation, use CoreUI React (#14 in this list) — same sidebar / topbar / dashboard pattern, MIT-licensed, actively maintained. For a modern Tailwind + shadcn/ui equivalent that replaces AdminLTE’s role in 2026 projects, use Shadcn Admin (#4). Both are covered above.
What’s the best free React landing page template?
Cruip Open React Template (#13 above) is the most polished free landing page — Next.js App Router + React Server Components + Tailwind v4. For more options including premium animated suites (Aceternity UI, Magic UI Pro), see our dedicated React landing page templates roundup.
Free vs paid React templates — when should I upgrade?
Upgrade when you need features the free tier doesn’t cover: multi-tenancy with organizations and seat-based billing (Makerkit, Supastarter), Stripe billing pre-wired (ShipFast, nextjs/saas-starter), advanced data tables / charts / form builders (TailAdmin Pro, Apex Dashboard), or large screen-count coverage (Devias Pro adds 50+ pages over the free Kit). Stay free when you’re learning, validating, or willing to wire those features yourself. The math: if your hourly rate exceeds $50 and a $200-300 premium saves you 6-10 hours, it pays back the same day.
Can I modify and resell a free React template?
It depends on the license. MIT and Apache 2.0 templates explicitly permit modification and redistribution including for commercial purposes — you can fork, modify, sell the result, no attribution required (though appreciated). GPL (Cruip Open) permits modification and redistribution but the derivative must also be GPL-licensed (copyleft). You can’t take a GPL template, modify it, and resell as proprietary code. Always read the LICENSE file before reselling templates as your own product.
What’s the best free React template with shadcn/ui?
Shadcn Admin (#4 above) is the canonical shadcn/ui-based admin template — Vite + Tailwind + shadcn/ui in your project (not node_modules), full component ownership. Magic UI Portfolio (#21) and Cruip Open React Template (#13) are also shadcn/ui-compatible (use shadcn components as drop-ins). For more shadcn/ui-specific options, see our shadcn/ui templates roundup.
Next.js, Vite, or Create React App for a free React template?
Next.js is the default for new full-stack apps in 2026 — App Router, Server Components, integrated routing + API + SSR. Many of the free templates above use Next.js (Cruip Open, T3 Stack, Tailwind Next.js Starter Blog, Magic UI Portfolio). Vite is the lighter choice for SPAs that don’t need SSR — sub-second dev startup, simpler build pipeline (used by Shadcn Admin, TailAdmin React, Devias Kit). Create React App is officially deprecated as of 2025 — Material Dashboard React and Notus React still use it, plan a migration to Vite when you fork them.
For more React and Next.js template categories, see our React templates (free + premium), React admin dashboard templates, React SaaS templates, React portfolio templates, React ecommerce templates, React Native templates (mobile), and Next.js templates complete guide roundups.
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