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AtroUI vs Aceternity UI
TL;DR
Aceternity UI wins on block and template volume and a paid Pro surface for landing blocks. AtroUI wins when you want MIT production sections, Host APIs with BYOK, and live rooms that match npx shadcn add @atroui/…. Pick Aceternity UI if you need their Pro catalog. Pick AtroUI if lock-in, paywalls on sections, or AI-slop atmosphere are the deal-breakers.
At a glance
| Dimension | AtroUI | Aceternity UI |
|---|---|---|
| Shelf | Production sections via registry (MIT) | Most production blocks behind Pro |
| Price to ship sections | $0 (no Pro wall on sections) | $169 (1-year) / $199 lifetime |
| Free tier | MIT catalog — free-first | ~100–118 free animated components |
| Host APIs / BYOK | Yes — BYOK Host APIs (waitlist, contact, OG, scope, …) | No Host API / BYOK product line |
| Live rooms | /landing, /launch, /themes, /og — same files you install | Docs previews (not install-matched rooms) |
| Install | npx shadcn add @atroui/… (+ @atroui/cli, MCP) | npx shadcn add @aceternity/… (+ Pro token) |
| Agents | MCP + /docs/guides/for-agents + llms.txt | Strong MCP / agent install story |
| Taste | Dark-first, soft-rect, anti-slop | Premium motion landings; hero/shader heavy |
Peer pricing from their pricing page (checked 2026-10-25). Verify before buying.
Sections and ownership
Aceternity UI ships a strong free layer of animated components, then puts most composed marketing sections behind Pro ($169 (1-year) / $199 lifetime). That is a clear business — and a wall if you need heroes, pricing, and waitlists without a license token.
AtroUI ships production sections on the official @atroui registry under MIT. You run the CLI, edit CONTENT at the top of the file, and own the PR. No Pro registry token for the catalog.
Host APIs and keys
Aceternity UI does not sell a Host API / BYOK line. Forms and AI tools are your problem after you paste the UI.
AtroUI pairs UI with hardened Host API routes (atroui/api/*): waitlist, contact, newsletter, OG, thumbnail, scope. Keys stay in your .env. Missing keys → 503 on paid paths — we never run your OpenAI bill on atroui.com.
Taste and rooms
Aceternity UI: Premium motion landings; hero/shader heavy. That is a feature if spectacle is the job.
AtroUI: soft-rect defaults, dark-first axes, live rooms (/landing, /launch, /themes) that preview the same installables. We refuse glow-orb identity on purpose.
Who should pick which
Pick AtroUI if…
Builders who already use shadcn and want dark production sections they own, plus forms/AI routes on their own keys.
Pick Aceternity UI if…
Teams that want the largest Pro landing-block catalog and agent-first install of polished marketing UI.
Try AtroUI without a rewrite
Keep Aceternity UI effects you already like. Add one AtroUI section beside them — same CLI model as shadcn.
npx shadcn@latest add @atroui/home-hero npx shadcn@latest add @atroui/api-waitlist
Agents: for-agents · MCP. Also see AtroUI vs Magic UI, Aceternity UI alternative, and alternatives hub.