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AtroUI vs Magic UI
TL;DR
Magic UI wins on motion mindshare and free effect catalog 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 Magic 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 | Magic UI |
|---|---|---|
| Shelf | Production sections via registry (MIT) | Effects free; composed sections Pro |
| Price to ship sections | $0 (no Pro wall on sections) | Pro $199 one-time (sections + templates) |
| Free tier | MIT catalog — free-first | 150+ MIT 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 / demos |
| Install | npx shadcn add @atroui/… (+ @atroui/cli, MCP) | shadcn registry / MCP |
| Agents | MCP + /docs/guides/for-agents + llms.txt | MCP emerging alongside CLI |
| Taste | Dark-first, soft-rect, anti-slop | High motion — beams, marquees, spectacle |
Peer pricing from their pricing page (checked 2026-10-25). Verify before buying.
Sections and ownership
Magic UI ships a strong free layer of animated components, then puts most composed marketing sections behind Pro (Pro $199 one-time (sections + templates)). 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
Magic 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
Magic UI: High motion — beams, marquees, spectacle. 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 Magic UI if…
Design engineers who want animated shadcn companions and are fine paying for Pro sections.
Try AtroUI without a rewrite
Keep Magic 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 Aceternity UI, Magic UI alternative, and alternatives hub.