Why is Shadcn popular? Here’s my take:
Shadcn isn’t a UI library, it’s a code distribution platform. This means no worries about updates or breaking changes. You own the components, and update them only when desired.
Compared to building components from scratch, Shadcn is far less time consuming and more practical.

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Shadcn's popularity stems from its unique approach as a code distribution platform rather than a traditional UI library. Unlike conventional libraries, developers own the components completely, avoiding dependency management issues and breaking changes from updates. This approach offers more control and flexibility compared to building components from scratch while being significantly more time-efficient and practical for development workflows.

Why is Shadcn popular?

Also, you can customize the components since you have them in code.

btw new version of Shadcn dropped, you can check on this video top features, and my predictions what’s next:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FUNw5ZeiZE&amp;ab_channel=OrcDev" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Shadcn v4 Drops! 🚀 My Top Predictions &amp; Exciting New Features!</a>

The approach is better than alternatives. However, due to Vaul you can’t put menus in drawers and sheets (which are similar to drawers) also have limitations of what works there.
I dream of a popular UI library using this approach that works in React and has the kinks worked out.