Web Development · head to head
Preact vs Radix UI
Preact
Web Development
3kB alternative to React with the same modern API
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Radix UI
Web Development
Unstyled, accessible React component primitives
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Preact compatibility through preact/compat is good but not total, and some React libraries break in ways that are hard to diagnose; Radix UI you write all the styling, so time to a finished interface is much longer than with a styled library
- They diverge on capability: Preact covers 3kB runtime, Radix UI covers Unstyled primitives.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Preact and Radix UI actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Web Development).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Preact
- 3kB runtime
- preact/compat
- Same modern API
- Fast rendering
Only in Radix UI
- Unstyled primitives
- Accessibility built in
- Composable API
- Controlled or uncontrolled
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Preact
- Embedded widgets that load inside someone else’s page and must stay smallnot Radix UI
- Marketing and content sites where JavaScript payload affects Core Web Vitalsnot Radix UI
- Applications targeting low-bandwidth or low-powered devicesnot Radix UI
Radix UI
- Design systems that need correct accessibility without inherited visual opinionsnot Preact
- Replacing hand-built dropdowns and dialogs that have accessibility bugsnot Preact
- Teams with a designer whose output should not be constrained by a library’s themenot Preact
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Preact
- Compatibility through preact/compat is good but not total, and some React libraries break in ways that are hard to diagnose
- Behavioural differences from React exist in edge cases, particularly around event handling
- A much smaller community, so unusual problems have fewer existing answers than React
Radix UI
- You write all the styling, so time to a finished interface is much longer than with a styled library
- Composable part-based APIs are more verbose than a single component with props
- Covers primitives rather than complex widgets, so data grids and date pickers come from elsewhere
Pricing, plan by plan
Preact
Free- PreactFree
- Full library
- Commercial use permitted
- No usage limits
Radix UI
Free- Radix UIFree
- Full functionality
- Commercial use permitted
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Preact if
- You need 3kb runtime.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want preact/compat.
Choose Radix UI if
- You need unstyled primitives.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want accessibility built in.
Questions people ask
- Is Preact or Radix UI better?
- Neither clearly leads. Preact starts at Free and Radix UI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Preact or Radix UI?
- Preact starts at Free and Radix UI at Free.
- Does Preact or Radix UI run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Preact for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Preact best used for?
- Preact is most often used for embedded widgets that load inside someone else’s page and must stay small, marketing and content sites where javascript payload affects core web vitals, applications targeting low-bandwidth or low-powered devices. Of those, embedded widgets that load inside someone else’s page and must stay small and marketing and content sites where javascript payload affects core web vitals are not what Radix UI is typically brought in for.
- What can Preact do that Radix UI cannot?
- Preact covers 3kB runtime, preact/compat, Same modern API, Fast rendering. Radix UI covers Unstyled primitives, Accessibility built in, Composable API, Controlled or uncontrolled.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Preact: Is Preact free?
Yes, open source under the MIT licence.
Radix UI: Is Radix UI free?
Yes, open source under the MIT licence.
Preact: Can I use React libraries with Preact?
Most, through the preact/compat layer. Compatibility is good but not complete, so libraries relying on React internals can break.
Radix UI: Why use unstyled components?
Because accessibility is the hard part and visual design is the part teams want to own. Radix gives the first and stays out of the second.
Preact: Why choose Preact over React?
Bundle size, almost always. If payload is not a binding constraint, React’s ecosystem is usually the better trade.
Radix UI: What is the relationship with shadcn/ui?
shadcn/ui is built on Radix primitives, adding Tailwind styling and copy-paste distribution on top.
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