# EneUI vs the shadcn CLI, one registry or many

The shadcn CLI installs from a registry you point it at. EneUI ships a CLI, a registry endpoint and an MCP server over a 100k+ component catalog, so the same command reaches every library at once.

> Page: https://ui.eneawork.it/alternatives/eneui-vs-shadcn-cli
> Markdown: https://ui.eneawork.it/alternatives/eneui-vs-shadcn-cli.md

The shadcn CLI is a transport, not a catalog: it fetches whatever registry you name. EneUI is a catalog with the same transport, plus a CLI and an MCP server, so an agent does not have to know which registry holds the component it needs.

| Option | Components | Libraries | Licenza |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EneUI | 111,985 | 1472 | MIT (components keep their source licence) |
| shadcn/ui | 2,414 | 21 | Unknown (community registry — see https://shadcnui-blocks.com) |

## When to pick it

- **EneUI**, You want one install command and one searchable index across every harvested library.
- **shadcn/ui**, You already know the exact registry and want the smallest possible dependency footprint.

## Verdict

If you know the component and the registry, the shadcn CLI is all you need. If you know the job, a pricing table, a focus-trapped modal, EneUI is the search layer that turns the job into a registry URL.

## FAQ

### How many components does this page cover?

114,399 components measured in the catalog, across 2 families.

### How were the counts measured?

By reading the catalog: every component carries its source library and the license declared upstream. The numbers are computed per request, not copied from a post.

### Can I install them with shadcn?

Yes, every component page shows the `npx shadcn add` command against our registry, with a free token.