Kodza
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Kodza vs Aceternity UI

An Aceternity UI alternative that doesn't need React.

Aceternity UI is a solid pick for React and Tailwind. Kodza builds the same kind of animated UI in plain HTML, CSS and JS: free, zero dependencies, at home in any page. Here's the honest comparison.

Their side checked on ui.aceternity.com,

The short version

Pick the one that fits your stack.

Both ship animated components. The difference is what they ask of your project.

Pick Aceternity UI if

  • your app already runs on React and Tailwind CSS;
  • you like the shadcn CLI dropping components into your repo;
  • you'd pay for ready-made blocks and templates: their paid plans add 200+ blocks and 15+ templates.

Pick Kodza if

  • your site isn't a React app: WordPress, plain HTML, a CMS theme;
  • you want zero packages in your bundle;
  • you want all of it free, client work included.

Side by side

The facts, no spin.

What each one asks of your project and your wallet. Their column comes from their own site.

Feature Aceternity UI Kodza
Built with React, Tailwind CSS, Motion HTML, CSS, plain JS
Runs in React apps with Tailwind Any page: HTML, WordPress, React
Adding one shadcn CLI Copy and paste, or ask your AI
Packages to install motion, clsx, tailwind-merge None
Free 100+ components All 142 components
Paid plans $169 (1 year), $199 (lifetime) None
On paid plans 200+ blocks, 15+ templates Nothing held back
MCP server Yes, on the free plan Yes, no account, no key

Aceternity UI figures from their pricing page (opens in a new tab) and docs, read on October 27, 2026, discounts included. Prices change: theirs is the page that counts.

Install

Adding one, both ways.

Same goal, an animated component on your page. Different first step.

Aceternity UI

  1. Start from a Next.js app with Tailwind CSS v4.
  2. Add the component with their registry:
npx shadcn@latest add @aceternity/3d-card

The component's code lands in your project, ready to import.

Kodza

  1. Open a component page, any stack.
  2. Copy the HTML, CSS and JS. Paste them where they go.
$ npm install nothing

No build step, no package. Or let your AI do it: the command is at the bottom of this page.

Try one

Six to start with.

Heroes, scroll scenes, backgrounds that react: the showpieces, in plain code. Free, like the rest.

Browse all 142 components

FAQ

Before you switch.

The questions people ask when they compare the two.

01Is Kodza a free alternative to Aceternity UI?

Yes. Every Kodza component is free, client work included, with no account and nothing to unlock. Aceternity UI has more than 100 free components and paid plans from $169.

02Can I use Kodza in a Next.js or React app?

Yes. The plain JavaScript starts and stops cleanly, React StrictMode included, and most components also come as a React .tsx file on their page.

03Do I need Tailwind CSS for Kodza?

No. Each component brings its own CSS, scoped to its own class and tuned with --kz-* variables. It sits next to Tailwind without a fight.

04Does Kodza work in WordPress?

Yes. Paste the HTML in a block, the CSS and JS in your theme. Each component is tested in real WordPress themes before it ships.

05Do Aceternity UI and Kodza both have an MCP server?

Yes. Aceternity UI lists MCP access on its free plan. Kodza's server is at https://kodza.dev/api/mcp, free, with no account and no key.

06Can I use both on the same site?

Sure. Kodza's CSS stays inside its own component, so a Kodza menu can sit next to an Aceternity UI hero without either one noticing.

Just ask.

Copy, paste, and go home early.

claude mcp add -t http kodza https://kodza.dev/api/mcp

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