The Best Shadcn Tabs for React & Next.js Developers

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:43:04 +0000

Every frontend developer has built a tabs component at least once. It usually starts as a small task, but quickly grows into something much larger.

You begin with two buttons and two content panels. Then come keyboard navigation, active indicators, responsive layouts, accessibility, animations, badge counters, vertical navigation, and support for different screen sizes. Before long, a feature that looked like an afternoon task has taken most of your sprint.

I've run into this more than once while building dashboards, SaaS products, and internal tools. Instead of rebuilding the same patterns every time, I started looking for production-ready Shadcn Tabs that already solve these common UI problems.

This collection includes Shadcn Tabs component built with React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and Framer Motion. Some are minimal, while others include animated indicators, badges, icons, and layouts designed for dashboards, documentation, AI applications, and marketing websites.

Rather than treating this as another component roundup, I wanted to explain where each tab actually fits and why you might choose one over another.

What are Shadcn Tabs?

Unlike traditional UI libraries, Shadcn components are copied directly into your project instead of being imported as locked packages.

That means the component belongs to your application.

You can rename props, change layouts, replace animations, modify styling, or even rewrite the component entirely without worrying about package updates or upstream breaking changes.

Most of these tab components are built on top of Radix UI or Base UI primitives, so accessibility, keyboard controls, and focus management are already handled.

You spend your time improving the experience instead of rebuilding the fundamentals.

Best Shadcn Tabs Components and Examples

There are plenty of shadcn tab components available today, but not every one is designed for production use. Some focus on smooth animations, while others prioritize accessibility, dashboard layouts, or developer experience.

Animated Tab

If you're building a dashboard or analytics application, this is probably the first component to try. The active indicator glides smoothly between tabs using Framer Motion, making navigation feel polished without overwhelming the interface.

Great for

SaaS dashboards
Analytics platforms
Reports
Admin panels
Multi-step settings

Best for: Modern dashboards that benefit from subtle motion.

Explore Animated Tab

Transition Tab

Instead of animating the navigation itself, this component adds smooth fade transitions between content panels. It creates a calmer experience, especially when users spend more time reading the content.

Great for

Documentation
Knowledge bases
Blog categories
Product guides
FAQ pages

Best for: Documentation and content-heavy applications.

Explore Transition Tab

Tab With Icon

Icons make navigation much easier to scan, especially when space is limited. This component combines icons with text labels while remaining fully accessible.

Great for

Application navigation
Mobile layouts
Dashboard menus
Media libraries
Editor toolbars

Best for: Apps where users navigate between multiple sections frequently.

Explore Tab With Icon

Animated Tab by Jonas List

This version replaces the traditional underline with a sliding pill that automatically adjusts to different tab widths. It gives landing pages and marketing sites a modern feel.

Great for

Pricing pages
Landing pages
Feature comparisons
Portfolio websites
Product showcases

Best for: Marketing websites and pricing sections.

Explore Animated Tab by Jonas List

Tab With Count

Sometimes users need information before clicking a tab. This component adds badges beside each label to display counts such as notifications, tickets, or unread messages.

Great for

Inbox applications
CRM systems
Support tickets
Notifications
Order management

Best for: Data-driven applications showing live counts.

Explore Tab With Count

Underline Tab

Not every interface needs bold animations. Underline Tab keeps things minimal while still providing a clear active state through a smooth animated underline.

Great for

User profiles
Settings pages
Product details
Team pages
Dashboard headers

Best for: Applications that prefer a lightweight navigation style.

Explore Underline Tab

Vertical Tab

Horizontal tabs work well for a handful of options, but they can become cramped as your navigation grows. Vertical Tabs solve this by moving the navigation to the side, giving both the menu and content plenty of room.

Great for

Settings panels
Admin consoles
Integration pages
User preferences
Multi-step forms

Best for: Applications with extensive side navigation.

Explore Vertical Tab

Animated Dashboard Tab

Dashboards often require users to switch between charts, reports, and tables throughout the day. This component keeps those interactions smooth with a compact layout and an animated active indicator.

Great for

Analytics dashboards
CRM software
Financial reporting
Operations centers
Monitoring tools

Best for: Data-heavy dashboards and internal business applications.

Explore Animated Dashboard Tab

Icon & Description Tab

Sometimes a single label isn't enough. This component adds a title, supporting description, and icon to every tab, helping users understand each option before clicking.

Great for

Plan selection
Product onboarding
Deployment choices
Tool configuration
Payment methods

Best for: Interfaces where users need additional guidance.

Explore Icon & Description Tab

Seasonal Pixel Snow Tab

Most tabs are designed for everyday use, but this one adds a fun seasonal effect that works well for promotional campaigns and holiday experiences. The pixel snow animation can be enabled or disabled whenever you need it.

Great for

Holiday promotions
Seasonal campaigns
Product launches
Event microsites
Marketing pages

Best for: Limited-time campaigns and festive landing pages.

Explore Seasonal Pixel Snow Tab

Assistant Tab

As AI products become more common, switching between chats, prompts, history, and settings has become a standard interaction. This component is designed specifically for those workflows.

Great for

AI chat applications
Prompt libraries
Copilot interfaces
Customer support
Multi-agent platforms

Best for: AI-powered products and conversational interfaces.

Explore Assistant Tab

Vertical Tab by Awhiteside

This is another excellent vertical layout with improved spacing and a cleaner navigation structure. It's particularly useful when documentation grows beyond a handful of sections.

Great for

Documentation
API references
Developer portals
Knowledge bases
Help centers

Best for: Documentation sites with multiple categories.

Explore Vertical Tab by Awhiteside

FAQ's

Are these tabs suitable for production?

Yes. The components are designed for real applications and include accessibility features, responsive layouts, and customization options that work well in production projects.

Which tab is best for dashboards?

For most dashboard applications, the Animated Tab and Animated Dashboard Tab provide the best balance between usability and visual feedback.

Should I use horizontal or vertical tabs?

Horizontal tabs work well for a small number of sections. If your navigation grows beyond five or six items, a vertical layout is generally easier to navigate.

Final Thoughts

Tabs are one of those UI components that seem simple until your application starts growing. Once accessibility, responsive layouts, animations, and performance become priorities, having a solid foundation makes a huge difference.

That's why I like the Shadcn approach. Instead of relying on a packaged component with limited flexibility, you get the source code inside your own project. You can tweak the layout, update the styling, change animations, or extend the functionality without worrying about breaking changes from a third-party dependency.

If you're building dashboards, documentation platforms, AI products, admin panels, or SaaS applications, these shadcn tabs provide a strong starting point. Pick the one that matches your interface, customize it to fit your design system, and spend your time building product features instead of recreating common UI patterns.

Coder Legion - Recent posts tagged shadcnuitabs

The Best Shadcn Tabs for React & Next.js Developers

What are Shadcn Tabs?

Best Shadcn Tabs Components and Examples

Animated Tab

Transition Tab

Tab With Icon

Animated Tab by Jonas List

Tab With Count

Underline Tab

Vertical Tab

Animated Dashboard Tab

Icon & Description Tab

Seasonal Pixel Snow Tab

Assistant Tab

Vertical Tab by Awhiteside

FAQ's

Are these tabs suitable for production?

Which tab is best for dashboards?

Should I use horizontal or vertical tabs?

Final Thoughts