faqs

@gentleduck/ui is built as part of a complete ecosystem, not just a collection of components. We've rewritten popular libraries to optimize performance, created custom primitives, and designed APIs that match familiar patterns from other frameworks. Plus, you get a maintainer who actually responds to issues and ships fixes fast.

No. While inspired by Shadcn, Radix UI, and Fluent UI, @gentleduck/ui is built from scratch with its own primitives, utilities, and ecosystem. We've taken the best ideas from these libraries and created something faster, more flexible, and more complete. Think of it as evolution, not imitation.

Absolutely. Our component APIs are designed to match patterns from popular libraries, making migration smooth and intuitive. You won't need to relearn everything or fight against your muscle memory. Start by migrating one component at a time, or go all in. Both approaches work.

It's dead simple. Run npx @gentleduck/cli init to set up your project, then npx @gentleduck/cli add button (or any component name) to install specific components. Import and use them like any other React component. No webpack hell, no peer dependency nightmares.

Yes. @gentleduck/ui is battle-tested in production environments. Every component is optimized for performance, accessibility, and reliability. We don't ship half-baked features or leave you hanging with breaking changes. If something doesn't work, it gets fixed ASAP.

Extremely. Every component supports theme customization, style overrides, and composition patterns. Want to build your own components using our primitives? Go for it. Need to fork and modify something? Do it. We trust you know what you're doing and won't lock you into our opinions.

Accessibility is baked in from day one. ARIA labels, keyboard navigation, screen reader support, focus management - it's all there. We follow WCAG guidelines because shipping inaccessible products in 2025 is inexcusable. Your users deserve better, and we make it easy to deliver.

Of course. Full TypeScript support with proper type definitions for all components. You get autocomplete, type checking, and IntelliSense that actually helps instead of getting in your way. Because wrestling with type errors at 2 AM is nobody's idea of fun.

Head to our GitHub repository at github.com/gentleeduck/duck-ui . Report bugs, request features, submit pull requests, or improve documentation. We review contributions quickly and actually respond. Good ideas get implemented, bad ideas get thoughtful explanations. No corporate bureaucracy.

Fast. Really fast. We've optimized bundle sizes, eliminated unnecessary re-renders, and even rewritten some popular libraries to squeeze out every bit of performance. Your components load quickly and stay responsive. We've done the hard work so you don't have to explain slow load times to your manager.

Yes. We provide comprehensive documentation, code examples, and real-world use cases. No PhD in computer science required. The docs are written by developers for developers, with the assumption that you're smart enough to figure things out when given clear information.

@gentleduck/ui is open source. Use it in personal projects, commercial products, client work - whatever you need. We believe great tools should be accessible to everyone, not locked behind paywalls or restrictive licenses.

Yes, and it's not an afterthought. Light mode, dark mode, and any custom theme you can imagine. The theming system is flexible enough to handle whatever your design team throws at you. Switch themes dynamically, support user preferences, or go wild with custom color schemes.

@wildduck2 is the main maintainer, backed by the @gentleduck organization. He's obsessed with building tools that developers actually want to use and is criminally responsive to community feedback. This isn't a side project that'll be abandoned in six months. It's a long-term commitment to making web development better.

Absolutely. @gentleduck/ui works with any React-based framework. Next.js, Remix, Vite, Create React App - if it runs React, it runs @gentleduck/ui. We don't play favorites or lock you into specific tooling. Use what works for your project.