Compare / Alternatives
Slate vs Mary UI
A Mary UI alternative for Laravel teams that want Blade UI they can own.
Gorgeous Livewire UI components for Laravel — fast to scaffold screens, strong community presence.
The short version
Mary is excellent when you want expressive Livewire components and like its visual language. Slate is the better fit when you want MIT token-driven primitives, agent docs, and a shell that matches Electrik marketing.
- Stack notes
- Livewire + Blade + Tailwind; Mary UI package.
- Pricing posture
- Check Mary UI’s current license and pricing; historically popular with a free/community posture that can change.
Feature matrix
Mary UI makes Livewire screens feel finished quickly. Slate focuses on a smaller, tokenized primitive set closer to shadcn’s composition model in Blade.
Comparisons are based on publicly documented product positioning and may lag vendor changes. Always verify on the competitor’s site and try both kits before you commit.
| Feature | Slate | Mary UI |
|---|---|---|
| Composer package Install and upgrade via Composer instead of copying components into App\. |
Yes composer require electrik/slate |
Yes Composer |
| Native Blade components Anonymous or class Blade components for Laravel views (not React/Vue). |
Yes x-slate::* anonymous components |
Yes Blade + Livewire |
| Livewire-aware forms wire:model / loading / validation patterns without fighting the kit. |
Yes Forms, loading, validation-friendly |
Yes Livewire-first widgets |
| Design tokens / theming Semantic colors, dark mode, and overrideable CSS variables. |
Yes OKLCH --slate-* tokens + dark |
Partial Theming via Tailwind |
| Overlays & patterns Dialog, sheet, dropdown, toast, and similar app-shell primitives. |
Yes Dialog, sheet, dropdown, toast, … |
Yes Broad component set |
| Agent-readable docs llms.txt, MCP, or equivalent so models stop inventing React APIs. |
Yes llms.txt + MCP + Cursor skills |
Partial Docs-focused; MCP not core pitch |
| shadcn-style composition Composable primitives with variants/sizes rather than opinionated page scaffolds. |
Yes Variants, sizes, composition |
Partial Different visual language |
| Admin / resource panel Full CRUD admin for operators (not only product UI primitives). |
No Product UI kit, not Filament admin |
No UI kit |
| Free for commercial apps Ship commercially without a paid kit license (MIT/Apache or similar). |
Yes MIT |
Partial Confirm current license |
| Pricing posture What you typically pay the UI vendor (not your Stripe plans). |
Yes $0 forever for the kit |
Partial See Mary pricing |
Deeper comparison
Speed vs system
Mary often wins “ship this screen today.” Slate wins “one token system across docs, marketing, and product.” Choose based on whether you optimize for component variety or design-system consistency.
Livewire depth
Both work with Livewire. Mary’s components are opinionated Livewire widgets. Slate keeps more control in Blade slots and Alpine/Livewire hooks so you compose forms the Laravel way.
Choose Slate if
- You want MIT + explicit design tokens
- You prefer shadcn-like primitives over Mary’s visual language
- Agent/MCP docs matter for your team
Choose Mary UI if
- You love Mary’s look and Livewire widgets out of the box
- Your team already ships Mary in production
- You need a Mary-specific component Mary already ships
Caveats
- Verify Mary’s current license and paid tiers on mary-ui.com — community posture evolves.
Slate vs Mary UI FAQ
Is Slate a good Mary UI alternative?
Yes, when you want an MIT Blade UI kit with shadcn-inspired tokens, Livewire-aware forms, and agent-readable docs instead of Mary UI’s model. Read the “Choose Slate if / Choose Mary UI if” sections on this page — Mary UI is still the better pick for some teams.
Is Slate a Mary UI alternative?
Yes for teams that want Blade UI without Mary’s aesthetic or licensing model. Mary remains better if you specifically want Mary components.
Try Slate next
Composer install, browse the component docs, or see how Electrik uses Slate for the SaaS shell.