Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

HTML 5 UP VS Shards UI Kit

Compare HTML 5 UP VS Shards UI Kit and see what are their differences

HTML 5 UP logo HTML 5 UP

Makes spiffy HTML5 site templates

Shards UI Kit logo Shards UI Kit

A free and modern UI kit based on Bootstrap 4.
  • HTML 5 UP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-27
Not present

HTML 5 UP features and specs

  • Modern Design
    HTML 5 UP offers a variety of templates that are sleek and modern, suitable for contemporary web design trends.
  • Responsive Templates
    All templates from HTML 5 UP are built to be fully responsive, ensuring they work well on devices of all sizes, from desktops to smartphones.
  • Free to Use
    HTML 5 UP templates are free to download and use, making them accessible for individuals and organizations with limited budgets.
  • Easy to Customize
    The codebase is well-organized and commented, which makes it easier for developers to modify and integrate the templates into existing projects.
  • Support for Latest HTML Technologies
    Templates are built using the latest HTML5 technologies, ensuring they are up-to-date with current web standards.
  • Pre-Built Components
    Templates come with pre-styled components like buttons, forms, and navigation menus, speeding up the development process.

Possible disadvantages of HTML 5 UP

  • Limited Support
    There is no dedicated support system; users rely on community forums and self-help when they encounter issues.
  • Generic Designs
    While the designs are modern, they can be somewhat generic and may not stand out in competitive markets without significant customization.
  • Basic Functionality
    Templates provide fundamental features which might not be sufficient for more complex projects that require advanced functionalities.
  • No CMS Integration
    HTML 5 UP templates are static and not integrated with content management systems (CMS) out-of-the-box, necessitating additional steps for dynamic sites.
  • Learning Curve for Beginners
    Beginners might find it challenging to customize the templates if they lack a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
  • Uniform Look
    Because many people use HTML 5 UP templates, websites may end up looking quite similar, lacking uniqueness and brand identity.

Shards UI Kit features and specs

  • Modern Design
    Shards UI Kit offers a sleek and modern design that is appealing and fits well with contemporary web projects.
  • Component Variety
    It provides a comprehensive set of components, which makes it easy to build different parts of a website without needing external resources.
  • Lightweight
    The UI kit is lightweight, ensuring that it doesn't significantly increase the load time of web projects, which is vital for user experience and SEO.
  • Responsive
    Shards UI Kit is designed to be fully responsive, allowing components to look and function well on devices of all sizes.
  • Customization
    It offers good flexibility for customization, enabling developers to adapt components to meet the specific branding and style needs of their projects.

Possible disadvantages of Shards UI Kit

  • Limited Documentation
    Some users may find the documentation lacking in depth, which can lead to a steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with the tool.
  • Dependency on Bootstrap
    Shards UI Kit is built on top of Bootstrap, which could be a limitation for projects that require a design completely free from Bootstrap's styling influences.
  • Community Support
    There might be limited community support compared to more established frameworks, potentially making it harder to find solutions to specific problems.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    The frequency of updates and ongoing maintenance could be less compared to larger-scale UI kits, which may affect long-term project sustainability.
  • Feature Limitations
    Shards UI Kit may not have as many advanced features or pre-built themes as some other UI kits, potentially requiring more development work for feature-heavy applications.

Analysis of HTML 5 UP

Overall verdict

  • HTML 5 UP is a valuable resource for individuals who want to quickly build attractive and functional websites without starting from scratch. Its templates are high-quality and offer great flexibility, making it a worthwhile choice.

Why this product is good

  • HTML 5 UP is often regarded as a good resource due to its selection of modern, responsive, and visually appealing website templates that are available for free. These templates use clean, well-structured HTML5 and CSS3 code, which is easy to customize. They are designed to be mobile-friendly and provide various layout options, catering to different project needs. The site is maintained by a reputable developer who emphasizes simplicity and functionality in design.

Recommended for

  • Web developers looking for free and easy-to-customize templates.
  • Designers needing inspiration or starting points for new web projects.
  • Startups or small businesses with limited budgets seeking professional-looking websites.
  • Students and educators who need examples of modern web designs for learning or teaching purposes.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to HTML 5 UP and Shards UI Kit)
CSS Framework
100 100%
0% 0
Design Tools
61 61%
39% 39
Developer Tools
56 56%
44% 44
Web App
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, HTML 5 UP seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 69 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

HTML 5 UP mentions (69)

  • Ask HN: Best static site generator for non-designer?
    And after, I select a free template to fill (for instance https://html5up.net/). - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Azure Cloud Resume Challenge
    Staring this Section out, I am nowhere near a Web Developer so I found my Template from HTML5up and started tweaking the template within Visual Studio Code. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Create your portfolio with GitHub Pages
    This code creates a simple HTML file with a header, an about me section, and a projects section. It also links to a CSS file that styles the website. You can customize this code to add your own content and styling. Or you can use a template from a site like HTML5 UP or Start Bootstrap to get started. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • The Cloud Resume Challenge: Conquering the Cloud
    While many might find the initial steps relatively straightforward, I encountered significant struggles. HTML/CSS, being a markup language, posed challenges for me throughout my academic years, and I even resisted learning them for years after graduating. Deciding to embrace this language was a major milestone for me which greatly expanded my grasp of web development. After dedicating three months to learning and... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Cloud resume challenge
    The initial steps were all about creating a static website using HTML and CSS. To be honest, I'd never made a website before, so I went on a bit of a journey to learn about HTML and CSS. Luckily, I stumbled upon https://html5up.net/, a site that had great templates. It saved me a ton of time; I just had to tweak the text and add my own touch to the code. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
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Shards UI Kit mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Shards UI Kit yet. Tracking of Shards UI Kit recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing HTML 5 UP and Shards UI Kit, you can also consider the following products

Material UI - A CSS Framework and a Set of React Components that Implement Google's Material Design

Now UI Kit - A beautiful Bootstrap 4 UI kit. Yours free.

Materialize CSS - A modern responsive front-end framework based on Material Design

Bots UI Kit - Fully customizable Sketch UI Kit for Messenger Platform

HTML5 Boilerplate - A rock-solid default for HTML5 awesome.

Dashboard UI Kit - A modern & responsive dashboard UI kit for designers.