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Shadboard vs LibreApps Desktop

LibreApps Desktop is built on the excellent foundation of the open-source Shadboard template. While Shadboard is a powerful UI kit, LibreApps Desktop transforms it into an enterprise-ready, AI-powered framework.

At a Glance​

FeatureShadboardLibreApps Desktop
Core UI✅ Next.js 15, Tailwind 4✅ Next.js 15, Tailwind 4
Rebranding❌ Manual editing✅ Automated Rebrand Engine
Themes❌ 1 Default (Zinc)✅ 5+ Themes + Gallery
Color Space❌ HSL only✅ HSL + OKLCH
AI Integration❌ None✅ Smash AI Chat + LiteLLM
Auth⚠️ Basic NextAuth✅ Keycloak OIDC + RBAC
Backend❌ Frontend only✅ Gateway + Services + DB
Management❌ Manual✅ Usage, Billing, Policies
Production⚠️ Basic✅ Docker, Cloudflare, K8s

Detailed Comparison​

1. Automation & Rebranding​

  • Shadboard: Customizing the dashboard requires manual search-and-replace across hundreds of files and manually editing CSS variables.
  • LibreApps Desktop: Uses the Rebrand Engine. By editing a single settings.md file, you can change the app name, company identity, theme, and logo in seconds.

2. Theming & Design​

  • Shadboard: Provides a clean "Zinc" theme. Changing it requires deep CSS knowledge.
  • LibreApps Desktop: Features a Theme Gallery with instant switching. It also supports the OKLCH color space, providing better color vibrancy and accessibility than standard HSL.

3. AI Capabilities​

  • Shadboard: A standard dashboard with no AI functionality.
  • LibreApps Desktop: Designed from the ground up for AI App Development. It includes the Smash AI Chat widget, integration with LiteLLM for model proxying, and Vector Database support for RAG applications.

4. Authentication & Security​

  • Shadboard: Uses standard NextAuth for basic session management.
  • LibreApps Desktop: Integrates Keycloak, providing enterprise-grade SSO, OAuth2/OIDC, and robust Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).

5. Backend Infrastructure​

  • Shadboard: Primarily a frontend template.
  • LibreApps Desktop: A full-stack solution. It includes the LibreApps Gateway (APISIX/Zuul) for routing, Eureka for service discovery, and dedicated services for user/account management and AI usage tracking.

When to Use Which?​

Choose Shadboard if:​

  • You are learning Next.js 15 and React 19.
  • You want a clean, simple template for a single-purpose project.
  • You prefer to build every backend service from scratch.
  • You don't need automated white-labeling.

Choose LibreApps Desktop if:​

  • You are building an AI-powered SaaS or internal tool.
  • You need to White-label your dashboard for multiple clients.
  • You require Enterprise-grade security and scalability.
  • You want to go from template to production in minutes, not weeks.

Ready to see the architecture? System Architecture →