AI Models

shadcnai supports 30+ AI models across 7 different providers, each with unique strengths for theme generation.

Provider Overview

Provider	Models	Best For	API Key Required
Google AI	5 models	Balanced, accessible themes	GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY
OpenAI	4 models	Creative, innovative designs	OPENAI_API_KEY
Anthropic	5 models	Sophisticated, context-aware themes	ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
xAI	3 models	Unique, experimental approaches	XAI_API_KEY
DeepSeek	2 models	Fast, efficient generation	DEEPSEEK_API_KEY
Mistral	3 models	European design sensibilities	MISTRAL_API_KEY
Cerebras	8 models	Rapid iteration, varied styles	CEREBRAS_API_KEY

Google AI Models

gemini-2.5-flash (Default ⭐)

• Best for: Latest generation theme creation
• Strengths: Fast, reliable, excellent color harmony
• Use cases: General-purpose theme generation, business apps

shadcnai theme "corporate dashboard with professional blue tones"

gemini-2.0-flash

• Best for: Advanced theme generation
• Strengths: Improved AI capabilities, innovative designs
• Use cases: Modern applications, creative projects

shadcnai theme "futuristic AI interface" --model gemini-2.0-flash

gemini-2.5-flash-lite

• Best for: Quick, lightweight theme generation
• Strengths: Fast performance, efficient processing
• Use cases: Rapid prototyping, simple themes

shadcnai theme "simple blog theme" --model gemini-2.5-flash-lite

gemini-1.5-flash

• Best for: Reliable theme generation
• Strengths: Proven performance, consistent results
• Use cases: Production applications, professional websites

shadcnai theme "e-commerce platform with trustworthy design" --model gemini-1.5-flash

gemini-1.5-pro

• Best for: Complex, detailed theme requirements
• Strengths: Deep understanding, nuanced color relationships
• Use cases: Sophisticated applications, detailed brand guidelines

shadcnai theme "luxury hotel booking platform with gold accents" --model gemini-1.5-pro

OpenAI Models

gpt-4.1

• Best for: Creative and artistic themes
• Strengths: Innovative combinations, artistic flair
• Use cases: Creative portfolios, artistic websites

shadcnai theme "modern art gallery with bold geometric colors" --model gpt-4.1

gpt-4.1-mini

• Best for: Fast creative generation
• Strengths: Quick results, good creativity
• Use cases: Rapid prototyping, initial concepts

shadcnai theme "startup landing page with energetic colors" --model gpt-4.1-mini

gpt-4o & gpt-4o-mini

• Best for: Optimized performance
• Strengths: Balanced speed and quality
• Use cases: Production themes, reliable results

shadcnai theme "e-commerce platform with trustworthy design" --model gpt-4o

Anthropic Models

claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022 (Recommended)

• Best for: Sophisticated, context-aware themes
• Strengths: Excellent understanding of design principles
• Use cases: Professional applications, complex requirements

shadcnai theme "fintech app following accessibility guidelines" --model claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

claude-3-5-haiku-20241022

• Best for: Quick, elegant themes
• Strengths: Fast generation, clean aesthetics
• Use cases: Minimalist designs, rapid development

shadcnai theme "minimalist note-taking app" --model claude-3-5-haiku-20241022

claude-3-sonnet-20240229

• Best for: Balanced creativity and practicality
• Strengths: Thoughtful color choices, good reasoning
• Use cases: Balanced designs, general applications

shadcnai theme "productivity app with calming colors" --model claude-3-sonnet-20240229

xAI Models

grok-beta

• Best for: Experimental, unique themes
• Strengths: Unconventional approaches, surprising combinations
• Use cases: Creative projects, standing out from competition

shadcnai theme "gaming platform with electric energy" --model grok-beta

grok-2-1212 & grok-2-vision-1212

• Best for: Advanced experimental designs
• Strengths: Latest xAI capabilities, innovative thinking
• Use cases: Cutting-edge applications, experimental UI

shadcnai theme "AI-powered music creation interface" --model grok-2-1212

DeepSeek Models

deepseek-chat

• Best for: Efficient, practical themes
• Strengths: Good balance of quality and speed
• Use cases: Standard applications, quick iterations

shadcnai theme "social media dashboard" --model deepseek-chat

deepseek-reasoner

• Best for: Logical, well-reasoned color choices
• Strengths: Analytical approach to design
• Use cases: Data-heavy applications, analytical tools

shadcnai theme "analytics dashboard with clear data visualization" --model deepseek-reasoner

Mistral Models

mistral-large-latest

• Best for: Sophisticated European design aesthetic
• Strengths: Refined color palettes, elegant combinations
• Use cases: Luxury brands, European markets

shadcnai theme "French luxury fashion e-commerce" --model mistral-large-latest

mistral-small-latest

• Best for: Quick, efficient theme generation
• Strengths: Fast results, good quality
• Use cases: Rapid prototyping, simple applications

shadcnai theme "cafe website with warm, inviting colors" --model mistral-small-latest

pixtral-large-latest

• Best for: Visual-first design approaches
• Strengths: Understanding visual hierarchy, image-aware themes
• Use cases: Photography portfolios, visual-heavy sites

shadcnai theme "photography portfolio with gallery-inspired colors" --model pixtral-large-latest

Cerebras Models

llama3.1-70b (Recommended)

• Best for: High-quality, varied themes
• Strengths: Excellent variety, good understanding
• Use cases: General applications, experimental designs

shadcnai theme "modern SaaS application" --model llama3.1-70b

llama3.3-70b

• Best for: Latest Llama capabilities
• Strengths: Improved reasoning, better color harmony
• Use cases: Advanced applications, nuanced requirements

shadcnai theme "healthcare app with calming, trustworthy design" --model llama3.3-70b

llama-4-scout-17b-16e-instruct

• Best for: Cutting-edge Llama 4 features
• Strengths: Advanced instruction following
• Use cases: Complex requirements, detailed specifications

shadcnai theme "educational platform following WCAG AA guidelines" --model llama-4-scout-17b-16e-instruct

llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct

• Best for: Long-context understanding
• Strengths: Extended context handling, comprehensive requirements
• Use cases: Complex design briefs, multi-component themes

shadcnai theme "enterprise dashboard with multiple data views" --model llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct

Other Cerebras Models

• llama3.1-8b - Fast, lightweight generation
• deepseek-r1-distill-llama-70b - Reasoning-focused approach
• qwen-3-32b - Alternative perspective on design
• qwen-3-235b-a22b - High-capacity model for complex themes

Model Selection Guide

For Beginners

Start with the default gemini-1.5-flash - it's fast, reliable, and produces great results for most use cases.

For Professionals

Use claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022 for sophisticated applications requiring deep understanding of design principles.

For Creatives

Try gpt-4.1 for innovative, artistic themes that stand out from conventional designs.

For Rapid Prototyping

Use llama3.1-70b or deepseek-chat for quick iterations and experimentation.

For Unique Designs

Experiment with grok-beta or llama-4-scout-17b-16e-instruct for unconventional approaches.

Performance Comparison

Speed	Models
Fastest	gemini-2.5-flash-lite, gemini-1.5-flash, deepseek-chat, llama3.1-8b
Fast	gemini-2.5-flash, claude-3-5-haiku-20241022, gpt-4.1-mini, mistral-small-latest
Balanced	gemini-2.0-flash, llama3.1-70b, grok-beta, qwen-3-32b
Thorough	claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022, gemini-1.5-pro, mistral-large-latest, llama-4-scout-17b-16e-instruct

Cost Considerations

While shadcnai doesn't charge for usage, different AI providers have varying API costs:

• Most Cost-Effective: Google AI, DeepSeek
• Balanced: Mistral, Cerebras
• Premium: OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI

Choose models based on your budget and quality requirements.

Next Steps

Ready to experiment with different models? Check out our Examples to see how different models handle the same prompts, or dive into the API Reference for programmatic usage.