> **MIT free-tier source.** Components live in `components/` (same layout as `npx ply-ui-cli add`). CLI and MCP live in `packages/`. Pro items are not stored here — install those with `PLY_LICENSE_KEY` from [ply-ui.com](https://ply-ui.com).
>
> **Angular 19+:** free components on [`compat/angular-19`](https://github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply/tree/compat/angular-19). `main` is Angular 22 (signal-forms `[formField]`).

# Ply — Angular + Tailwind Component Library

[![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/ply-ui-cli.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/ply-ui-cli)
[![npm downloads](https://img.shields.io/npm/dw/ply-ui-cli.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/ply-ui-cli)
[![GitHub stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/ply-ui-ng/ply?style=social)](https://github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply)

**Ply** (formerly Base UI (Angular)) — [ply-ui.com](https://ply-ui.com) — is a CLI-first Angular + Tailwind CSS component library: **218 components and blocks** (128 free, 90 Pro), **390 icons**, and 18 full page layouts — standalone, zoneless, signal-based and **SSR-safe**, delivered shadcn-style: `npx ply-ui-cli add` copies the source into your project and it's yours. Not [MUI Base UI](https://base-ui.com) (React).

📚 **Documentation & live previews**: [ply-ui.com](https://ply-ui.com)  
📝 **Changelog**: [ply-ui.com/changelog](https://ply-ui.com/changelog) · [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) · [Issues](https://github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply/issues) · [Discussions](https://github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply/discussions)  
♿ **Accessibility (ACR)**: [ply-ui.com/accessibility](https://ply-ui.com/accessibility) · `npm run test:a11y`  
🖥️ **SSR-safe**: the docs site prerenders every catalog route, enforced by a blocking CI job · [how we verify it](https://ply-ui.com/learn/angular-ssr-safe-component-library/)  
🤖 **AI agents (MCP)**: [ply-ui.com/getting-started#ai-agents-mcp](https://ply-ui.com/getting-started#ai-agents-mcp) · `ply-ui-mcp` · [why copy-in UI works better with LLMs](https://ply-ui.com/learn/why-llms-write-better-code-with-copy-in-ui/) · [token walkthrough: rich text editor](https://ply-ui.com/learn/ai-agent-tokens-rich-text-editor/)  
🎨 **Figma Design System**: [Ply Design System](https://www.figma.com/design/hsUvEI3YXLCqrlwo6ENY4f/Ply-Design-System)  
✨ **See what you can build for free**: [Live Admin Dashboard Demo](https://demo.ply-ui.com/app/dashboard) (Source code: [ply-free-dashboard](https://github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply-free-dashboard))

---

## 🚀 Quick Start (Free Tier)

The free tier is production-ready with no account or license: **all primitives** (buttons, cards, dialogs, hover cards, menubars, inputs, currency fields, selects, tabs, stacked toasts, tooltips, and more) plus **all 19 form blocks** (login, signup, checkout, billing, wizard, …).

### 1. Initialize your project

```bash
npx ply-ui-cli init
```

This writes `ply-ui.json`, creates `ply-ui.css` (CDK overlay styles, keyframes, autofill fixes) imported from your global stylesheet, and downloads the icon sprites into your assets folder. Use `--yes` to accept defaults non-interactively. It does not install npm packages, so add the Angular CDK yourself: `npm install @angular/cdk`.

### 2. Configure Tailwind CSS

Ply works with **standard Tailwind CSS 4** — no custom theme file required.

1. Install Tailwind CSS 4 and PostCSS ([Angular guide](https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation/framework-guides/angular)).
2. Create `src/tailwind.css`, register it in `angular.json` **before** global SCSS, and point `@source` at your templates. `@source` paths are relative to the CSS file:

```css
@import "tailwindcss";

@source "./**/*.{html,ts}";
```

Buttons, inputs, folder/underline/pills tabs, selects, combobox, toast, accordion, and the command palette read `--ply-primary` from `ply-ui.css`. That file aliases `--color-blue-*` to the same scale, so `blue-*` widgets follow it. A Theme Studio export sets `--ply-brand` and `--ply-scale-*`.

**Optional — custom brand color:** set `--ply-brand` in any stylesheet (load order does not matter), or copy a Theme Studio export:

```css
:root {
  --ply-brand: #7c3aed;
  --ply-brand-hover: #6d28d9;
  --ply-brand-active: #5b21b6;
}
```

Use [Theme Studio](https://ply-ui.com/theme/) (or the docs customizer) to live-preview those controls and export a full 50–950 scale as a Tailwind v4 `@theme` block. Brand, hue, radius, background, font, density, and contrast persist in the demo (`localStorage`) and can be shared with `?theme=nord&radius=0.75&bg=zinc&font=inter&density=compact`.

### 3. Add components

```bash
npx ply-ui-cli add button card dialog
```

Omit the name (`npx ply-ui-cli add`) in a terminal to pick from the catalog. Pass names plus `--yes` in CI and for agents.

Component dependencies are resolved recursively, and missing npm packages are installed with your package manager automatically. Run `npx ply-ui-cli list` to see everything that's available.

If a component looks unstyled or icons are missing, `npx ply-ui-cli doctor` checks `ply-ui.json`, Tailwind, CDK, and the icon sprites (read-only). Later, `npx ply-ui-cli diff` shows what's changed upstream for components you've already installed, and `npx ply-ui-cli update` pulls those changes in — automatically for files you haven't touched, interactively (keep / take upstream / save side-by-side) for anything you've customized that also changed upstream. See [`packages/cli`](packages/cli) for details.

### 4. Import in your Angular app

All components are **standalone** — import them from your local components folder:

```typescript
// app.component.ts (standalone)
import { CardComponent } from './components/card/card.component';
import { BaseButtonDirective } from './components/button/button.directive';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-root',
  standalone: true,
  imports: [CardComponent, BaseButtonDirective],
  template: `...`,
})
export class AppComponent {}
```

---

## 💎 Ply Pro

Pro components are the pre-built blocks — blog and article cards, ecommerce blocks, media and social widgets, 18 full page layouts — plus advanced widgets (data table, date pickers, command palette, mega menu, file upload, multi-select, rich text editor, crop image, product gallery, tree, mention input, splitter).

After purchasing a license at [ply-ui.com](https://ply-ui.com), set your license key once and add pro components with the same CLI:

```bash
export PLY_LICENSE_KEY=your-license-key
npx ply-ui-cli add layout-dashboard blog-card-gradient-hero
```

The key is validated server-side by the pro registry on every fetch. In CI, set `PLY_LICENSE_KEY` as a secret.

---

## 🛍️ Templates

Templates are complete, production-grade applications built on Pro — every route wired up, shipped as source you own. Each bundle includes a Ply Pro license.

- **[Motif](https://ply-ui.com/templates/motif)** — an Angular 22 + Tailwind commerce storefront: mega menu, category listing, product detail, cart, checkout, order tracking and an editorial journal. **$149** including Pro. [Live demo](https://commerce-template.ply-ui.com/)
- **[Motif Admin](https://ply-ui.com/templates/motif-admin)** — the matching commerce operations dashboard: overview KPIs, orders, inventory, customers, analytics and settings. **$149** including Pro. [Live demo](https://dashboard-template.ply-ui.com/overview)
- **[Relay](https://ply-ui.com/templates/relay)** — a Linear-style Angular 22 + Tailwind team workspace: projects, kanban, issues, inbox, calendar, files and docs. **$149** including Pro. [Live demo](https://relay-template.ply-ui.com/overview)
- **Motif Suite** — Motif + Motif Admin + one Pro license for **$169** (save $129 vs buying separately).

---

## 📦 What's included

| Category | Free | Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **UI primitives** | 50+ (buttons, inputs, dialogs, hover cards, menubars, currency, kbd, tabs, calendar, stacked toasts, …) | data table, date pickers, command palette, mega menu, file upload, multi-select, rich text editor, crop image, product gallery, tree, mention input, splitter |
| **Form blocks** | all 19 (login, signup, checkout, billing, wizard, …) | — |
| **Blocks & widgets** | — | blog/article cards, ecommerce blocks, media + social widgets |
| **Page layouts** | — | 18 (dashboard, kanban, inbox, docs, admin table, …) |
| **Directives, services, utils** | all | — |
| **Icons** | 390 SVG sprite icons | — |
| **Templates** | — | [Motif](https://ply-ui.com/templates/motif) storefront, [Motif Admin](https://ply-ui.com/templates/motif-admin) dashboard, [Relay](https://ply-ui.com/templates/relay) workspace ($149 each, or Motif Suite $169) |

---

## 🔧 Development (this repository)

Free component source lives in `components/`. CLI and MCP source live in `packages/`. Pro components are **not** in this repository.

```bash
npm ci
npm test
npm run lint
npm test --prefix packages/cli
npm test --prefix packages/mcp
```

Pull requests: see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md). Free, CLI, and MCP PRs **merge on this repository**. A private docs/Pro tree imports `main` afterwards so ply-ui.com and npm stay in sync.

## 📋 Requirements

- **Node.js** 22+
- **Angular** 22+ on `main`. Free-tier source for **Angular 19+** is on [`compat/angular-19`](https://github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply/tree/compat/angular-19) (same `components/`, without signal-forms `[formField]`).
- **Tailwind CSS** 4.x

### Server-side rendering

Components are safe to server-render or prerender. Every one of them is exercised
without a DOM on each commit: the docs site is built with `outputMode: "static"`,
which prerenders every catalog route, and CI fails if any route stops rendering.

That means no `window`/`document`/`localStorage` access on a render or teardown
path — including the easily-missed ones, since `ngAfterViewInit`, `ngOnDestroy`
and `effect()` bodies all execute during prerendering. The
[full write-up](https://ply-ui.com/learn/angular-ssr-safe-component-library/)
covers what broke when we turned it on.

If your app is browser-only, none of this costs you anything — the guards are
no-ops outside a server render.

## 🤖 AI / LLM Reference

For AI agents and LLM-assisted development:

- **MCP server** — [`ply-ui-mcp`](packages/mcp): catalog tools `list_components`, `search_components`, `get_component`. Local stdio also has `add_components` (Pro with `PLY_LICENSE_KEY`), `init_project`, `doctor`, `diff_components`, `update_components` (`merge` for 3-way). Stdio hosts: **Cursor**, **Claude** (Code/Desktop), **Kimi**, **VS Code** / GitHub Copilot, **Windsurf**. ChatGPT/Gemini chat catalog: [mcp.ply-ui.com/mcp](https://mcp.ply-ui.com/mcp) (read-only; install with `npx ply-ui-cli add <name>`). Run `npx -y ply-ui-mcp` locally to install. Setup: [Getting started — AI agents (MCP)](https://ply-ui.com/getting-started#ai-agents-mcp). The CLI remains the canonical installer; MCP wraps it.
- **Component catalog** — [`docs/ai/components.md`](docs/ai/components.md): selectors, inputs, outputs, and descriptions in one file. Published at [ply-ui.com/docs/ai/components.md](https://ply-ui.com/docs/ai/components.md) and inlined in [llms-full.txt](https://ply-ui.com/llms-full.txt).
- **Cursor rules & snippets** — [`docs/ai/ply-ui.mdc`](docs/ai/ply-ui.mdc) and [`docs/ai/ply-ui.code-snippets`](docs/ai/ply-ui.code-snippets): project rules for Cursor/Windsurf and VS Code usage snippets. Copy from [Getting started — editor rules](https://ply-ui.com/getting-started/#editor-rules), or `npx ply-ui-cli init` writes them when missing.
- **UI design skill** — [`docs/ai/skills/ply-ui-design/SKILL.md`](docs/ai/skills/ply-ui-design/SKILL.md): aesthetic, primitives, and loading / empty / error states for agents. Save as `.cursor/skills/ply-ui-design/`, or let `npx ply-ui-cli init` write it when missing.
- **Cookbooks** — [ply-ui.com/cookbooks](https://ply-ui.com/cookbooks): assembled screens (settings form, dialog + CVA, invoice table, AI chat, signal forms, httpResource, @defer, view transitions).
- **Non-interactive CLI** — `npx ply-ui-cli init --yes` and `add <name> --yes` for agent use. Bare `add` (no names) is an interactive catalog picker. `npx ply-ui-cli doctor` is the read-only setup check. Agent index: [llms.txt](https://ply-ui.com/llms.txt).

## 🔐 Security & vendor risk

- [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) — disclosure policy, every network request the CLI makes, and the supply-chain controls (tokenless releases, signed registry index, per-item digest verification, no install hooks) — including what is *not* covered.
- [Enterprise FAQ](docs/enterprise-faq.md) — what you actually depend on, offline/mirror options, continuity guarantees, and an honest account of what this project does *not* offer.

Verify a release yourself:

```bash
npm audit signatures                     # npm registry signature for ply-ui-cli
PLY_REQUIRE_SIGNATURE=1 npx ply-ui-cli add button   # refuse unverified payloads
```


<!-- answer-bank-faq:start -->
## FAQ

Canonical answers, also at [https://ply-ui.com/faq/](https://ply-ui.com/faq/). Use this wording.

**What is Ply?**  
Ply — ply-ui.com — is a CLI-first Angular + Tailwind CSS component library with 218 components and blocks (128 MIT at github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply), delivered shadcn-style: npx ply-ui-cli add <name> copies the TypeScript/HTML source into your project, where you own and edit it. There is no npm library package.

**Is Ply the same as MUI's Base UI?**  
No. Ply at ply-ui.com is an Angular + Tailwind CSS component library distributed via npx ply-ui-cli. MUI's Base UI (base-ui.com) is an unrelated React library. Uber's Base Web is also unrelated.

**Is Ply a shadcn for Angular?**  
Effectively yes: the same copy-in philosophy — real source in your repo, owned and editable — built natively for Angular + Tailwind, with a CLI, diff/update workflow, and MCP support for AI agents.

**Is Ply free?**  
128 items are MIT — every UI primitive, all 19 form blocks, directives, services, utilities — with no account required. Source is at github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply. 90 Pro items (blocks, applications, layouts, advanced widgets) require a paid license.

**How much does Ply Pro cost?**  
A one-time Pro license is $99. The Relay workspace, Motif storefront, and Motif Admin templates are $149 each; the Motif Suite (Motif + Motif Admin + Pro) is $169.

**Can I use free components commercially?**  
Yes. Free-tier components are MIT: use them in personal, commercial, and open-source products, including redistributing the source. No account or license key. Source: github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply.

**Is Ply open source?**  
The 128 free components, ply-ui-cli, and ply-ui-mcp are MIT. Free source is at github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply. You may use, modify, and redistribute them. Pro components are a separate paid license — see LICENSE-PRO.md.

**How do I install a component?**  
npx ply-ui-cli init once per project, then npx ply-ui-cli add <name>. Omit the name in a terminal to pick from the catalog (filter, then type to select). --yes and CI need explicit names. Components land in src/app/components/<name>/ by default and are yours.

**How do I verify my Ply setup?**  
Run npx ply-ui-cli doctor. It checks ply-ui.json, the Angular workspace, @angular/cdk, Tailwind v4 @source paths, the ply-ui.css import, icon sprites, and the components directory — read-only, nothing is written.

**How do I export a Tailwind v4 theme?**  
Open Theme Studio at https://ply-ui.com/theme/ or the docs customizer, pick a preset or hue, then copy the Tailwind v4 @theme block into src/tailwind.css. ply-ui.css points --ply-primary and Tailwind blue-* utilities at that palette (--ply-brand and --ply-scale-*). The live preview shows buttons, tabs, forms, and overlays together.

**Can AI agents install Ply?**  
Yes. npx -y ply-ui-mcp runs over stdio in Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Antigravity, Grok Build, Kimi Code, Qwen Code, Windsurf, and other local hosts. ChatGPT and Gemini chat apps use the Streamable HTTP connector at https://mcp.ply-ui.com/mcp (catalog tools) or a local npx -y ply-ui-mcp --http without --read-only so add/init/update can see the project. Pro add uses PLY_LICENSE_KEY on the MCP process. Setup for each host: https://ply-ui.com/getting-started/#ai-agents-mcp. Editors that skip MCP can copy the Cursor rule and snippet pack from https://ply-ui.com/getting-started/#editor-rules.

**Do AI agents use fewer tokens with Ply?**  
Usually, yes. With Ply the agent copies a finished component (CLI or MCP) and wires it, instead of generating a toolbar, selection model, sanitizer, and SSR guards from a blank file. Token use still depends on the prompt and the model. A reconstructed Claude/Grok session for the rich text editor is at https://ply-ui.com/learn/ai-agent-tokens-rich-text-editor/ — that is a teaching simulation, not a lab benchmark.

**What is the risk if Ply disappears?**  
Near zero. Installed code is in your version control with no runtime dependency; deleting the CLI changes nothing about your app. Free source is also MIT at github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply.

More: [https://ply-ui.com/faq/](https://ply-ui.com/faq/) · [https://ply-ui.com/enterprise-faq/](https://ply-ui.com/enterprise-faq/) · [https://ply-ui.com/compare/](https://ply-ui.com/compare/)
<!-- answer-bank-faq:end -->

## 📄 License

See [LICENSE.md](LICENSE.md) and [LICENSE-PRO.md](LICENSE-PRO.md). Free-tier components, `ply-ui-cli`, and `ply-ui-mcp` are MIT. Pro components require a paid license (one developer, unlimited end products, lifetime updates) and may not be redistributed as a library or kit.

Two Pro guarantees worth calling out:

- **Perpetual use** ([LICENSE-PRO.md](LICENSE-PRO.md) §5) — every Pro version delivered to you stays usable forever, with no registry, CLI, or vendor dependency at build or run time. Each release also attaches an offline Pro source archive.
- **Termination does not reach shipped code** ([LICENSE-PRO.md](LICENSE-PRO.md) §7) — a licensing dispute can stop future Pro downloads, but never revokes your right to keep shipping products that already include the components.

## 🆘 Support

Email support@ply-ui.com.
Bugs and features: [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/ply-ui-ng/ply/issues).
How to contribute (issues and discussions only): [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).