Horizon AI Boilerplate (shadcn-nextjs-boilerplate) is a free, open-source Shadcn UI Next.js boilerplate for launching ChatGPT-style AI SaaS admin dashboards.
What is Horizon AI Boilerplate?
Horizon AI Boilerplate is a starter repository that combines Next.js, Shadcn UI, and Tailwind CSS into an admin dashboard template tailored for OpenAI-powered chat applications. It takes a valid OpenAI API key as an input and produces a running web app with a chat interface, dashboard layout, and more than 30 dark/light UI elements such as buttons, inputs, navbars, nav tabs, cards, and alerts. The template is created and maintained by Horizon UI and is distributed as a free GitHub repository, with a separate PRO version that adds additional components and pages.
Key Features
- OpenAI chat integration — The chat UI is inspired by ChatBot UI by mckaywrigley and connects to the OpenAI API to verify that your API key works before use.
- 30+ ready-made UI components — Free dark and light mode elements are included, covering common admin dashboard needs like form inputs, navigation, cards, and alert components.
- Modern tech stack — Built with Next.js, the Shadcn UI component library, and Tailwind CSS for styling, offering a familiar setup for React developers.
- Detailed documentation — Each element is covered in the Horizon UI documentation, with dedicated guides for chat components and authentication UI.
- Figma design file — A Figma Community version is available so designers can preview and iterate on the interface before or during development.
- Pre-built example sections — Landing, pricing, and other startup sections are included as examples to accelerate the scaffolding of a SaaS website.
- Free and PRO tiers — The open-source template is free; a paid PRO upgrade unlocks a larger set of components and pages.
- Focused onboarding — Installation uses a four-step command flow: clone the repository, run
npm install, runnpm run init, thennpm run dev.
Who is it for?
- SaaS founders — who want to launch an AI chat product within days by starting from a functional, styled codebase instead of a blank page.
- Next.js developers — who prefer Shadcn UI and Tailwind CSS and want a production-oriented starting point with OpenAI integration already wired.
- Product teams — that need example marketing sections and a dashboard shell to show stakeholders early in the design process.
What can you do with Horizon AI Boilerplate?
- AI chatbot startups: deploy a ChatGPT-like interface connected to OpenAI's API with minimal configuration, adding your own API key and branding.
- Admin dashboard builders: use the included dashboard layout and 30+ components to create control panels, analytics views, or user management pages.
- Design-to-code workflows: import the Figma version for prototyping, then implement screens using the matching Next.js components.
How does Horizon AI Boilerplate work?
After cloning the repository, you run npm install, then npm run init to set up the project, and finally npm run dev to start the local server. The app requires Node.js LTS (other versions are not supported). To use the chat features, you need an OpenAI account with billing information configured and a valid API key; the application checks the key against the OpenAI API server.
Pricing
The template is freemium: the full core boilerplate is free and open-source, while a paid PRO version unlocks additional components and pages. Specific prices are not listed in the repository README.
FAQ
Is Horizon AI Boilerplate free?
Yes, the standard version is free and open-source under the Horizon UI End User License Agreement. A paid PRO version with more components and pages is available on the Horizon UI website.
What is the tech stack?
Horizon AI Boilerplate is built with Next.js, uses Shadcn UI for its component library, and Tailwind CSS for styling. It also integrates with the OpenAI API for chat functionality, and provides a Figma Community file for design.
Does the app work without an OpenAI API key?
The dashboard and UI elements will render, but the chat functionality depends on a valid OpenAI API key. The README explains that your API key must be tied to an OpenAI account with billing info added, and the app verifies the key by connecting to the OpenAI API server.
What are the system requirements?
Only Node.js LTS is supported. The README explicitly notes that the product works only with the LTS version of Node.js installed from the official Node.js page.
Is there documentation?
Yes, Horizon UI provides documentation for the boilerplate, including separate guidance for shadcn components, chat, and authentication UI. Links to the documentation are included in the README.
