Bundle Size Analysis: Comparing React MUI, Angular Material, and IK UI

ikui — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 17:14:43 +0000

Tree-Shaking and Runtime Overhead in Modern UI Frameworks

When evaluating UI kits, developers often prioritize the API surface area. However, from an architectural standpoint, the production footprint—specifically the baseline cost of rendering a single entry point—is a critical metric for performance budgets.

To quantify this, I analyzed the production build outputs of three ecosystems: React + MUI, Angular + Material, and IK UI. Each test environment consisted of a clean Vite project rendering a single functional button component to measure the "dead weight" of the framework runtime and component library.

Comparative Data Breakdown

The following table reflects the raw output of the production build pipelines (Vite bundler).

Framework	JS Bundle (Raw)	JS (Gzip)	CSS (Raw)	Total Assets
React MUI	297.87 kB	96.19 kB	—	298.26 kB
Angular Material	218.04 kB	54.02 kB	70.97 kB	289.01 kB
IK UI	134.49 kB	43.95 kB	62.67 kB	197.16 kB

Performance Implications

In a high-latency environment, the 163 kB difference between React MUI and IK UI is substantial. IK UI reduces by roughly 54% compared to MUI and lowers the overhead, leading to a faster First Contentful Paint (FCP). For developers building "lite" versions of platforms or performance-sensitive tools, the choice of UI kit acts as a ceiling for the application's speed.

Meet IK UI: The Minimalist, Lightweight UI Kit for Vue 3 Developers

ikui — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:21:03 +0000

The Problem: Component Library Bloat

Modern Vue UI libraries are incredible, but they are often massive. Sometimes, you just want to build a clean dashboard or a landing page without importing 500kb of CSS and complex logic you’ll never use.

I’ve been working on IK UI, a Vue 3 component library built with one goal: Simplicity.

What is IK UI?

IK UI is a lightweight UI suite designed for developers who value performance and a clean aesthetic. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel; it focuses on providing the essential building blocks for modern web interfaces with zero friction.

Why use IKUI?

Lightweight Architecture: No massive bundles. IKUI is built to keep your application fast and snappy.
Vue 3 Native: Built from the ground up using the Composition API, ensuring full compatibility with the latest Vue ecosystem.
Clean Design Language: It features a modern, "breathable" design with soft shadows and clear typography that fits almost any project out of the box.
Developer Experience: The API is intuitive. You don't need to spend hours in documentation just to find out how to change a button color.

Quick Start

Getting started is as simple as:

npm install @ikol/ui-kit

Then, just register it in your main.js:

import { createApp } from 'vue'
import App from './App.vue'

import { createIkolUI } from '@ikol/ui-kit';

const app = createApp(App);
const ui = createIkolUI();

app.use(ui);
app.mount('#app');

A Sample Component

Here is how clean the syntax looks for a standard button:

<ik-button design="primary" round>
  Click Me
</ik-button>

Showcase & Demos

You can check out the full documentation and live component previews at:

framework webpage https://ikui.dev/
try it on CodeSandbox: Open playground

What’s Next?

IK UI is growing! I’m currently focusing on expanding the form component suite and adding more layout utilities.

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

What is the "must-have" component you look for in a library?
Would you prefer more "headless" components or pre-styled ones?

Check it out and let me know what you think! 🚀

DEV Community: ikui