Never use Tailwind UI — take it from a founder who has sold previous SaaS businesses
I have told a brief version of my story of launching and selling a few SaaS products (fir $1k, $2.5k and $50k).
Now that I'm working on another SaaS, being able to build UI components quickly and having a base library like Tailwind UI sounds spectacular — those components are so beautiful and functional!
So, why would I never use it?
Let's take a step back. I'm a huge believer in starting businesses with an end in mind. For me that end is an exit. Always.
Here's how the process works when selling a business:
- You list it on a market place (or with a broker)
- One or more parties show interest in acquiring it
- A letter of intent (LOI) is signed essentially saying if due diligence is cleared, they will buy the business for X dollars
- Due diligence is performed. Feels something like this: https://giphy.com/gifs/gbL15e8KdVWs8
- After what feels like an excruciating amount of time the final sign of is done and you get paid
The most excruciating part of this process is the due diligence. It's not uncommon to have questions like "On July 18, 2019, what caused the traffic spike?" 🤷♂️
One thing that comes to haunt you every time are the contracts you've signed (or not!) with your contractors, suppliers, whoever. Software licenses are part of these. I know a friend who is using something with an AGPL license in his stack and it got flagged during due diligence.
Enter Tailwind UI. Their license has some really weird limitations, namely:
- Use the Components to create End Products that are designed to allow an End User to build their own End Products using the Components or derivatives of the Components
Their example of this is an admin tool like 🤯
With a clause like this, building on Tailwind UI feels like building on top of a house of cards which I'm pretty sure I will regret and you might to.
I'm 100% on board with self-funded open source projects but I just wish it wasn't so restrictive.
Building a SaaS with Tailwind UI is fine.
Selling a template is not, that is what https://nova.laravel.com/ is.
An admin tool like https://retool.com/ would be fine to use Tailwind UI
@volkandkaya Would you feel safe to use Tailwind UI in Versoly?
Nope. My customers have access to templates so I can't use it.
I actually plan on buying a few and giving them away to support the Tailwind team.
I could use it for my UI, but I don't want to be tempted to use it for my templates.
If I was to build another SaaS i would 100% buy it and use it. Would be "stupid" not to.
It doesn't appear to be the case. The other example they list is https://activeadmin.info.
Of course you can't use it for that.
The value add is in the UI of the product.
In SaaS the value add is in the workflows etc.
I'd argue you'll find similar restrictions for most, if not all commercial UI Kits. Just use Tailwind CSS instead to create your products and you'll be all clear :)
You might be right! Got another example you're thinking of?
I guess we got spoiled Material UI and such which are MIT.
I'd have to do some digging, but I know there are plenty. I used to be in the template business and website builder business, and researching available UI kits was a daily task for me. Most of the kits sold on places like Gumroad, UI8, etc have these restrictions in their licensing terms. Material UI is an outlier (there's probably a few more like it though).
Does Material UI have prebuilt web app UIs?
For someone that may find this confusing.
Tailwind CSS !== Tailwind UI
Tailwind CSS is completely OK to use as it is licensed under MIT.
Tailwind UI on the other hand is a completely different story.
Yes thanks for the very important clarification.
I wonder if applying a specific set of classes to HTML elements is something they can claim infringement on. You have to change Tailwind UI components to match your style and obv HTML structure changes as you muck with it and insert your own content. At what point does it become different enough for them to have no claim?
I have the very same question. I am not 100% clear what exactly their license is protecting. I 've shot them an email asking exactly what you've said:
"You have to change Tailwind UI components to match your style and obv HTML structure changes as you muck with it and insert your own content. At what point does it become different enough for them to have no claim?"