If you’ve just started exploring the world of web and app design, you’ve probably heard the terms UI Kit and Design System.

At first, they can sound like the same thing, as both give you ready-made elements to design faster. But in reality, there are some clear differences between them. Knowing how they differ can help you pick the right tool for your project and understand how professional design teams work.

In this article, we’ll break down what each one means, how they compare, and which one you should be using depending on your goals.

What is a UI Kit?

A UI Kit (User Interface Kit) is basically a set of pre-designed elements you can use to put together a website, app, or digital product.

Think of it as a starter pack for design. Instead of creating every button, form, or card from scratch, you can grab them from the kit and drop them into your layout.

UI Kits usually include things like:

• Buttons and icons
• Navigation bars
• Form fields
• Grids and cards
• Colour palettes and text styles

The main idea is speed and convenience. With a UI Kit, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. It helps you get your design looking professional more quickly, even if you’re new to the process.

What is a Design System?

A *Design System goes one step further. Instead of being just a set of elements, it’s a complete set of rules, guidelines, and reusable components that define how a brand or product should look and behave.

A design system usually includes:

• A library of components (buttons, forms, modals, etc.)
• A defined colour scheme and typography rules
• Spacing, layout, and grid systems
• Accessibility guidelines
• Documentation explaining how and when to use each component

You can think of a design system as the “instruction manual” for a brand’s design.

It ensures everything, from the website to the mobile app to the marketing materials, feels consistent and on-brand.

The Key Differences

So, how exactly do they differ? Here are a few ways to separate the two:

Scope

A UI Kit is a collection of elements.

A Design System is the bigger picture: it includes elements and the rules behind them.

Flexibility

UI Kits are often meant to be customised. You download one, change colours and fonts, and use it for your project.

Design Systems are usually tied to a specific brand or product. They’re less about personal customisation and more about staying consistent across a whole team.

Purpose

UI Kits are about speed and convenience. They’re especially handy for beginners or small projects.

Design Systems are about scalability. They’re built for teams working on large products over time.

Which One Do You Need?

If you’re a beginner or junior designer, you’ll probably find UI Kits more useful. They’re easy to pick up, quick to use, and give you a shortcut to creating clean, professional designs.

On the other hand, if you’re working on a bigger product (maybe as part of a team) you’ll likely need to work with a Design System. It ensures that no matter who is designing a new feature, the end result looks and feels like part of the same product.

A good way to think about it is this:

UI Kit = Starter pack, great for getting going quickly.

Design System = Rulebook + toolkit, designed for long-term consistency.

While UI Kits and Design Systems might look similar at first, they’re built for different purposes. A UI Kit is perfect when you want to design faster and experiment, while a Design System is about keeping everything consistent at scale.

For new designers, starting with UI Kits is the best way to learn and practice. You’ll understand how components are built, and over time you’ll see how those building blocks fit into something larger — like a design system.

Want to find out more about UI Kits? Read our Beginner’s Guide for UI Kits.

And if you’re ready to explore, we’ve put together a collection of some of the best UI Kits and component libraries for Figma, Framer, Webflow, and code.