Image Compare
Before/after split you can drag anywhere. The handle also works with the arrow keys.
- Category: Display
- Licence: Charcoal UI Pro
- Built with: React 19, Tailwind CSS 4, Motion
- Dependencies: motion, clsx, tailwind-merge
Examples
Image Compare
API reference
| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
before / after | ReactNode | — | Usually <img> elements. |
beforeLabel / afterLabel | string | — | |
defaultPosition | number | 50 |
About Image Compare
Image Compare shows a before and after split you can drag anywhere across the image. The handle also works with the arrow keys.
Image Compare is a display component for React 19, styled with Tailwind CSS 4 and animated with Motion. It drops into Next.js, Vite, Remix or Astro through the shadcn CLI as a single file you own.
When to use Image Compare
- Photo editing and retouching results.
- Renovation and design before and after.
- AI upscaling and image processing demos.
- Product comparisons.
How it works
The split is a clip-path on the top image driven by the handle position. The handle is a slider role, so arrows, Home and End move it.
Interactive parts are buttons or links with accessible names, decorative layers are hidden from assistive tech, and everything is reachable by keyboard. With prefers-reduced-motion on, it holds still or settles instantly instead of animating.
Customizing Image Compare
Every prop is documented in the API reference above with its type and default. The ones you will reach for first are listed here.
The Customize panel next to the preview lets you change beforeLabel, afterLabel, defaultPosition live, and the Code tab updates to match, so the snippet you copy already carries your values.
- before / after (ReactNode): Usually <img> elements.
- beforeLabel / afterLabel (string).
- defaultPosition (number, default 50).
Goes well with Image Compare
Image Compare is already composed into a ready-made section, so you can see it in context or install the whole block.
- Hero Before After: Hero section
- Tilt Card: A 3D tilt card for React that leans toward the pointer with a moving glare
- Spotlight Card: A React spotlight card: an accent glow follows the pointer across card and border
- Sortable List: A drag-to-reorder React list with lifted shadows and keyboard sorting
- Card Stack: A swipeable React card stack where the next card rises to meet you
- Flip Card: A 3D React flip card on a springy hinge, by click or hover
Install Image Compare
npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/image-compareImage Compare is part of Charcoal UI Pro. One seat unlocks all 300 Pro components, 107 landing-page sections and 100 full templates, for every personal and client project, with updates included. Add the @charcoal registry once with your access token, then the command above copies image-compare.tsx into components/ui and installs clsx, tailwind-merge.
You own the file you install: no runtime package, no lock-in, nothing to keep in sync. Change it however your product needs.
See Charcoal UI Pro pricing · Pro setup
Frequently asked questions
- Can I start the slider at a set position?
- Yes. defaultPosition sets where the split starts, from 0 to 100 percent.
- How do I install Image Compare?
- Image Compare is part of Charcoal UI Pro. Add the @charcoal registry to components.json with your access token, then run npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/image-compare. It copies image-compare.tsx into components/ui and installs motion, clsx, tailwind-merge.
- Is Image Compare free for commercial use?
- Image Compare needs a Charcoal UI Pro seat, monthly or a one-time lifetime price. A seat covers unlimited personal and commercial projects, including client work, and every future Pro component.
- Does Image Compare work with Next.js?
- Yes. It is a client component for React 19 styled with Tailwind CSS 4, so it works in the Next.js App Router and Pages Router, Vite, Remix and Astro.
- Can an AI coding agent install Image Compare?
- Yes. Connect the Charcoal UI MCP server (https://charcoalui.com/mcp) to Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP client; get_component returns Image Compare's props and get_install_command returns the exact command.