diff --git a/apps/apollo-vertex/app/components/form-wizard/form-wizard-headless-demo.tsx b/apps/apollo-vertex/app/components/form-wizard/form-wizard-headless-demo.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..87de9fec5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/apollo-vertex/app/components/form-wizard/form-wizard-headless-demo.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,281 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { formOptions } from "@tanstack/react-form";
+import { useState } from "react";
+import { z } from "zod";
+import { FieldGroup } from "@/components/ui/field";
+import { withForm } from "@/components/ui/form";
+import {
+  FormWizard,
+  FormWizardNav,
+  FormWizardStep,
+  FormWizardSteps,
+  useFormWizard,
+  useFormWizardContext,
+  type WizardStepDef,
+} from "@/components/ui/form-wizard";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { LocaleProvider } from "@/registry/shell/shell-locale-provider";
+
+const accountSchema = z.object({
+  fullName: z.string().min(2, "Enter your name."),
+  email: z.email("Enter a valid email."),
+});
+const planSchema = z.object({
+  tier: z.string().min(1),
+});
+const reviewSchema = z.object({
+  acceptTerms: z.boolean().refine((value) => value, {
+    message: "Accept the terms to continue.",
+  }),
+});
+
+const wizardSchema = z.object({
+  account: accountSchema,
+  plan: planSchema,
+  review: reviewSchema,
+});
+
+type WizardValues = z.infer<typeof wizardSchema>;
+
+const defaultValues = {
+  account: { fullName: "", email: "" },
+  plan: { tier: "free" },
+  review: { acceptTerms: false },
+};
+
+const wizardOpts = formOptions({ defaultValues });
+
+const tierOptions = [
+  { label: "Free", value: "free" },
+  { label: "Pro", value: "pro" },
+];
+
+const steps: WizardStepDef<WizardValues>[] = [
+  { id: "account", title: "Account" },
+  { id: "plan", title: "Plan" },
+  { id: "review", title: "Review" },
+];
+
+// A custom nav rendered entirely by the consumer via the render-prop escape hatch.
+function CustomNav() {
+  return (
+    <FormWizardNav>
+      {({ back, isFirst, isLast, form }) => (
+        <div className="mt-2 flex items-center justify-between">
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            onClick={back}
+            disabled={isFirst}
+            className="text-sm font-medium text-muted-foreground underline-offset-4 hover:underline disabled:opacity-40"
+          >
+            Go back
+          </button>
+          <form.Subscribe selector={(state) => state.isSubmitting}>
+            {(isSubmitting) => (
+              <button
+                type="submit"
+                disabled={isSubmitting}
+                className="rounded-full bg-foreground px-5 py-2 text-sm font-semibold text-background disabled:opacity-50"
+              >
+                {isLast ? "Create account" : "Continue"}
+              </button>
+            )}
+          </form.Subscribe>
+        </div>
+      )}
+    </FormWizardNav>
+  );
+}
+
+const AccountStep = withForm({
+  ...wizardOpts,
+  render: function Render({ form }) {
+    const { next } = useFormWizardContext();
+    return (
+      <form.FormGroup
+        name="account"
+        validators={{ onDynamic: accountSchema }}
+        onGroupSubmit={() => next()}
+      >
+        {(group) => (
+          <form
+            onSubmit={(event) => {
+              event.preventDefault();
+              event.stopPropagation();
+              void group.handleSubmit();
+            }}
+          >
+            <FieldGroup>
+              <form.AppField name="account.fullName">
+                {(field) => (
+                  <field.TextField
+                    label="Full name"
+                    placeholder="Ada Lovelace"
+                  />
+                )}
+              </form.AppField>
+              <form.AppField name="account.email">
+                {(field) => (
+                  <field.TextField
+                    type="email"
+                    label="Email"
+                    placeholder="ada@example.com"
+                  />
+                )}
+              </form.AppField>
+              <CustomNav />
+            </FieldGroup>
+          </form>
+        )}
+      </form.FormGroup>
+    );
+  },
+});
+
+const PlanStep = withForm({
+  ...wizardOpts,
+  render: function Render({ form }) {
+    const { next } = useFormWizardContext();
+    return (
+      <form.FormGroup
+        name="plan"
+        validators={{ onDynamic: planSchema }}
+        onGroupSubmit={() => next()}
+      >
+        {(group) => (
+          <form
+            onSubmit={(event) => {
+              event.preventDefault();
+              event.stopPropagation();
+              void group.handleSubmit();
+            }}
+          >
+            <FieldGroup>
+              <form.AppField name="plan.tier">
+                {(field) => (
+                  <field.RadioGroupField label="Plan" options={tierOptions} />
+                )}
+              </form.AppField>
+              <CustomNav />
+            </FieldGroup>
+          </form>
+        )}
+      </form.FormGroup>
+    );
+  },
+});
+
+const ReviewStep = withForm({
+  ...wizardOpts,
+  render: function Render({ form }) {
+    const { next } = useFormWizardContext();
+    return (
+      <form.FormGroup
+        name="review"
+        validators={{ onDynamic: reviewSchema }}
+        onGroupSubmit={() => next()}
+      >
+        {(group) => (
+          <form
+            onSubmit={(event) => {
+              event.preventDefault();
+              event.stopPropagation();
+              void group.handleSubmit();
+            }}
+          >
+            <FieldGroup>
+              <form.AppField name="review.acceptTerms">
+                {(field) => (
+                  <field.CheckboxField label="I accept the terms and conditions" />
+                )}
+              </form.AppField>
+              <CustomNav />
+            </FieldGroup>
+          </form>
+        )}
+      </form.FormGroup>
+    );
+  },
+});
+
+export function FormWizardHeadlessDemo() {
+  const [submitted, setSubmitted] = useState<WizardValues | null>(null);
+
+  const wizard = useFormWizard<WizardValues>({
+    formOptions: wizardOpts,
+    schema: wizardSchema,
+    steps,
+    onSubmit: (values) => setSubmitted(values),
+  });
+
+  return (
+    <LocaleProvider>
+      <FormWizard wizard={wizard}>
+        {/* Custom progress rail built from the FormWizardSteps render prop. */}
+        <FormWizardSteps>
+          {({ steps: visibleSteps, stepIndex, goToStep }) => (
+            <div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
+              <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+                {visibleSteps.map((step, index) => {
+                  const done = index < stepIndex;
+                  const active = index === stepIndex;
+                  return (
+                    <button
+                      key={step.id}
+                      type="button"
+                      onClick={() => goToStep(step.id)}
+                      disabled={!done}
+                      className={cn(
+                        "flex items-center gap-2 text-sm transition-colors",
+                        active && "font-semibold text-foreground",
+                        done && "text-foreground hover:opacity-80",
+                        !active && !done && "text-muted-foreground",
+                      )}
+                    >
+                      <span
+                        className={cn(
+                          "flex size-5 items-center justify-center rounded-full border text-xs",
+                          active &&
+                            "border-foreground bg-foreground text-background",
+                          done &&
+                            "border-foreground bg-foreground text-background",
+                          !active && !done && "border-muted-foreground/40",
+                        )}
+                      >
+                        {done ? "✓" : index + 1}
+                      </span>
+                      {step.title}
+                    </button>
+                  );
+                })}
+              </div>
+              <div className="h-1 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-full bg-muted">
+                <div
+                  className="h-full rounded-full bg-foreground transition-all"
+                  style={{ width: `${wizard.progress}%` }}
+                />
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          )}
+        </FormWizardSteps>
+
+        <FormWizardStep stepId="account">
+          <AccountStep form={wizard.form} />
+        </FormWizardStep>
+        <FormWizardStep stepId="plan">
+          <PlanStep form={wizard.form} />
+        </FormWizardStep>
+        <FormWizardStep stepId="review">
+          <ReviewStep form={wizard.form} />
+        </FormWizardStep>
+      </FormWizard>
+
+      {submitted ? (
+        <pre className="mt-6 overflow-x-auto rounded-lg bg-muted p-4 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+          {JSON.stringify(submitted, null, 2)}
+        </pre>
+      ) : null}
+    </LocaleProvider>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/apollo-vertex/app/components/form-wizard/page.mdx b/apps/apollo-vertex/app/components/form-wizard/page.mdx
index c1a1c6c9e..0d152de04 100644
--- a/apps/apollo-vertex/app/components/form-wizard/page.mdx
+++ b/apps/apollo-vertex/app/components/form-wizard/page.mdx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { FormWizardDemo } from './form-wizard-demo';
+import { FormWizardHeadlessDemo } from './form-wizard-headless-demo';
 
 # Form Wizard
 
@@ -114,6 +115,39 @@ function SignUpWizard() {
 }
 ```
 
+## Bring your own UI
+
+`useFormWizard` is the headless engine: it renders nothing and returns the `form`, the visible `steps`, navigation helpers, and derived flags (`stepIndex`, `isFirst`, `isLast`, `progress`). The styled `FormWizardSteps` and `FormWizardNav` are one recipe on top of it. Consumers get three levels of control.
+
+1. **Defaults.** Drop in `<FormWizardSteps />` and `<FormWizardNav />` for the Apollo look.
+2. **Restyle with render props.** Pass a function child to keep the wiring but own the markup. `FormWizardSteps` calls it with `{ steps, stepIndex, goToStep }`, and `FormWizardNav` with `{ back, next, isFirst, isLast, form }`.
+3. **Fully headless.** Ignore the styled parts and drive everything from the `useFormWizard` return value directly.
+
+`FormWizard` and `FormWizardStep` also accept `asChild` to swap their wrapper element.
+
+The demo below replaces the Stepper with a custom progress rail and the nav with custom buttons, using the render-prop escape hatches:
+
+<div className="p-6 border rounded-lg mt-4 max-w-md">
+  <FormWizardHeadlessDemo />
+</div>
+
+```tsx
+// Keep the wiring, own the design.
+<FormWizardSteps>
+  {({ steps, stepIndex, goToStep }) => (
+    <MyStepRail steps={steps} active={stepIndex} onJump={goToStep} />
+  )}
+</FormWizardSteps>
+
+<FormWizardNav>
+  {({ back, next, isFirst, isLast }) => (
+    <MyToolbar onBack={back} onNext={next} atStart={isFirst} atEnd={isLast} />
+  )}
+</FormWizardNav>
+```
+
+The default nav's "Next" button is a submit that runs the current step's `FormGroup` validation before `onGroupSubmit` calls `next()`. A custom nav that calls `next()` directly skips that per-step validation, so drive advancement through a submit button (as the demo does) when you want the same guardrails.
+
 ## Step definition
 
 | Field | Type | Notes |
diff --git a/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/form-wizard-nav.tsx b/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/form-wizard-nav.tsx
index b17577200..5df5ba8fd 100644
--- a/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/form-wizard-nav.tsx
+++ b/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/form-wizard-nav.tsx
@@ -1,17 +1,31 @@
 "use client";
 
-import type { ComponentProps } from "react";
+import type { ComponentProps, ReactNode } from "react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { useFormWizardContext } from "./form-wizard";
 
-type FormWizardNavProps = ComponentProps<"div">;
+interface FormWizardNavRenderApi {
+  back: () => void;
+  next: () => void;
+  isFirst: boolean;
+  isLast: boolean;
+  form: ReturnType<typeof useFormWizardContext>["form"];
+}
+
+interface FormWizardNavProps extends Omit<ComponentProps<"div">, "children"> {
+  children?: (api: FormWizardNavRenderApi) => ReactNode;
+}
 
-function FormWizardNav({ className, ...props }: FormWizardNavProps) {
-  const { form, isFirst, isLast, back } = useFormWizardContext();
+function FormWizardNav({ className, children, ...props }: FormWizardNavProps) {
+  const { form, isFirst, isLast, back, next } = useFormWizardContext();
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
+  if (typeof children === "function") {
+    return <>{children({ back, next, isFirst, isLast, form })}</>;
+  }
+
   return (
     <div
       data-slot="form-wizard-nav"
@@ -33,4 +47,4 @@ function FormWizardNav({ className, ...props }: FormWizardNavProps) {
 }
 
 export { FormWizardNav };
-export type { FormWizardNavProps };
+export type { FormWizardNavProps, FormWizardNavRenderApi };
diff --git a/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/form-wizard.tsx b/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/form-wizard.tsx
index d7ba0c4b0..77351a42c 100644
--- a/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/form-wizard.tsx
+++ b/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/form-wizard.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { createContext, type ComponentProps, useContext } from "react";
+import { Slot } from "@radix-ui/react-slot";
+import {
+  createContext,
+  type ComponentProps,
+  type ReactNode,
+  useContext,
+} from "react";
 import {
   Stepper,
   StepperContent,
@@ -29,40 +35,55 @@ function useFormWizardContext(): FormWizardApi {
 interface FormWizardProps<TValues extends Record<string, unknown>>
   extends ComponentProps<"div"> {
   wizard: ReturnType<typeof useFormWizard<TValues>>;
+  asChild?: boolean;
 }
 
 function FormWizard<TValues extends Record<string, unknown>>({
   wizard,
   className,
   children,
+  asChild = false,
   ...props
 }: FormWizardProps<TValues>) {
+  const Comp = asChild ? Slot : "div";
   return (
     // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript-eslint(no-unsafe-type-assertion) -- context is field-type agnostic; parts read only step metadata and generic helpers
     <FormWizardContext.Provider value={wizard as unknown as FormWizardApi}>
-      <div
+      <Comp
         data-slot="form-wizard"
         className={cn("flex flex-col gap-8", className)}
         {...props}
       >
         {children}
-      </div>
+      </Comp>
     </FormWizardContext.Provider>
   );
 }
 
+interface FormWizardStepsRenderApi {
+  steps: FormWizardApi["steps"];
+  stepIndex: number;
+  goToStep: (id: string) => void;
+}
+
 interface FormWizardStepsProps
-  extends Omit<ComponentProps<typeof Stepper>, "activeStep"> {
+  extends Omit<ComponentProps<typeof Stepper>, "activeStep" | "children"> {
   clickable?: boolean;
+  children?: (api: FormWizardStepsRenderApi) => ReactNode;
 }
 
 function FormWizardSteps({
   clickable,
   className,
+  children,
   ...props
 }: FormWizardStepsProps) {
   const { steps, stepIndex, goToStep } = useFormWizardContext();
 
+  if (typeof children === "function") {
+    return <>{children({ steps, stepIndex, goToStep })}</>;
+  }
+
   return (
     <Stepper activeStep={stepIndex} className={className} {...props}>
       {steps.map((step, index) => {
@@ -91,27 +112,35 @@ function FormWizardSteps({
 
 interface FormWizardStepProps extends ComponentProps<"div"> {
   stepId: string;
+  asChild?: boolean;
 }
 
 function FormWizardStep({
   stepId,
   className,
   children,
+  asChild = false,
   ...props
 }: FormWizardStepProps) {
   const { currentStepId } = useFormWizardContext();
   if (stepId !== currentStepId) return null;
 
+  const Comp = asChild ? Slot : "div";
   return (
-    <div
+    <Comp
       data-slot="form-wizard-step"
       className={cn("flex flex-col", className)}
       {...props}
     >
       {children}
-    </div>
+    </Comp>
   );
 }
 
 export { FormWizard, FormWizardStep, FormWizardSteps, useFormWizardContext };
-export type { FormWizardProps, FormWizardStepProps, FormWizardStepsProps };
+export type {
+  FormWizardProps,
+  FormWizardStepProps,
+  FormWizardStepsProps,
+  FormWizardStepsRenderApi,
+};
diff --git a/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/index.ts b/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/index.ts
index 9052b2356..defa3ca31 100644
--- a/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/index.ts
+++ b/apps/apollo-vertex/registry/form-wizard/index.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,14 @@ export {
   type FormWizardStepProps,
   FormWizardSteps,
   type FormWizardStepsProps,
+  type FormWizardStepsRenderApi,
   useFormWizardContext,
 } from "./form-wizard";
-export { FormWizardNav, type FormWizardNavProps } from "./form-wizard-nav";
+export {
+  FormWizardNav,
+  type FormWizardNavProps,
+  type FormWizardNavRenderApi,
+} from "./form-wizard-nav";
 export {
   useFormWizard,
   type UseFormWizardOptions,