Element Plus vs Layui
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A Vue 3 component library of ready-made UI pieces, written in TypeScript.
Open source · MIT
A free, open-source UI component library for building web pages with plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
The short answer
Choose Element Plus if you need…
- Developers building admin panels or business web apps with Vue 3
- Teams migrating from Element UI to Vue 3
- Projects that want TypeScript support in their UI components
Choose Layui if you need…
- Developers maintaining existing sites or admin panels built on Layui
- Non-front-end developers who want UI components without learning a framework
- Small projects that prefer plain browser-native code
- Teams that already use Layui 2.x in production
Side-by-side
| Element Plus | Layui | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 27.8k | 30.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | See the README |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Element Plus
Element Plus is a UI component library for Vue.js 3, providing prebuilt interface elements such as buttons and forms that developers can drop into web apps. It is written in TypeScript and uses the Vue 3 Composition API. It is the Vue 3 successor to Element UI, made by the Element team.
Layui
Layui is a set of ready-made user interface components for websites, such as buttons, forms, tables and pop-up windows. It follows a plain approach: you write standard HTML, CSS and JavaScript for browsers, without a build system or a specific framework. The README says it was built to lower the barrier for people who are not front-end specialists to create complex web interfaces.
Best for
Element Plus
- Developers building admin panels or business web apps with Vue 3
- Teams migrating from Element UI to Vue 3
- Projects that want TypeScript support in their UI components
Layui
- Developers maintaining existing sites or admin panels built on Layui
- Non-front-end developers who want UI components without learning a framework
- Small projects that prefer plain browser-native code
- Teams that already use Layui 2.x in production
Strengths
Element Plus
- Written in TypeScript with Vue 3 Composition API support
- Stable release with a documented breaking-change list for upgrading from Element UI
- Available through npm and has a built-in online playground
Layui
- Free and MIT-licensed, so it can be used in commercial projects under that license
- Works with plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript, with no framework required
- Long history since 2016 and active releases, with the latest version listed as v2.13.9
Not ideal for
Element Plus
- People not using Vue.js, since this library is specific to Vue 3
- Projects needing a Vue 2 library, because the README targets Vue 3 and points Element UI users to a migration path instead
- Non-developers who want a finished website without coding, since it is a library for building apps
Layui
- Teams starting a new large single-page app: the README says Layui 3 is still in development, and the README does not describe a React, Vue or similar integration
- Projects that need a modern component ecosystem: the README does not compare its component depth or accessibility with other libraries
Trade-offs
Element Plus
- The README says it requires Node.js 20 or newer, which may need an upgrade on some machines
- Most usage documentation lives on the separate element-plus.org site, not in the README
- Migration from Element UI involves breaking changes that need to be reviewed
Layui
- Layui 3 is listed as in development, so the current line is version 2
- The README is mostly a project history and does not give detailed feature or browser support information
Getting started
Element Plus
Clone the repository (for contributors)
git clone https://github.com/element-plus/element-plusLayui
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/layui/layui.gitFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Element Plus and Layui?
Element Plus: A Vue 3 component library of ready-made UI pieces, written in TypeScript. Layui: A free, open-source UI component library for building web pages with plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Element Plus suits developers building admin panels or business web apps with vue 3, while Layui suits developers maintaining existing sites or admin panels built on layui.
Are Element Plus and Layui free?
Element Plus: Free and open source. Layui: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Element Plus or Layui?
Layui is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Element Plus is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Element Plus or Layui more popular?
Layui has more GitHub stars (30.6k) than Element Plus (27.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Element Plus and Layui?
Other options people compare them with include PrimeVue, Naive UI, Quasar, Element, shadcn-vue.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.