Element Plus vs Vant
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 Vue UI component library for building mobile web pages, MIT licensed.
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 Vant if you need…
- Teams building mobile-first web apps or H5 pages in Vue
- Developers who want prebuilt mobile components with theming options
- Projects that need Vue 2 or Vue 3 support from one library
- Projects that use Nuxt and want an official Vant module
Side-by-side
| Element Plus | Vant | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 27.8k | 24.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| 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.
Vant
Vant is a collection of ready-made interface pieces (buttons, forms, lists and similar components) for Vue, aimed at mobile websites. Developers import the parts they need into a Vue project instead of building each one from scratch. The README says it is lightweight, customizable, and written in TypeScript.
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
Vant
- Teams building mobile-first web apps or H5 pages in Vue
- Developers who want prebuilt mobile components with theming options
- Projects that need Vue 2 or Vue 3 support from one library
- Projects that use Nuxt and want an official Vant module
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
Vant
- The README lists tree shaking, custom themes, dark mode, SSR support, and i18n with 30+ built-in languages
- It has zero third-party dependencies according to the README
- It is MIT licensed and has an active repository with a recent push
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
Vant
- Desktop-first admin dashboards, since the library is described as built for mobile web apps
- Projects that need a React library; the README points to community ports such as react-vant for that
- Teams that need a WeChat Mini Program UI; the README points to the separate vant-weapp project for that
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
Vant
- Accessibility is marked in the README as still being improved
- Browser support differs between Vant 2 and Vant 3/4, so check the version you pick
- The README is truncated here, so the full component list and API details must be checked in the official docs
Getting started
Element Plus
Clone the repository (for contributors)
git clone https://github.com/element-plus/element-plusVant
Install latest Vant for Vue 3
npm i vantInstall Vant 2 for Vue 2
npm i vant@latest-v2Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Element Plus and Vant?
Element Plus: A Vue 3 component library of ready-made UI pieces, written in TypeScript. Vant: A Vue UI component library for building mobile web pages, MIT licensed. Element Plus suits developers building admin panels or business web apps with vue 3, while Vant suits teams building mobile-first web apps or h5 pages in vue.
Are Element Plus and Vant free?
Element Plus: Free and open source. Vant: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Element Plus or Vant?
Vant is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Element Plus is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Element Plus or Vant more popular?
Element Plus has more GitHub stars (27.8k) than Vant (24.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Element Plus and Vant?
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.