Mint UI 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
Mobile UI components for Vue 2 apps, distributed as an npm package.
Open source · MIT
A Vue UI component library for building mobile web pages, MIT licensed.
The short answer
Choose Mint UI if you need…
- Developers building mobile-style web pages or apps with Vue 2
- Teams that want prebuilt Vue components rather than writing their own UI controls
- Projects that only need a few components and want to import them individually to keep bundle size down
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
| Mint UI | Vant | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 16.4k | 24.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Vue | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 5 years ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Mint UI
Mint UI is a set of ready-made user interface elements (components) for building mobile web pages with Vue.js. Developers install it from npm, import the pieces they need, and drop them into their Vue app instead of building every control from scratch. The README describes it as targeting Vue 2.0, with a separate install path for Vue 1.x.
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
Mint UI
- Developers building mobile-style web pages or apps with Vue 2
- Teams that want prebuilt Vue components rather than writing their own UI controls
- Projects that only need a few components and want to import them individually to keep bundle size down
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
Mint UI
- Simple install and usage through npm, with a documented global-import option
- Supports importing individual components and automatic CSS loading via babel-plugin-component
- Released under the permissive MIT license
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
Mint UI
- Projects on Vue 3, since the README only documents Vue 2.0 and Vue 1.x support
- Non-developers looking for a no-code website builder, because it requires writing Vue code
- Teams needing active maintenance guarantees, since the last push shown is from February 2022
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
Mint UI
- The last push shown is from 2022-02-28, so it may not keep pace with newer Vue versions
- The README is brief and the full component list and API live on the external documentation site
- Built for Vue 2; using it with Vue 3 is not covered by the README
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
Mint UI
Install Mint UI (Vue 2)
npm i mint-ui -SInstall for Vue 1.x (if needed)
npm i mint-ui@1 -SVant
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 Mint UI and Vant?
Mint UI: Mobile UI components for Vue 2 apps, distributed as an npm package. Vant: A Vue UI component library for building mobile web pages, MIT licensed. Mint UI suits developers building mobile-style web pages or apps with vue 2, while Vant suits teams building mobile-first web apps or h5 pages in vue.
Are Mint UI and Vant free?
Mint UI: Free and open source. Vant: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Mint UI or Vant?
Vant is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Mint UI is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Mint UI or Vant more popular?
Vant has more GitHub stars (24.4k) than Mint UI (16.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Mint UI and Vant?
Other options people compare them with include Framework7, Element, VUX, Element Plus, Vue.Draggable.
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.