ruoyi-vue-pro vs vue-element-admin
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
Java admin-system template (Spring Boot + Vue) with permissions, workflow, multi-tenancy and many business mod
Open source · MIT
Front-end starter template for admin dashboards, built on Vue and Element UI.
The short answer
Choose ruoyi-vue-pro if you need…
- Java developers building an internal admin or back-office system
- Teams that want a starting point with login, permissions and workflow already wired up
- Projects needing multi-tenant (SaaS) admin features
- Developers who want a code generator to scaffold CRUD pages from database tables
Choose vue-element-admin if you need…
- Developers building internal admin dashboards in Vue
- Teams that want a Element UI based layout with login and permissions already sketched out
- Developers who want working example pages for tables, forms and editors to adapt
- Developers learning how a larger Vue single-page app can be structured
Side-by-side
| ruoyi-vue-pro | vue-element-admin | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Other |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 40.2k | 90.1k |
| Setup difficulty | Advanced | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | Java | Vue |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 2 years ago |
What each one is
ruoyi-vue-pro
RuoYi-Vue-Pro is a large open-source starting point for building back-office admin systems, built on Spring Boot, MyBatis Plus and Vue with Element UI or Element Plus. The README lists features such as role-based and data-level permissions, SaaS multi-tenancy, Flowable workflow, a code generator, and optional modules for e-commerce, CRM, ERP, IoT and AI. Developers typically use it as a base to adapt rather than a finished product.
vue-element-admin
vue-element-admin is a starter codebase for building admin websites, the back-office pages where people manage data, users and settings. It uses Vue for the interface and element-ui for ready-made components, and includes sample pages such as login, tables, charts and editors. Developers use it as a starting point so they don't have to build login, routing and layout from scratch.
Best for
ruoyi-vue-pro
- Java developers building an internal admin or back-office system
- Teams that want a starting point with login, permissions and workflow already wired up
- Projects needing multi-tenant (SaaS) admin features
- Developers who want a code generator to scaffold CRUD pages from database tables
vue-element-admin
- Developers building internal admin dashboards in Vue
- Teams that want a Element UI based layout with login and permissions already sketched out
- Developers who want working example pages for tables, forms and editors to adapt
- Developers learning how a larger Vue single-page app can be structured
Strengths
ruoyi-vue-pro
- Broad built-in feature set, documented in the README
- MIT license and the README states the project is fully open source
- Active maintenance with a recent push and multiple version branches for different JDK versions
vue-element-admin
- Covers many common admin needs in one codebase, such as permissions, i18n, multi-level routing and Excel export
- Built on well-known tools (Vue, vuex, vue-router, axios, element-ui, Mock.js) with a large existing community
- MIT licensed with a live demo and documentation site
Not ideal for
ruoyi-vue-pro
- Non-Java teams, since the backend is Java and Spring Boot (reason: you would need to learn that stack)
- Small projects that only need a simple site or a few pages (reason: the codebase and module count are large)
- Anyone wanting the lightest possible version, unless they use the mini edition (reason: the full edition includes many modules that add complexity)
vue-element-admin
- Non-developers who want a finished tool to install and use, since this is code to build from
- Projects that need React or another framework, because the README only covers Vue
- Projects that must support Internet Explorer, since the README says low-version browsers are not supported and the browser table is inconsistent on this point
- Anyone who needs the latest Vue 3 stack, since the README badges show Vue 2.6.10 and element-ui 2.7.0
Trade-offs
ruoyi-vue-pro
- Very large scope, so learning the full codebase takes time
- Main documentation and demos are on Chinese sites, and much of the README is in Chinese
- The README lists many optional modules; you need to choose the edition that fits your needs
vue-element-admin
- Built on Vue 2 and element-ui 2 per the README badges, which are older than current defaults
- The README contradicts itself on i18n: it says master no longer supports i18n after v4.1.0, yet the feature list includes I18n
- Feature list is long, so you will likely need to remove parts you don't use
Getting started
ruoyi-vue-pro
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/YunaiV/ruoyi-vue-provue-element-admin
Clone the project
git clone https://github.com/PanJiaChen/vue-element-admin.gitInstall dependencies
npm installFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between ruoyi-vue-pro and vue-element-admin?
ruoyi-vue-pro: Java admin-system template (Spring Boot + Vue) with permissions, workflow, multi-tenancy and many business mod. vue-element-admin: Front-end starter template for admin dashboards, built on Vue and Element UI. ruoyi-vue-pro suits java developers building an internal admin or back-office system, while vue-element-admin suits developers building internal admin dashboards in vue.
Are ruoyi-vue-pro and vue-element-admin free?
ruoyi-vue-pro: Free and open source. vue-element-admin: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, ruoyi-vue-pro or vue-element-admin?
vue-element-admin is easier to get started with (rated intermediate); ruoyi-vue-pro is rated advanced and usually needs more setup.
Is ruoyi-vue-pro or vue-element-admin more popular?
vue-element-admin has more GitHub stars (90.1k) than ruoyi-vue-pro (40.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to ruoyi-vue-pro and vue-element-admin?
Other options people compare them with include vue-admin-template.
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.