Element Plus vs Naive UI
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 3 component library with 90+ UI components, TypeScript, and customizable themes.
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 Naive UI if you need…
- Vue 3 developers building admin panels or internal tools
- TypeScript projects that want typed components
- Teams that want to restyle components through a theme object instead of CSS files
- Projects that display large data lists, since data components support virtual lists by default
Side-by-side
| Element Plus | Naive UI | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 27.8k | 18.6k |
| 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 | 11 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.
Naive UI
Naive UI is a set of ready-made interface building blocks (buttons, forms, tables and similar components) for apps built with Vue 3. Developers install it from npm and use the components in their Vue projects instead of writing every piece from scratch. It is written in TypeScript and its look can be changed through a theme overrides object in JavaScript.
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
Naive UI
- Vue 3 developers building admin panels or internal tools
- TypeScript projects that want typed components
- Teams that want to restyle components through a theme object instead of CSS files
- Projects that display large data lists, since data components support virtual lists by default
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
Naive UI
- The README lists more than 90 components, all tree-shakeable so unused parts can be left out of the build
- Themes are changed through a JavaScript object, with no Sass, Less, or CSS variable setup required
- Written in TypeScript, so it works with typed Vue projects
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
Naive UI
- Projects not using Vue 3, since the README describes it as a Vue 3 library
- Teams that need a specific design system already built on another UI library, because switching costs are high
- Designers without developer help, since the library is used in code
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
Naive UI
- The README describes the 'Fast' claim loosely and gives no benchmarks
- No release is listed in the metadata, so version stability is not confirmed from here
- Icons and fonts are separate installs and the README recommends an external icon library
Getting started
Element Plus
Clone the repository (for contributors)
git clone https://github.com/element-plus/element-plusNaive UI
Install Naive UI from npm
npm i naive-uiInstall fonts (optional)
npm i vfontsFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Element Plus and Naive UI?
Element Plus: A Vue 3 component library of ready-made UI pieces, written in TypeScript. Naive UI: A Vue 3 component library with 90+ UI components, TypeScript, and customizable themes. Element Plus suits developers building admin panels or business web apps with vue 3, while Naive UI suits vue 3 developers building admin panels or internal tools.
Are Element Plus and Naive UI free?
Element Plus: Free and open source. Naive UI: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Element Plus or Naive UI?
Naive UI is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Element Plus is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Element Plus or Naive UI more popular?
Element Plus has more GitHub stars (27.8k) than Naive UI (18.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Element Plus and Naive UI?
Other options people compare them with include PrimeVue, Quasar, Element, shadcn-vue, 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.