Element Plus vs PrimeVue
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
Vue UI component library, now in security-fix-only mode; development moved to PrimeUI.
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 PrimeVue if you need…
- Vue developers who already use PrimeVue and need security fixes for existing projects
- Teams maintaining an existing PrimeVue codebase who want to keep their current MIT release
- Developers evaluating a Vue component library who can check the PrimeUI successor first
Side-by-side
| Element Plus | PrimeVue | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 27.8k | 14.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 43 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.
PrimeVue
PrimeVue is an open-source component library for building user interfaces with Vue.js, offering prebuilt UI pieces such as tables, date pickers, and tree views. The README says this repository is no longer under active development and receives only security fixes; new development continues as part of PrimeUI. Existing MIT-licensed releases remain available under that license.
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
PrimeVue
- Vue developers who already use PrimeVue and need security fixes for existing projects
- Teams maintaining an existing PrimeVue codebase who want to keep their current MIT release
- Developers evaluating a Vue component library who can check the PrimeUI successor first
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
PrimeVue
- MIT license, and the README states existing MIT versions remain MIT
- Security fixes continue to be published for MIT-licensed releases
- Topics and description indicate coverage of components such as tables, date pickers, and tree tables
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
PrimeVue
- Anyone wanting new features or bug fixes, since the README says issues here are read-only and development moved to PrimeUI
- New projects that should start on the actively developed successor rather than this archived repository
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
PrimeVue
- Not under active development; issues are read-only and no new features are expected here
- Successor work lives in a different project (PrimeUI), so users must migrate to get new development
Getting started
Element Plus
Clone the repository (for contributors)
git clone https://github.com/element-plus/element-plusFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Element Plus and PrimeVue?
Element Plus: A Vue 3 component library of ready-made UI pieces, written in TypeScript. PrimeVue: Vue UI component library, now in security-fix-only mode; development moved to PrimeUI. Element Plus suits developers building admin panels or business web apps with vue 3, while PrimeVue suits vue developers who already use primevue and need security fixes for existing projects.
Are Element Plus and PrimeVue free?
Element Plus: Free and open source. PrimeVue: Free and open source.
Is Element Plus or PrimeVue more popular?
Element Plus has more GitHub stars (27.8k) than PrimeVue (14.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Element Plus and PrimeVue?
Other options people compare them with include Naive UI, 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.