Element vs Mint 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 2 component library of ready-made UI pieces for building web apps.
Open source · MIT
Mobile UI components for Vue 2 apps, distributed as an npm package.
The short answer
Choose Element if you need…
- Developers maintaining an existing Vue 2.x web application
- Teams building internal admin or back-office interfaces with Vue 2
- Developers who want prebuilt components with a documented API and themes
- Projects that need to support Internet Explorer 10+ alongside modern browsers
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
Side-by-side
| Element | Mint UI | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 54k | 16.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Vue | Vue |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 5 years ago |
What each one is
Element
Element is a UI toolkit for Vue.js 2.0 that provides a set of prebuilt interface components such as buttons, selects and other common web controls. Developers use it to build consistent web pages and admin-style interfaces without designing every component from scratch. The README says it will stay on Vue 2.x and points Vue 3 users to Element Plus.
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.
Best for
Element
- Developers maintaining an existing Vue 2.x web application
- Teams building internal admin or back-office interfaces with Vue 2
- Developers who want prebuilt components with a documented API and themes
- Projects that need to support Internet Explorer 10+ alongside modern browsers
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
Strengths
Element
- Large, established project with 54,002 stars and an MIT license
- Documentation is available in English, Chinese, Spanish and French
- Supports both full-library and per-component imports
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
Not ideal for
Element
- New projects on Vue 3, because the README recommends Element Plus for Vue 3 instead
- Mini-program development, because the README recommends MorJS for that
- Designers looking for a visual tool rather than code components
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
Trade-offs
Element
- Locked to Vue 2.x; the README directs Vue 3 users elsewhere
- Latest release is v2.15.14 and the last push shown is from August 2024, so check current maintenance status before adopting
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
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 -SFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Element and Mint UI?
Element: A Vue 2 component library of ready-made UI pieces for building web apps. Mint UI: Mobile UI components for Vue 2 apps, distributed as an npm package. Element suits developers maintaining an existing vue 2.x web application, while Mint UI suits developers building mobile-style web pages or apps with vue 2.
Are Element and Mint UI free?
Element: Free and open source. Mint UI: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Element or Mint UI?
Element is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Mint UI is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Element or Mint UI more popular?
Element has more GitHub stars (54k) 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 Element and Mint UI?
Other options people compare them with include Element Plus, BootstrapVue, PrimeVue, Vant, VUX.
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.