Layui vs shadcn-vue
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 free, open-source UI component library for building web pages with plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Open source · MIT
A Vue port of shadcn-ui: copy-in UI components you can customize and build on.
The short answer
Choose Layui if you need…
- Developers maintaining existing sites or admin panels built on Layui
- Non-front-end developers who want UI components without learning a framework
- Small projects that prefer plain browser-native code
- Teams that already use Layui 2.x in production
Choose shadcn-vue if you need…
- Vue developers who want ready-made UI components they can edit directly
- Teams building their own internal component library
- Projects that want accessible, customizable components as a base
Side-by-side
| Layui | shadcn-vue | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 30.6k | 10.8k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | See the README | See the README |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 9 days ago |
What each one is
Layui
Layui is a set of ready-made user interface components for websites, such as buttons, forms, tables and pop-up windows. It follows a plain approach: you write standard HTML, CSS and JavaScript for browsers, without a build system or a specific framework. The README says it was built to lower the barrier for people who are not front-end specialists to create complex web interfaces.
shadcn-vue
shadcn-vue is a set of UI components for Vue, ported from the shadcn-ui project. The README describes them as designed components you can customize, extend, and build on, and it encourages using the code as a starting point for your own component library. The project is MIT licensed and has a documentation site at shadcn-vue.com.
Best for
Layui
- Developers maintaining existing sites or admin panels built on Layui
- Non-front-end developers who want UI components without learning a framework
- Small projects that prefer plain browser-native code
- Teams that already use Layui 2.x in production
shadcn-vue
- Vue developers who want ready-made UI components they can edit directly
- Teams building their own internal component library
- Projects that want accessible, customizable components as a base
Strengths
Layui
- Free and MIT-licensed, so it can be used in commercial projects under that license
- Works with plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript, with no framework required
- Long history since 2016 and active releases, with the latest version listed as v2.13.9
shadcn-vue
- MIT licensed, so it can be used and modified freely
- Open code: the README emphasizes that you can change the components themselves
- Documentation is available on a dedicated site
Not ideal for
Layui
- Teams starting a new large single-page app: the README says Layui 3 is still in development, and the README does not describe a React, Vue or similar integration
- Projects that need a modern component ecosystem: the README does not compare its component depth or accessibility with other libraries
shadcn-vue
- People who want a finished visual theme with no code changes; the README frames it as a starting point to customize
- Non-developers, since it is a code-level component set
- Projects that need a framework other than Vue
Trade-offs
Layui
- Layui 3 is listed as in development, so the current line is version 2
- The README is mostly a project history and does not give detailed feature or browser support information
shadcn-vue
- The README is short and does not list specific components or install steps, so details must be checked on the docs site
- Depends on the Vue ecosystem; you need to be comfortable with Vue and TypeScript
- Latest release is v2.9.0 with no binaries, so it is consumed as code rather than as an app
Getting started
Layui
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/layui/layui.gitshadcn-vue
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/unovue/shadcn-vueFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Layui and shadcn-vue?
Layui: A free, open-source UI component library for building web pages with plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript. shadcn-vue: A Vue port of shadcn-ui: copy-in UI components you can customize and build on. Layui suits developers maintaining existing sites or admin panels built on layui, while shadcn-vue suits vue developers who want ready-made ui components they can edit directly.
Are Layui and shadcn-vue free?
Layui: Free and open source. shadcn-vue: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Layui or shadcn-vue?
Layui is easier to get started with (rated beginner); shadcn-vue is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Layui or shadcn-vue more popular?
Layui has more GitHub stars (30.6k) than shadcn-vue (10.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Layui and shadcn-vue?
Other options people compare them with include Bootstrap, Element Plus, Ant Design, Materialize, daisyUI.
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.