Bootstrap Vue vs ElementUI: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this markdown code, I will provide the key differences between Bootstrap Vue and ElementUI. Bootstrap Vue and ElementUI are both popular front-end frameworks used for building responsive and user-friendly web applications. While they share some similarities, there are also notable differences between the two.

1. Grid System: Bootstrap Vue uses a flexible and powerful grid system based on flexbox to create responsive layouts. It provides a range of grid components and classes that allow for easy customization and control over the layout. On the other hand, ElementUI uses a grid system based on CSS3's flexbox and provides a set of responsive classes to create flexible layouts. The grid system in ElementUI offers fewer customization options compared to Bootstrap Vue.

2. Component Library: Bootstrap Vue comes with a comprehensive set of pre-built components, such as forms, buttons, navigation bars, and modals, making it easier to build UI elements. It also integrates with Bootstrap CSS, allowing developers to leverage the full power of Bootstrap's styling and design. In contrast, ElementUI offers a rich library of components specifically tailored for Vue applications. It provides a wide range of UI elements, including forms, tables, dialog boxes, and date pickers, that are fully customizable and adhere to Material Design guidelines.

3. Customization and Theming: Bootstrap Vue provides extensive customization options, allowing developers to modify the appearance and behavior of components to match their project's requirements. It offers a range of Sass variables and mixins that can be used to customize colors, fonts, breakpoints, and more. ElementUI also offers some level of customization, but it has a more opinionated approach to theming. It provides a set of predefined themes that can be easily applied to the entire application, and custom theming requires overriding the default styles.

4. Documentation and Community Support: Both Bootstrap Vue and ElementUI have well-documented APIs and provide detailed guides and examples to help developers get started. However, Bootstrap Vue has a larger and more active community compared to ElementUI. This means that developers using Bootstrap Vue can benefit from a wider range of resources, such as online forums, tutorials, and third-party libraries, making it easier to find solutions to common issues and get community support.

5. Styling and Design Language: Bootstrap Vue follows the Bootstrap CSS framework's styling and design language, which is known for its clean and modern look. It provides a consistent and visually appealing design across different devices and browsers. ElementUI, on the other hand, follows the Material Design guidelines, which emphasize a more visual and interactive user interface with elements like floating action buttons, cards, and transitions. The choice between Bootstrap Vue and ElementUI depends on the project's design requirements and the visual language preferred by the development team.

6. Size and Performance: Bootstrap Vue has a larger footprint compared to ElementUI due to its comprehensive set of components and features. This can affect the initial loading time and overall performance of the application, especially on slower network connections or devices. ElementUI, being a more lightweight framework, has a smaller file size and requires fewer resources to render the UI components, resulting in better performance in certain scenarios.

In summary, Bootstrap Vue and ElementUI differ in terms of their grid systems, component libraries, customization options, documentation and community support, styling and design language, and size and performance. The choice between the two frameworks depends on factors such as project requirements, design preferences, and specific performance considerations.