Exploring the Vue.js Ecosystem: Tools and Libraries That Make Development Fun

The world of Vue.js is vibrant, not just because of its elegant code but also due to its ecosystem of tools and libraries that enhance the development experience. Whether you're a seasoned developer or someone just starting out, these resources can make your journey with Vue.js both productive and enjoyable.

A Wealth of UI Libraries to Play With

In this section, we'll take a high-level tour of some of the most popular UI libraries in the Vue ecosystem. Looking for Material Design, a custom look, or something that can work seamlessly across platforms? There's a library for you. Let’s discuss their unique features, what kind of projects they're best suited for, and how they might fit into your development journey.

PrimeVue

If you’re looking for the flexibility to adopt many out-of-the-box themes and even a completely unstyled version that you can custom theme yourself, PrimeVue is for you.

PrimeVue also got you covered with its vast collection of over 80 ready-to-use components. It's particularly handy for enterprise-level apps where you need a lot of features with minimal setup.

On PrimeVue’s website, you can check more of its features.

NuxtUI

Tailored for those diving into Nuxt.js, NuxtUI is like the perfect sidekick for your Nuxt projects. It seamlessly blends with Nuxt's features like server-side rendering, making your development process smoother.

“Nuxt UI is a module that provides a set of Vue components and composables built with Tailwind CSS and Headless UI to help you build beautiful and accessible user interfaces. Its goal is to provide everything related to UI when building a Nuxt app. This includes components, icons, colors, dark mode as well as keyboard shortcuts.” ~ Nuxt UI

Here are some of its features:

• Built with Headless UI and Tailwind CSS
• HMR support through Nuxt App Config
• Dark mode support
• Support for LTR and RTL languages
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Bundled icons
• Fully typed
• Figma Kit

Quasar

Imagine writing your app once and having it work on web, mobile, and even desktop. That's Quasar for you. It's not just about UI; it's about creating a universal app. With its Material Design components, Quasar lets you customize your app's look while ensuring it performs beautifully across devices.

According to its website, here is why you should consider choosing **Quasar** for your next project:

• It’s based on Vue.js
• You get a state-of-the-art UI (that follows Material Guidelines) for your websites and apps out of the box
• Best support for desktop and mobile browsers (including iOS Safari!) out of the box
• Best-in-class support for each build mode (SPA, SSR, PWA, Mobile app, Desktop app & Browser Extension) and the best developer experience through a tight integration with our own CLI
• It’s easily customizable (CSS) and extendable (JS)
• It’s the most performance-focused framework
• It’s tree-shakable automatically
• Incredible community on our Forum and Discord chat
• Has a regular release cycle inclusive of new features
• Gets quick fixes and listens to the community’s requests
• Handles the whole development experience (including even creating your app’s icons and splash screens)

Interested in learning more about how to use Quasar? Check out this course!

Vuetify

Vuetify is your go-to if you're a fan of Material Design 2.0. It's like having a well-organized toolbox where everything is labeled, thanks to its excellent documentation. You can quickly scaffold a beautiful interface with Vuetify, and its community support means you're never stuck with a problem for long.

“Vuetify is a collection of pre-made components paired with powerful features such dynamic themes, global defaults, application layouts, and more. Its goal is to provide developers with all of the necessary tools to build rich and engaging user experiences.” ~ Vuetify

Interested in learning more about how to use Vuetify? Check out this course!

Naive UI

For those who appreciate a minimalist approach with a touch of elegance, Naive UI offers a sleek, modern design. It's lightweight, which means less bloat for your app, and its simplicity makes it easy for developers to get started without feeling overwhelmed.

For more information, you can check its documentation here.

Flowbite

Flowbite brings the utility-first design of Tailwind CSS into Vue, offering components that mesh well with Vue.js. It’s an open-source collection of UI components, built in Vue, with utility classes from Tailwind CSS that you can use as a starting point for user interfaces and websites. It's perfect for developers who like having full control over their CSS but still want the convenience of pre-built components.

Vuestic UI

Vuestic UI lets you play the designer role, with a focus on flexibility and customization. It’s an open-source UI framework built on Vue 3. It is licensed under the MIT license and offers a range of pre-built frontend components that are simple to configure, enhancing the efficiency of developing responsive and quickly loading web interfaces. Initially launched in May 2021 by Epicmax.

Here are some of its features:

• Vue 3 compatible: Easy integration with the latest Vue.js
• Contains 60+ ready-to-use classy UI components that can be used in any design solution
• Dark Theme: Stylish built-in dark mode
• Accessible: designed for all users
• Global config: Customize components effortlessly
• Responsive: Adapts to various screens and devices
• i18n integration: Simplify app internationalization
• Fast & professional technical support from the core team

ShadCN-Vue

New but rising fast, ShadCN-Vue adapts the elegance of shadcn/ui for Vue developers. It's gaining popularity for those who want a modern, clean design without the steep learning curve. This is not a component library. It's a collection of re-usable components that you can copy and paste or use the CLI to add to your apps.

“Beautifully designed components that you can copy and paste into your apps. Accessible. Customizable. Open Source.” ~ ShadCN-Vue

By the way, did you know we, at Vue School, have used ShadCN-Vue to build a project management tool in the Vue MasterClass 2024?

Radix Vue

Radix Vue brings the spirit of simplicity and accessibility to Vue.js developers. It's an unstyled component library built with Vue 3, focusing on providing the core functionality without imposing any specific design. This allows developers to style components exactly as they wish, making it ideal for projects where design consistency or a custom look is paramount.

When Picking a UI library, Consider:

• Design Preference: Are you after a specific look like Material Design, or do you want something that stands out?
• Customizability: Do you like the idea of tweaking every pixel, or do you prefer plug-and-play?
• Additional Features: Some libraries offer more than just UI, like routing or state management, which can be a big plus.
• Community and Support: A library with an active community and robust documentation can be a lifesaver when you hit a snag.

Beyond UI: Enhancing Development

Beyond just the visual interface, the Vue.js ecosystem provides a toolkit that enhances your development process. Here we'll explore libraries and APIs that go under the hood to make your coding life easier, from state management to utility functions that add functionality with minimal effort.

VueUse

VueUse is packed with handy functions that enhance your Vue components. From managing mouse movements to simplifying form handling, VueUse makes your development toolkit richer. Best of all, there’s literally no cost to adding it to every new application. It’s tree-shakable composables only add to your bundle what you actually use.

If you want to learn how to utilize VueUse in your Vue.js applications to reactively interact with various browser features, sensors, and more, check out this course!

For more details, you can check the documentation.

Vue Draggable

Vue Draggable offers an easy-to-integrate way to make your lists drag-and-drop. It uses the SortableJS library under the hood, providing a seamless drag-and-drop functionality to Vue.js components. This utility is perfect for scenarios where you need to allow users to reorder items, create kanban boards, or implement any sortable list features.

For more practical applications, you can check this course.

Vue Composition API

While not a library per se, the Composition API is like getting a new way to organize your code. It's more modular and reusable, making your components cleaner and your logic more straightforward.

Composition API is a set of APIs that allows us to author Vue components using imported functions instead of declaring options. It is an umbrella term that covers the following APIs: Reactivity API, lifecycle hooks, and dependency injection.

If you want to leverage the power of the new Composition API and build reusable features (composables) for scalable Vue applications we would recommend this course.

For more details, you can check the documentation.

Pinia

Pinia steps in as the modern choice for state management in Vue. It's like upgrading to a smarter, more intuitive version of state management, designed with the Composition API in mind. Best of all you never have to write a mutation again!

If you’re interested in learning Pinia, we would recommend checking out Mastering Pinia, a course created by the author of Pinia, Eduardo San Martin Morote.

![Pinia’s features](https://i.imgur.com/RamXfhs.png

For more details, you can check the documentation.

Vue Router

This one's a staple. Vue Router is your map for navigating through your app, ensuring users can move from page to page smoothly in your Single Page Application. Vue Router is built on Vue's component system. You configure routes to tell Vue Router which components to show for each URL path.

If you want to use Vue Router in your projects we recommend the Vue Router4 for Everyone course ~ intermediate level.

For more details, you can check the documentation.

Conclusion

The Vue.js ecosystem is where development meets play! Whether you're building a slick UI or optimizing your development process, there's something in the Vue.js universe that will make it enjoyable and efficient. So go ahead, play around, and see how these tools can transform your Vue.js projects into something truly special. Happy coding!