Vue Now UI Dashboard Laravel is a free fullstack admin template from Creative Tim that combines a Vue.js single-page application styled with Now UI Design with a Laravel backend exposing a JSON:API endpoint.
What is Vue Now UI Dashboard Laravel?
Vue Now UI Dashboard Laravel is a fullstack starter kit: the Vue frontend consumes a Laravel REST API built to the JSON:API specification. It takes a Laravel project with database credentials and produces a running admin dashboard with login, registration, user profile editing, user management, tables, and maps. The frontend runs on Node.js and the backend requires Apache/Nginx, PHP, MySQL, and Composer; Laravel Passport handles API authentication. Creative Tim built it together with UPDIVISION.
Key Features
- Fullstack project structure — The download contains two folders: one for the Laravel JSON:API backend and one for the Vue frontend, so the API and the SPA are developed separately.
- Authentication out of the box — Login and register pages are implemented with a Vuex auth module, and Laravel Passport issues API tokens. Demo credentials are [email protected] with password secret.
- Profile management — Users can update their name, email, profile picture, and password through dedicated Vue components (EditProfileCard and EditPasswordCard) backed by form validation.
- Admin UI components — Includes buttons, cards, modals, dropdowns, tables, pagination, sliders, switch, badges, notifications, and form inputs, all styled with Now UI Dashboard's custom SCSS.
- Prebuilt pages — Dashboard with stats and charts, Tables, Maps (Google Maps and World Map), User Management list, and a 404 NotFound page.
- Environment-specific configuration — The frontend uses VUE_APP_BASE_URL and VUE_APP_API_BASE_URL in a .env file to point to the Laravel API; the backend uses a standard .env with database credentials.
- Route guards and middleware — Vue routes are protected by auth and guest middleware, and the project includes an axios instance and a form error mixin.
Who is it for?
- Laravel developers who need a ready-made admin dashboard with a real API backend instead of mock data.
- Vue developers who want a SPA starter with login, registration, and profile flows already wired to a backend.
- Startups and agencies that need a functional admin panel quickly for MVPs or client projects, with the ability to extend components.
What can you do with it?
- Test the fullstack demo: Log in with [email protected] / secret or register a new user, then explore dashboard, user management, and profile pages.
- Build a custom admin panel: Replace the provided components and pages with your own while keeping the auth and API structure.
- Learn JSON:API integration: See how the Vue client requests and updates data through a Laravel backend that follows the JSON:API specification.
How does it work?
The setup requires two parts. First, configure the Laravel API: run composer install, create a .env with database credentials, run php artisan migrate --seed, generate a key, and install Laravel Passport to get a client ID and secret. Then configure the Vue frontend: npm install, set VUE_APP_BASE_URL and VUE_APP_API_BASE_URL, and run npm run dev. The documentation strongly advises running the backend on Apache/Nginx (e.g. via Laradock or Laragon) rather than php artisan serve.
Pricing
The free version is distributed under the MIT license and can be downloaded as a .zip or cloned from GitHub. A paid PRO version, Vue Now UI Dashboard PRO Laravel, is available on the Creative Tim site with extra components and features.
FAQ
Is Vue Now UI Dashboard Laravel free?
Yes, the free version is MIT-licensed and includes the full source code for the Vue frontend and Laravel API. A separate PRO version with additional features is sold by Creative Tim.
What are the demo login credentials?
The default admin user is [email protected] with the password secret. You can also register a new account from the register page.
What environment do I need?
The Laravel backend requires PHP, MySQL, Composer, and a multi-threaded web server such as Apache or Nginx. The Vue frontend needs Node.js 8.9 or above (8.11.0+ recommended), npm, and VueCLI. The README recommends Laradock on Linux/Mac and Laragon on Windows.
Can I use php artisan serve?
The README explicitly warns not to use php artisan serve because the built-in PHP server is single-threaded and stalls requests. It recommends using Apache/Nginx or a tool like Laradock or Laragon.
Does the template include user management?
Yes, there is a User Management example page that lists users, along with profile editing and password change functionality.
