react-table vs ra-ui-materialui vs react-admin vs material-table vs mui-datatables

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

react-table	1,541,454	27,396	940 kB	334	-	MIT
ra-ui-materialui	108,425	26,395	8.01 MB	76	4 days ago	MIT
react-admin	106,314	26,395	57.6 kB	76	4 days ago	MIT
material-table	76,127	3,503	335 kB	3	a year ago	MIT
mui-datatables	68,122	2,718	585 kB	647	-	MIT

Package

Downloads

Stars

Size

Issues

Publish

License

react-table

1,541,454

27,396

940 kB

334

MIT

ra-ui-materialui

108,425

26,395

8.01 MB

4 days ago

MIT

react-admin

106,314

26,395

57.6 kB

4 days ago

MIT

material-table

76,127

3,503

335 kB

a year ago

MIT

mui-datatables

68,122

2,718

585 kB

647

MIT

Customization

react-table:
react-table is known for its extreme customization capabilities. It is a headless library that gives developers complete control over the table structure, rendering, and behavior, allowing for deep customization of every aspect of the table.
ra-ui-materialui:
ra-ui-materialui is built for customization within the React Admin framework. It allows developers to customize components and layouts, but it is more focused on providing a cohesive design system for admin interfaces rather than deep customization of individual components.
react-admin:
react-admin offers a high level of customization for building admin interfaces. It allows developers to create custom views, components, and layouts, providing the flexibility needed for complex applications while maintaining a consistent design language.
material-table:
material-table offers basic customization options, such as styling and column configuration, but it is limited compared to more flexible libraries. It is designed to be simple and easy to use, which may restrict deep customization.
mui-datatables:
mui-datatables provides extensive customization capabilities, including the ability to customize the table layout, styles, and functionality. It allows for more detailed adjustments, making it suitable for applications that require a tailored look and feel.

Built-in Features

react-table:
react-table is a lightweight library that provides basic table functionalities like sorting and pagination, but it is primarily designed to be flexible and extensible. Most features need to be implemented by the developer, allowing for a highly customizable but less feature-rich experience out of the box.
ra-ui-materialui:
ra-ui-materialui focuses on providing components for building admin interfaces, including data grids, forms, and navigation. While it provides essential features for admin applications, it relies on the React Admin framework for more advanced functionalities like data management and authentication.
react-admin:
react-admin is a full-fledged admin framework that includes a wide range of built-in features, such as data management, authentication, routing, and customizable UI components. It provides a comprehensive solution for building complex admin panels and dashboards.
material-table:
material-table comes with built-in features like sorting, filtering, pagination, and inline editing. It provides a good set of features out of the box, making it easy to implement without extensive configuration.
mui-datatables:
mui-datatables offers a rich set of built-in features, including advanced filtering, sorting, pagination, and customizable column rendering. It provides more features compared to material-table, making it a more comprehensive solution for data-heavy applications.

Integration with Material-UI

react-table:
react-table is a headless table library that does not impose any specific design system, allowing developers to integrate it with Material-UI or any other UI framework. It provides the flexibility to style and structure the table as needed, but it requires more work to achieve a Material-UI look and feel.
ra-ui-materialui:
ra-ui-materialui is part of the React Admin ecosystem and is designed to work with Material-UI. It provides Material-UI components tailored for admin interfaces, ensuring consistency in design and functionality across the application.
react-admin:
react-admin supports Material-UI as one of its design systems, allowing developers to use Material-UI components within the admin interface. It provides flexibility in choosing the design system while maintaining compatibility with Material-UI.
material-table:
material-table is built specifically for Material-UI, ensuring seamless integration with Material Design components. It leverages Material-UI’s styling and components, making it a great choice for projects that already use Material-UI.
mui-datatables:
mui-datatables is also designed to work with Material-UI, providing a consistent look and feel with Material Design. It integrates well with Material-UI components, allowing for a cohesive design in applications that use Material-UI.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

react-table:

react-table is lightweight and easy to use for basic table implementations, but its headless nature means that developers need to implement features like pagination and sorting, which can add complexity. Example:

import { useTable } from 'react-table';

function Table({ columns, data }) {
  const { getTableProps, getTableBodyProps, headerGroups, rows, prepareRow } = useTable({ columns, data });

  return (
    <table {...getTableProps()}>
      <thead>
        {headerGroups.map(headerGroup => (
          <tr {...headerGroup.getHeaderGroupProps()}>
            {headerGroup.headers.map(column => (
              <th {...column.getHeaderProps()}>{column.render('Header')}</th>
            ))}
          </tr>
        ))}
      </thead>
      <tbody {...getTableBodyProps()}>
        {rows.map(row => {
          prepareRow(row);
          return (
            <tr {...row.getRowProps()}>
              {row.cells.map(cell => (
                <td {...cell.getCellProps()}>{cell.render('Cell')}</td>
              ))}
            </tr>
          );
        })}
      </tbody>
    </table>
  );
}

ra-ui-materialui:

ra-ui-materialui is designed to work within the React Admin framework, which may require some familiarity with the framework’s concepts. However, it provides a well-structured and intuitive API for building admin interfaces. Example:

import { Admin, Resource } from 'react-admin';
import { DataGrid } from 'ra-ui-materialui';

const dataProvider = {/* Your data provider here */};

function App() {
  return (
    <Admin dataProvider={dataProvider}>
      <Resource name="users" list={DataGrid} />
    </Admin>
  );
}

react-admin:

react-admin provides a comprehensive set of tools for building admin interfaces, but it may have a steeper learning curve due to its complexity and the need to understand its architecture. Example:

import { Admin, Resource } from 'react-admin';

const dataProvider = {/* Your data provider here */};

function App() {
  return (
    <Admin dataProvider={dataProvider}>
      <Resource name="users" />
    </Admin>
  );
}

material-table:

material-table is known for its simplicity and ease of use, especially for quick implementations. Its API is straightforward, making it easy for developers to integrate and use with minimal setup. Example:

import MaterialTable from 'material-table';

function App() {
  return (
    <MaterialTable
      title="Simple Example"
      columns={[
        { title: 'Name', field: 'name' },
        { title: 'Surname', field: 'surname' },
        { title: 'Birth Year', field: 'birthYear', type: 'numeric' },
      ]}
      data={[
        { name: 'John', surname: 'Doe', birthYear: 1990 },
        { name: 'Jane', surname: 'Smith', birthYear: 1995 },
      ]}
      editable={{
        onRowUpdate: (newData, oldData) => {
          // Handle row update
        },
      }}
    />
  );
}

mui-datatables:

mui-datatables has a slightly steeper learning curve due to its more complex features and customization options. However, it is still user-friendly, and the documentation is comprehensive. Example:

import MUIDataTable from 'mui-datatables';

function App() {
  const columns = [
    { name: 'Name', label: 'Name' },
    { name: 'Surname', label: 'Surname' },
    { name: 'Birth Year', label: 'Birth Year' },
  ];

  const data = [
    { Name: 'John', Surname: 'Doe', 'Birth Year': 1990 },
    { Name: 'Jane', Surname: 'Smith', 'Birth Year': 1995 },
  ];

  return <MUIDataTable title="Example Table" data={data} columns={columns} />;
}

Quick Features

Lightweight (5kb - 14kb+ depending on features used and tree-shaking)

Headless (100% customizable, Bring-your-own-UI)

Auto out of the box, fully controllable API

Sorting (Multi and Stable)

Filters

Pivoting & Aggregation

Row Selection

Row Expansion

Column Ordering

Animatable

Virtualizable

Resizable

Server-side/controlled data/state

Extensible via hook-based plugin system

Customization

Built-in Features

Integration with Material-UI

Ease of Use: Code Examples

React Table v7

Visit react-table-v7.tanstack.com for docs, guides, API and more!

Quick Features

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