Top 5 admin panels we have tested and recommend for CRM

The admin panel is the heart of any CRM system and most digital products. Through it, administrators and managers manage users, configure business processes, work with data and receive analytics in a convenient way. In essence, it is a workplace that should be functional, secure and comfortable to use at the same time.

Avada Media team has repeatedly developed admin panels from scratch and can confidently say: this process requires significant resources. You need to design interfaces, write the front end, test adaptability and integrations. That is why we increasingly recommend using ready-made templates. A modern admin panel is a ready-made set of UI components, modules for statistics, graphs, tables and forms. This allows you not to waste time on routine and focus on the business logic of the product. This approach helps to speed up the project launch and reduce the cost of development without compromising on quality.

Our team tested several solutions and settled on the five most convenient and reliable: Vuexy, AdminLTE, Architect, Tabler, and Unfold. We have used them in real projects and are ready to share our experience of using them, their pros and cons, as well as recommendations specifically for CRM systems.

Many people ask the question: what is an admin panel? An admin panel is a management interface for controlling a corporate system, its users, and data. In essence, it is the “backstage” of any digital product, where full control over its functionality is concentrated. If the user interacts only with the external part of the system (for example, with a website, application, or CRM client part), then the admin panel is intended for company employees: administrators, managers, accountants, and marketers.

Admin panel: main functions and capabilities

• User and role management: creating accounts, setting access rights, blocking, and restoring.
• Working with data: importing, exporting, editing, deleting, configuring storage structures.
• Visualization of statistics: dashboards, graphs, sales and activity reports.
• System settings: integration with external services, module configuration, log management.

Creating an admin panel from scratch requires much more time and budget. You need to design interfaces, implement UI components, test them in different scenarios and only then connect them to business logic.

We also tested ready-made admin panel templates and made sure that they allow you to launch projects faster. It is important to understand: such panels do not contain ready-made business modules (CRM, finances, orders), but are a set of front-end components – tables, graphs, cards, forms, navigation elements. The entire back-end is created individually for the client’s tasks.

The advantage is that the templates already have a well-thought-out design, convenient UI and proven adaptability. This saves time on UI/UX prototyping and allows developers to focus on business logic and integrations. Thus, the choice of admin panel directly affects CRM development: the template speeds up implementation, and individual assembly gives more flexibility.

Advantages of using ready-made admin panels

• reduction of interface development time
• reduction of design and frontend costs
• ready-made adaptive layout for different devices
• proven UX patterns that reduce the risk of errors
• the ability to focus on the business functionality of the system.

Advantages of individually developed admin panels

• full compliance with business processes and company specifics
• flexible architecture for scaling and integration with any systems
• the ability to build unique scripts and modules
• uniform design and UX that matches the corporate style
• control over security and data storage
• ease of support and future development without template restrictions.

1. Vuexy – Overview for CRM

Vuexy is a powerful admin panel template that is perfect for building CRM systems. It combines ready-made UI components, built-in business applications and flexible customization tools. This is especially important for CRM development: instead of creating user management interfaces, agreements or analytics from scratch, developers immediately receive a ready-made basis that only needs to be integrated with business logic.

Vuexy is available in several technological versions – HTML, React, Vue.js and Laravel, which allows teams to choose a stack for a specific project. This makes the template a universal tool for both rapid MVP development and large-scale corporate CRM solutions.

Key features for CRM

• User management: User Management module with roles and access rights – critically important for CRM, where it is necessary to distinguish the powers of managers, administrators and leaders.
• Email client: the built-in “Email” application allows you to communicate with customers directly in CRM, without the need to switch to external mail.
• Chat: corporate “Chat” is convenient for communication between departments and quick contacts with customers.
• Invoice App: invoice generation and export to PDF cover the needs of document management – creating CP, contracts and invoices in one click.
• Logistics & eCommerce: modules for managing orders, products and delivery are useful for CRM in the field of trade and service companies.
• Analytics and dashboards: ready-made graphs and tables for visualization of KPIs, sales funnels and manager activity.
• Calendar: scheduling meetings, calls and controlling deadlines for deals.

Advantages of Vuexy for CRM

• Comprehensiveness – many key CRM functions are already implemented in built-in modules (mail, chat, invoices, logistics).
• Quick start – an MVP version of CRM can be created many times faster than from scratch.
• Unified design – all modules are made in the same style, which guarantees a holistic UX.
• Scalability – you can start with a basic set and gradually expand the system.
• Adaptability – access to CRM from a computer and smartphone.

Disadvantages

• Entry threshold for customization: deep adaptation to specific business processes requires knowledge of Vue/React.
• License cost: for small projects it may seem expensive, but saving time and resources usually covers the costs.

Examples of using Vuexy for a real project

One of our successful cases is using Vuexy to develop CRM for FOROSTINA – one of the largest manufacturers of construction components for roofs and fences in Ukraine. As part of the project, we created a comprehensive CRM system for the client that combined order, customer, warehouse and financial management. The Vuexy template was chosen as the basis for the admin panel, which allowed us to reduce development times and get a modern interface with ready-made modules.

Main sections of CRM FOROSTINA:

• Dashboard – a statistics panel with key business indicators: income, expenses, analytics of orders and customer debts for the selected period.
• Orders – tracking and management of all active orders of the company.
• Catalog – an interface with the FOROSTINA product catalog, where you can view product cards and make changes.
• Customers – a database of company buyers with a history of interaction for each client.
• Warehouse – management of inventory balances and product movement.
• Finance – tools for controlling all financial flows of the company.
• Employees – a module for personnel management with a working time calendar and efficiency analytics.
• Production reports – monitoring the volume of manufactured products with the ability to export data to an XLS file.
• Users – management of employee access rights in CRM.
• Settings – editing positions, categories of goods and raw materials.
• Raw materials catalog – management of materials and their deliveries.

Another successful example is the use of Vuexy to develop CRM for SpiritsUp, an Austrian distributor of alcoholic beverages. Thanks to Vuexy, we were able to quickly create a convenient and modern interface for managers and executives. CRM helped the company automate order processing, reduce reporting time, and increase transparency in customer interactions, which positively affected the speed and quality of service.

Main modules of CRM SpiritsUp:

• Dashboard
• Orders
• Product catalog
• Customers
• Warehouse and finance

2. AdminLTE – pros, cons and real examples

AdminLTE is one of the most popular free admin panels, built on Bootstrap. It is used by thousands of developers around the world to create CRM, ERP and other internal systems. AdminLTE is appreciated for its simplicity, “lightweight” and a large set of ready-made components, which makes it an excellent choice for startups and MVP projects, where speed and minimal costs play a key role.

Key features for CRM

• Ready-made UI components: tables, forms, modal windows, cards.
• Charts and visualization: built-in plugins for displaying statistics (Chart.js, Flot).
• User management: basic templates for login, registration and profile pages.
• Calendar: a basic tool for scheduling tasks and meetings.
• Mail interface (Mailbox): simplified mail with viewing and managing messages.
• Responsive design: correct work both on a computer and on mobile devices.

AdminLTE Pros for CRM

• Completely free and open-source.
• Easy integration and high speed.
• Minimal server and frontend requirements.
• Large community and numerous ready-made plugins.

Cons

• The design is gradually becoming outdated compared to modern solutions (Vuexy, Tabler).
• Additional customization is required for complex systems.

Examples of AdminLTE-based admin panels

A good example is the MyHome24 system, a comprehensive web solution for housing and utility management companies. It includes CRM, a resident’s personal account, an administrative panel, and a corporate website. This approach allowed us to combine all management processes and interaction with residents into a single digital ecosystem. Thanks to AdminLTE, the project received an easy and convenient admin panel, which made it possible to quickly integrate all services and create a single tool for residents and the management company. This reduced the processing time of applications, increased the transparency of settlements and strengthened the trust of customers.

The main modules of CRM “MyHome24”:

• Cash register
• Personal accounts
• Apartments and owners
• Receipts
• Meter readings
• Notifications
• Applications for a call for a master
• Site management

Another project from our practice is the “Novostroy” system, a CRM for developers and construction companies. The solution combined online apartment booking, contract management and payment processing into a single digital platform.

The main modules of CRM “Novostroy”:

• Dashboard
• Real estate catalog
• Online booking
• Client base
• Finances
• Document flow

Our team managed to implement a modern and convenient control panel, which allowed the developer to speed up the sales process and make interaction with customers more transparent.

3. ArchitectUI

ArchitectUI Dashboard is a modern admin panel template designed for complex web applications and CRM systems. Available in versions for React, Angular and Vue, as well as in HTML / jQuery, which makes it a universal tool for developing corporate solutions. It is distinguished by a well-thought-out code architecture, a large number of UI components and an emphasis on the convenience of working with data.

Key features for CRM

• Modularity – easily scalable for CRM with a large number of entities (customers, deals, documents).
• UI components: tables with filtering, graphs, forms, customer cards.
• Complex dashboards: visualization of KPIs, sales analytics and customer activity.
• Flexible navigation: support for multi-level menus, convenient for large systems.
• Themes and customization: light / dark mode, branded settings.

Strengths of ArchitectUI

• Optimally suitable for complex CRM and ERP systems.
• Modern design and adaptive interface.
• Availability of versions for popular frameworks (React, Angular, Vue).
• Well-documented architecture.

Weaknesses

• Higher license cost compared to basic templates.
• More difficult to learn for beginners.

More examples from the Avada Media portfolio

The EfirCards service for the B2B sector is a modern solution in the field of virtual discount cards and loyalty programs, designed for small and medium-sized businesses. To create the administrative part, we used ArchitectUI, which allowed us to quickly develop a convenient admin panel, save time on prototyping interfaces and provide modern UX for managers. Thanks to this solution, the company received a tool for flexible customization of discount schemes, monitoring the effectiveness of promotions and transparent interaction with partners.

Another illustrative example is CRM for the company “Normandika”, the largest logistics company in Southern Ukraine, specializing in the purchase and delivery of cars from US auctions. We developed an admin panel with a modern and user-friendly interface, which allowed the company to automate work with orders, customers and finances. The implementation of the system increased the transparency of processes, accelerated the processing of applications and simplified logistics control at all stages.

4. Tabler

Tabler is a modern admin panel template based on Bootstrap 5. Available in two versions: basic (open-source, free) and Pro (paid), which contains an extended set of UI components and ready-made pages. It is distinguished by its minimalist design, ease of customization and high performance. Well suited for CRM systems, where a modern interface and fast integration are important.

Key features for CRM

• UI components: tables, cards, forms, charts.
• Ready-made pages: login, registration, user profile.
• Dashboards for analytics and KPIs.
• Mobile-friendly design – correct work on smartphones.
• Pro version: extended components, more ready-made layouts and modules.

Tabler strengths

• Modern and lightweight design.
• Easy integration and high performance.
• Choice: free basic version or Pro with extended functionality.

Weaknesses

• Full set of features available only in Pro version.
• Additional development and integrations are required for complex CRMs.

5. Unfold

Django Unfold is a modern open-source admin panel template with an emphasis on advanced analytics and user-friendly dashboards. It is well suited for projects that require deep data work and visualization: CRM, analytical systems, and corporate platforms.

Key features for CRM

• A set of advanced dashboards with graphs and metrics.
• Flexible system of UI components: tables, filters, forms.
• Multi-level navigation, convenient for large-scale systems.
• Light and dark themes, customization for the brand.

Strengths of Unfold

• Modern design and focus on data visualization.
• Optimally suited for small and medium-sized CRMs.
• Easy integration with popular JS frameworks.

Weaknesses

• Experienced developers are required for deep customization.

Practical case for Unfold

SimbaMars is a full-fledged P2E ecosystem (Play-to-Earn) with an in-game economy. To manage such a project, a convenient and scalable administrative part is required, which provides control over users, transactions and game assets.

To design the admin panel, we chose Django Unfold – a modern solution based on Django Admin. Thanks to Django Unfold, we were able to quickly get a modern interface without having to create a UI “from scratch”, and customization for the business logic of the P2E platform allowed us to adapt the system to the specifics of the gaming ecosystem.

Comparing popular admin panels, we can conclude: ready-made templates significantly speed up the launch of CRM, but at the same time require adjustments and refinement of the backend. Individually designed admin panels, in turn, provide companies with maximum flexibility – they allow you to take into account all the features of business processes, build complex scenarios and combine CRM with other digital services.

We often create solutions that go beyond the boundaries of classic CRM:

• corporate websites and online stores with integration into CRM or with their own admin panel for managing content and orders;
• Telegram bots and other automations that connect to CRM and facilitate work with customers;
• integration with ERP and analytical systems so that the business receives a complete picture of processes.

This approach allows companies to build a single digital ecosystem in which CRM becomes the central management tool. Avada Media will help you choose and implement an admin panel that will speed up your work and simplify CRM management. Write to us and we will discuss the tasks of your business.