Top 5 admin panels we've tested and recommend for CRM

What is the admin panel and how does it work?

Many people wonder what an admin panel is. An admin panel is a management interface for managing a corporate system, its users, and its data. Essentially, it's the "behind the scenes" of any digital product, where complete control over its functionality is concentrated. While a user only interacts with the front-end of a system (such as a website, app, or CRM client), the admin panel is designed for company employees: administrators, managers, accountants, and marketers.

Admin Panel: Functions and Key Features

• user and role management (creating accounts, setting access rights, blocking and restoring)
• working with data (import, export, editing, deletion, setting up storage structures)
• visualization of statistics (dashboards, graphs, sales and activity reports)
• system settings (integration with external services, module configuration, log management)

Custom admin panel development: from scratch or using a template

Building an admin panel from scratch requires significantly more time and budget. Interfaces must be designed, UI components implemented, tested in all scenarios, and only then connected to the business logic.

We also tested ready-made admin panel templates and found that they allow for faster project launches. It's important to understand that these panels don't provide ready-made business modules (CRM, finance, orders), but rather a set of frontend components - tables, charts, cards, forms, and navigation elements. The entire backend is custom-built to meet the client's needs. The advantage is that these templates already have a well-thought-out design, a user-friendly UI, and proven adaptability. This saves time on UI/UX prototyping, allowing developers to focus on business logic and integrations. Therefore, the choice of admin panel directly impacts CRM development: a template speeds implementation, while a custom build provides greater flexibility.

Benefits of using ready-made admin panels

• reducing interface development time
• reducing design and front-end 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.

Benefits of Custom Admin Panels

• Full compliance with business processes and company specifics
• Flexible architecture for scalability and integration with any systems
• The ability to build unique scenarios and modules
• Consistent design and UX consistent with corporate style
• Control over data security and storage
• Easy to support and enhance in the future without template limitations.

Review of tested admin panels

1. Vuexy - CRM Review

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

Vuexy is available in several technology versions - HTML, React, Vue.js, and Laravel -allowing teams to choose the right stack for their specific project. This choice makes the template a versatile tool for both rapid MVP development and large-scale enterprise CRM solutions.

Key features for CRM:

• User Management: A built-in User Management module with roles and access rights is critical for CRM, where you need to separate the rights of managers, administrators, and executives.
• Email client: The built-in Email application allows you to communicate with clients directly in the CRM, without switching to an external email service.
• Chat: Corporate "Chat" is convenient for communication between managers and departments, and can also be used for quick communication with clients.
• Invoice App: invoice generation and PDF export solve the document management problem – generating commercial proposals, contracts, and invoices in one click.
• Logistics & eCommerce: order, product, and delivery management modules are applicable to CRM systems for trading and service companies.
• Analytics and dashboards: ready-made charts and tables help visualize KPIs, sales funnels, and manager activity.
• Calendar: convenient for scheduling meetings, calls, and deal deadlines.

Advantages of Vuexy for CRM:

• Comprehensiveness: many key CRM functions are already covered by built-in applications (mail, chat, invoices, logistics).
• Quick start: An MVP version of a CRM is created much faster than when developing a system from scratch.
• Unified design: all modules are designed in the same style, which ensures a consistent UX.
• Scalability: you can start with a basic set and gradually add new modules.
• Adaptability: managers and administrators can work with CRM from both a computer and a smartphone.

Cons:

• Entry threshold for customization: deep adaptation to unique business processes requires knowledge of Vue/React.
• License cost: For small projects, purchasing a license can be expensive, although the time savings ultimately outweigh the cost.

Examples of using Vuexy in a real project

One of our successful cases involved using Vuexy to develop a CRM system for FOROSTINA, one of the largest manufacturers of roofing and fencing components in Ukraine. As part of the project, we developed a comprehensive CRM system for the client that integrated order, customer, warehouse, and financial management. A Vuexy template was chosen as the basis for the admin panel, which reduced development time and resulted in a modern interface with ready-made modules.

Main sections of CRM:

• Dashboard - a statistics panel with key business indicators: revenue, expenses, order analytics, and customer accounts receivable for a selected period.
• Orders - Track and manage all active company orders.
• Catalog - an interface with the FOROSTINA product catalog, where you can view product cards and make changes.
• Customers - the company's client base with a history of interactions for each buyer.
• Warehouse - management of warehouse stock and product movement.
• Financial management - tools for controlling all financial flows of the company.
• Employees is a personnel management module with a time tracking calendar and performance analytics.
• Production reports – monitoring of production volumes with the ability to export data to an XLS file.
• Users - managing employee access rights in CRM.
• Settings - editing positions, product categories and raw materials.
• Raw Materials Catalogue - management of raw materials and their supplies.

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

Main modules:

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

2. AdminLTE (pros, cons, real-world examples)

AdminLTE is one of the most popular free admin panels built on Bootstrap. It is used by thousands of developers worldwide for CRM, ERP, and other internal systems. Admin LTE is valued for its simplicity, lightweight design, and extensive set of pre-built components, making it an excellent choice for startups and MVPs where speed and minimal costs are essential.

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 component for scheduling tasks and appointments.
• Mailbox interface: simplified mail with viewing and managing letters.
• Responsive design: works correctly on computers and mobile devices.

Advantages of AdminLTE for CRM:

• Free and open-source.
• Easy integration and high speed of operation.
• Minimum server and frontend requirements.
• Large community and many ready-made plugins.

Cons:

• Outdated design compared to Vuexy or Tabler.
• Requires customization for complex systems.

3. ArchitectUI

ArchitectUI Dashboard is a modern admin panel template designed for complex web applications and CRM systems. Available in React, Angular, and Vue, as well as HTML/jQuery, it's a versatile tool for developing enterprise solutions. It features a well-designed code structure, a large number of UI components, and a focus on easy data management.

Key features for CRM:

• Modularity – easily scales to a CRM with a large number of entities (clients, transactions, 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.
• Theming support: light/dark mode, brand settings.

Strengths of Architect:

• 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 beginner developers.

4. Tabler

Tabler is a modern admin panel template based on Bootstrap 5. It's available in two versions: Basic (open-source, free) and Pro (paid), which includes an expanded set of UI components and pre-built pages. It features a minimalist design, easy customization, and good performance. It's suitable for CRM systems where a modern interface and fast integration are essential.

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.
• Pro version: advanced components, more ready-made layouts and modules.

Tabler's strengths:

• Modern and light design.
• Easy integration and high performance.
• You can choose between a free version or a Pro version with advanced features.

Weaknesses:

• Full functionality is available only in the Pro version.
• Complex CRM systems require customization and integration.

5. Unfold Admin

Django Unfold is a modern, open-source admin panel template with a focus on advanced analytics and user-friendly dashboards. It's well-suited for projects that require in-depth data management and visualization, including CRM, analytics systems, and enterprise 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.
• Dark and light themes, brand customization.

Unfold's strengths:

• Modern design and emphasis on data visualization.
• Well suited for small and medium CRMs.
• Easy integration with popular JS frameworks.

Weaknesses:

• Requires experienced developers for deep customization.

Comparison of CRM admin panels

Conclusion

A comparison of popular admin panels reveals that ready-made templates speed up CRM launches but require backend adjustments and development. Custom admin panels, on the other hand, offer companies maximum flexibility, allowing them to take into account all the specifics of business processes, build complex scenarios, and integrate CRM with other digital services.

We often develop solutions that go beyond classic CRM:

• Corporate websites and online stores with CRM integration or their own admin panel for content and order management;
• Telegram bots and other automations that connect to CRM and make working with clients easier;
• integration with ERP and analytical systems to provide the business with a complete picture of its processes.

This approach allows companies to build a unified digital ecosystem where CRM becomes the central management tool. AvadaCRM will help you select and implement an admin panel that will speed up work and simplify CRM management. Contact us to discuss your business needs.