@emotion/react vs @mui/utils vs @material-ui/styles
Styling Libraries for React Comparison
1 Year
@emotion/react@mui/utils@material-ui/stylesSimilar Packages:
What's Styling Libraries for React?

These libraries provide various approaches to styling React components, enabling developers to create visually appealing and maintainable user interfaces. They cater to different needs, from CSS-in-JS solutions to utility functions that enhance the Material-UI framework. Understanding their unique features and use cases is crucial for selecting the right library for your project.

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@emotion/react11,393,25317,795817 kB3547 months agoMIT
@mui/utils8,261,95895,977241 kB1,73423 days agoMIT
@material-ui/styles1,427,29795,977754 kB1,734-MIT
Feature Comparison: @emotion/react vs @mui/utils vs @material-ui/styles

Styling Approach

  • @emotion/react:

    @emotion/react offers a CSS-in-JS approach, allowing developers to write CSS styles directly within their JavaScript code. This enables dynamic styling based on props or state, making it easier to create responsive and theme-aware components. It also supports the use of styled components and global styles, providing flexibility in how styles are applied.

  • @mui/utils:

    @mui/utils provides a set of utility functions that enhance the Material-UI library. It focuses on improving the developer experience by offering helpers for theming, responsive design, and other common tasks, making it easier to work with Material-UI components.

  • @material-ui/styles:

    @material-ui/styles is designed to work specifically with Material-UI components, providing a way to create custom styles while adhering to Material Design guidelines. It uses a JSS-based approach, allowing for scoped styles that prevent conflicts and promote reusability across components.

Theming Support

  • @emotion/react:

    @emotion/react includes robust theming capabilities, allowing developers to define a theme object that can be accessed throughout the application. This makes it easy to maintain a consistent look and feel across components and enables dynamic theme switching at runtime.

  • @mui/utils:

    @mui/utils provides utility functions to simplify theming tasks, such as creating responsive styles and managing theme breakpoints. It enhances the theming capabilities of Material-UI, making it easier to implement complex design requirements.

  • @material-ui/styles:

    @material-ui/styles integrates seamlessly with Material-UI's theming system, allowing developers to create styles that automatically adapt to the defined theme. This ensures that components remain consistent with the overall design language of the application.

Performance

  • @emotion/react:

    @emotion/react is optimized for performance, leveraging techniques like style caching and critical CSS extraction to minimize the impact on load times. It ensures that styles are only injected when needed, reducing the overall size of the CSS bundle.

  • @mui/utils:

    @mui/utils focuses on providing lightweight utility functions that do not add significant overhead to the application. Its performance impact is minimal, allowing developers to enhance their Material-UI experience without compromising speed.

  • @material-ui/styles:

    @material-ui/styles is designed to work efficiently with Material-UI components, ensuring that styles are applied only when necessary. It uses JSS under the hood, which can lead to performance improvements through style encapsulation and scoped styles.

Integration with React

  • @emotion/react:

    @emotion/react is built specifically for React, providing a seamless integration that allows developers to use styled components and CSS-in-JS syntax directly within their React components. This close integration enhances the developer experience and promotes better code organization.

  • @mui/utils:

    @mui/utils is designed to complement Material-UI, providing utility functions that enhance the integration of Material-UI components with React. It simplifies common tasks and improves the overall developer experience when working with Material-UI.

  • @material-ui/styles:

    @material-ui/styles is part of the Material-UI ecosystem, making it easy to integrate with Material-UI components. It allows developers to create custom styles that align with Material Design principles while taking advantage of React's component-based architecture.

Community and Ecosystem

  • @emotion/react:

    @emotion/react has a growing community and is widely adopted in the React ecosystem. Its flexibility and powerful features have made it a popular choice among developers, leading to a wealth of resources, tutorials, and third-party integrations.

  • @mui/utils:

    @mui/utils is part of the Material-UI ecosystem, which has a large and active community. This ensures that developers have access to extensive documentation, community support, and a variety of resources to assist with integration and usage.

  • @material-ui/styles:

    @material-ui/styles benefits from the strong community surrounding Material-UI, which is one of the most popular React UI frameworks. This ensures a wealth of resources, support, and a consistent evolution of the library in line with community needs.

How to Choose: @emotion/react vs @mui/utils vs @material-ui/styles
  • @emotion/react:

    Choose @emotion/react if you prefer a CSS-in-JS solution that allows for dynamic styling and theming. It offers powerful features such as style composition, theming capabilities, and a developer-friendly API that integrates seamlessly with React components.

  • @mui/utils:

    Opt for @mui/utils if you require utility functions that enhance the Material-UI experience, such as helper functions for theming, responsive design, and other common tasks. It is ideal for developers looking to streamline their workflow when working with Material-UI.

  • @material-ui/styles:

    Select @material-ui/styles if you are using Material-UI and need a styling solution that adheres to Material Design principles. It provides a way to create custom styles for Material-UI components while maintaining consistency with the design system.

README for @emotion/react

@emotion/react

Simple styling in React.

Install

yarn add @emotion/react

Usage

/** @jsx jsx */
import { jsx, css, Global, ClassNames } from '@emotion/react'

render(
  <div css={{ color: 'hotpink' }}>
    <div
      css={css`
        color: green;
      `}
    />
    <Global
      styles={{
        body: {
          margin: 0,
          padding: 0
        }
      }}
    />
    <ClassNames>
      {({ css, cx }) => (
        <div
          className={cx(
            'some-class',
            css`
              color: yellow;
            `
          )}
        />
      )}
    </ClassNames>
  </div>
)

More documentation is available at https://emotion.sh.