Which is Better CSS Frameworks?
bootstrap vs bulma vs materialize-css
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What's CSS Frameworks?

CSS frameworks are pre-prepared libraries that are meant to be used as a base for starting a project. They provide a set of CSS styles and components that help developers create responsive and visually appealing web applications quickly. These frameworks streamline the development process by offering reusable components and a consistent design language, which can significantly reduce the time and effort required to build a user interface. Additionally, they often come with built-in responsiveness and cross-browser compatibility, enhancing the overall user experience.

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bootstrap4,817,102170,8859.67 MB6409 months agoMIT
bulma219,10249,3706.15 MB4784 months agoMIT
materialize-css23,35738,863-7946 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: bootstrap vs bulma vs materialize-css

Design Philosophy

  • bootstrap: Bootstrap follows a mobile-first approach and emphasizes a grid system that allows for responsive design. It provides a comprehensive set of UI components and utilities that are consistent and easy to use, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
  • bulma: Bulma is built on Flexbox, which allows for more flexible and responsive layouts. Its design philosophy focuses on simplicity and readability, providing a clean aesthetic that is easy to customize and adapt to different projects.
  • materialize-css: Materialize CSS is based on Material Design, which emphasizes depth, shadows, and animations to create a more engaging user experience. It provides components that are designed to look and feel like physical objects, enhancing usability.

Customization

  • bootstrap: Bootstrap allows for extensive customization through its Sass variables and mixins. Developers can easily override default styles and create a unique look for their applications while still leveraging the framework's components.
  • bulma: Bulma is highly customizable and modular, allowing developers to import only the components they need. Its use of Sass makes it easy to adjust variables and styles to fit specific design requirements without bloat.
  • materialize-css: Materialize CSS provides customization options through Sass variables, but it is more opinionated in its design. While you can customize it, the framework encourages adherence to Material Design principles, which may limit flexibility for some projects.

Component Library

  • bootstrap: Bootstrap offers a vast library of pre-built components, including modals, carousels, alerts, and more. This extensive component library makes it easy to implement common UI elements without having to build them from scratch.
  • bulma: Bulma provides a simpler set of components focused on essential UI elements. While it may not have as many components as Bootstrap, it covers the basics well and allows for quick development of clean interfaces.
  • materialize-css: Materialize CSS includes a rich set of components that are designed to work seamlessly with Material Design. It offers unique components like cards and floating action buttons that enhance the user experience.

Learning Curve

  • bootstrap: Bootstrap is relatively easy to learn, especially for developers familiar with HTML and CSS. Its extensive documentation and large community make it accessible for beginners and experienced developers alike.
  • bulma: Bulma has a gentle learning curve due to its straightforward syntax and clear documentation. Developers can quickly grasp its concepts and start building responsive layouts with minimal effort.
  • materialize-css: Materialize CSS may require a bit more time to learn due to its adherence to Material Design principles. Understanding the design philosophy is essential to effectively utilize its components and achieve the desired look.

Community and Support

  • bootstrap: Bootstrap has a large and active community, which means plenty of resources, tutorials, and third-party plugins are available. This support can be invaluable for troubleshooting and enhancing projects.
  • bulma: Bulma has a growing community, but it is smaller compared to Bootstrap. While there are resources available, developers may find fewer third-party plugins and tutorials.
  • materialize-css: Materialize CSS has a moderate community presence. While it offers good documentation, the availability of third-party resources and plugins is less extensive than Bootstrap.
How to Choose: bootstrap vs bulma vs materialize-css
  • bootstrap: Choose Bootstrap if you need a robust, widely-used framework with extensive documentation and community support. It is ideal for projects requiring a comprehensive set of components and utilities, especially for rapid prototyping and development.
  • bulma: Choose Bulma if you prefer a modern, flexbox-based framework that is lightweight and easy to customize. Bulma's simplicity and modularity make it suitable for developers who want a clean and minimalistic design without the overhead of JavaScript components.
  • materialize-css: Choose Materialize CSS if you are looking for a framework that follows Google's Material Design principles. It is perfect for projects that aim for a visually rich and interactive user experience, leveraging components that mimic real-world interactions.
Similar Npm Packages to bootstrap

bootstrap is a popular front-end framework that enables developers to create responsive and mobile-first websites quickly and efficiently. It provides a robust set of CSS and JavaScript components, including grids, buttons, forms, modals, and navigation bars, which help streamline the development process. With its extensive documentation and a large community, Bootstrap has become a go-to choice for many web developers looking to build visually appealing and functional web applications. However, there are several alternatives available that cater to different design philosophies and requirements.

  • foundation-sites is a responsive front-end framework developed by ZURB. It offers a flexible grid system and a wide range of UI components, similar to Bootstrap. Foundation is known for its customizability and mobile-first approach, making it an excellent choice for developers who want more control over their designs. It also includes advanced features like accessibility support and a modular structure, allowing developers to include only the components they need for their projects.

  • materialize-css is a modern responsive front-end framework based on Material Design principles developed by Google. It provides a clean and minimalistic design aesthetic, making it suitable for applications that prioritize user experience and visual appeal. Materialize offers a variety of components and styles that adhere to Material Design guidelines, making it easy for developers to create visually consistent and engaging interfaces.

  • tailwindcss is a utility-first CSS framework that allows developers to build custom designs without leaving their HTML. Unlike traditional frameworks like Bootstrap, which provide predefined components, Tailwind encourages a more flexible approach by offering utility classes that can be combined to create unique designs. This approach allows for greater customization and responsiveness, making Tailwind a popular choice among developers who prefer to have complete control over their styling.

To explore how Bootstrap compares with Foundation, Materialize, and Tailwind, check out the comparison: Comparing bootstrap vs foundation-sites vs materialize-css vs tailwindcss.

Similar Npm Packages to bulma

bulma is a modern CSS framework based on Flexbox, designed to help developers create responsive and aesthetically pleasing web interfaces quickly and easily. With its clean syntax and modular structure, Bulma allows for easy customization and integration into various projects. It provides a wide range of pre-designed components, such as buttons, forms, navigation bars, and modals, making it a popular choice for developers looking to streamline their workflow.

While Bulma is a great option for styling web applications, there are other CSS frameworks available that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few alternatives:

  • bootstrap is one of the most widely used CSS frameworks in the world. It provides a comprehensive set of pre-designed components and utilities, making it easy to create responsive and mobile-first web applications. Bootstrap is known for its grid system, which allows for flexible layouts, and its extensive documentation, which makes it beginner-friendly. If you are looking for a robust framework with a large community and plenty of resources, Bootstrap is an excellent choice.
  • tailwindcss is a utility-first CSS framework that provides low-level utility classes to build custom designs without having to leave your HTML. Unlike traditional frameworks that offer pre-designed components, Tailwind allows developers to create unique designs by composing utility classes directly in their markup. This approach promotes a more customized and flexible design process, making it a popular choice among developers who prefer to have full control over their styling. If you value customization and want to avoid the constraints of predefined components, Tailwind CSS is worth considering.

To see how Bulma compares with Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS, check out the comparison: Comparing bootstrap vs bulma vs tailwindcss.

Similar Npm Packages to materialize-css

materialize-css is a modern responsive front-end framework based on Material Design principles. It provides a set of CSS and JavaScript components that help developers create visually appealing and user-friendly web applications. With its grid system, pre-styled components, and responsive design features, materialize-css makes it easy to build beautiful interfaces quickly. However, there are several alternatives in the CSS framework landscape that also offer robust solutions for web development. Here are a few notable alternatives:

  • bootstrap is one of the most popular front-end frameworks available. It provides a comprehensive set of CSS and JavaScript components for building responsive and mobile-first websites. Bootstrap's extensive documentation, large community, and wide range of pre-built components make it an excellent choice for developers looking to create consistent and functional designs. Its grid system, utility classes, and customizable themes allow for flexibility in design while ensuring a solid foundation for web applications.
  • bulma is a modern CSS framework based on Flexbox. It is known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a great choice for developers who want to create clean and responsive layouts without the complexity of JavaScript components. Bulma provides a set of responsive design elements and a straightforward syntax, allowing developers to quickly build user interfaces. Its modular structure means that you can include only the components you need, resulting in a lightweight solution for web development.

To see how materialize-css compares with bootstrap and bulma, check out the comparison: Comparing bootstrap vs bulma vs materialize-css.

README for bootstrap

Bootstrap logo

Bootstrap

Sleek, intuitive, and powerful front-end framework for faster and easier web development.
Explore Bootstrap docs »

Report bug · Request feature · Themes · Blog

Bootstrap 5

Our default branch is for development of our Bootstrap 5 release. Head to the v4-dev branch to view the readme, documentation, and source code for Bootstrap 4.

Table of contents

Quick start

Several quick start options are available:

  • Download the latest release
  • Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap.git
  • Install with npm: npm install bootstrap@v5.3.3
  • Install with yarn: yarn add bootstrap@v5.3.3
  • Install with Composer: composer require twbs/bootstrap:5.3.3
  • Install with NuGet: CSS: Install-Package bootstrap Sass: Install-Package bootstrap.sass

Read the Getting started page for information on the framework contents, templates, examples, and more.

Status

Build Status npm version Gem version Meteor Atmosphere Packagist Prerelease NuGet Coverage Status CSS gzip size CSS Brotli size JS gzip size JS Brotli size Backers on Open Collective Sponsors on Open Collective

What's included

Within the download you'll find the following directories and files, logically grouping common assets and providing both compiled and minified variations.

Download contents 
bootstrap/
├── css/
│   ├── bootstrap-grid.css
│   ├── bootstrap-grid.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-grid.min.css
│   ├── bootstrap-grid.min.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-grid.rtl.css
│   ├── bootstrap-grid.rtl.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-grid.rtl.min.css
│   ├── bootstrap-grid.rtl.min.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-reboot.css
│   ├── bootstrap-reboot.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-reboot.min.css
│   ├── bootstrap-reboot.min.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-reboot.rtl.css
│   ├── bootstrap-reboot.rtl.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-reboot.rtl.min.css
│   ├── bootstrap-reboot.rtl.min.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-utilities.css
│   ├── bootstrap-utilities.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-utilities.min.css
│   ├── bootstrap-utilities.min.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-utilities.rtl.css
│   ├── bootstrap-utilities.rtl.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap-utilities.rtl.min.css
│   ├── bootstrap-utilities.rtl.min.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap.css
│   ├── bootstrap.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap.min.css
│   ├── bootstrap.min.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap.rtl.css
│   ├── bootstrap.rtl.css.map
│   ├── bootstrap.rtl.min.css
│   └── bootstrap.rtl.min.css.map
└── js/
    ├── bootstrap.bundle.js
    ├── bootstrap.bundle.js.map
    ├── bootstrap.bundle.min.js
    ├── bootstrap.bundle.min.js.map
    ├── bootstrap.esm.js
    ├── bootstrap.esm.js.map
    ├── bootstrap.esm.min.js
    ├── bootstrap.esm.min.js.map
    ├── bootstrap.js
    ├── bootstrap.js.map
    ├── bootstrap.min.js
    └── bootstrap.min.js.map

We provide compiled CSS and JS (bootstrap.*), as well as compiled and minified CSS and JS (bootstrap.min.*). Source maps (bootstrap.*.map) are available for use with certain browsers' developer tools. Bundled JS files (bootstrap.bundle.js and minified bootstrap.bundle.min.js) include Popper.

Bugs and feature requests

Have a bug or a feature request? Please first read the issue guidelines and search for existing and closed issues. If your problem or idea is not addressed yet, please open a new issue.

Documentation

Bootstrap's documentation, included in this repo in the root directory, is built with Hugo and publicly hosted on GitHub Pages at https://getbootstrap.com/. The docs may also be run locally.

Documentation search is powered by Algolia's DocSearch.

Running documentation locally

  1. Run npm install to install the Node.js dependencies, including Hugo (the site builder).
  2. Run npm run test (or a specific npm script) to rebuild distributed CSS and JavaScript files, as well as our docs assets.
  3. From the root /bootstrap directory, run npm run docs-serve in the command line.
  4. Open http://localhost:9001/ in your browser, and voilà.

Learn more about using Hugo by reading its documentation.

Documentation for previous releases

You can find all our previous releases docs on https://getbootstrap.com/docs/versions/.

Previous releases and their documentation are also available for download.

Contributing

Please read through our contributing guidelines. Included are directions for opening issues, coding standards, and notes on development.

Moreover, if your pull request contains JavaScript patches or features, you must include relevant unit tests. All HTML and CSS should conform to the Code Guide, maintained by Mark Otto.

Editor preferences are available in the editor config for easy use in common text editors. Read more and download plugins at https://editorconfig.org/.

Community

Get updates on Bootstrap's development and chat with the project maintainers and community members.

Versioning

For transparency into our release cycle and in striving to maintain backward compatibility, Bootstrap is maintained under the Semantic Versioning guidelines. Sometimes we screw up, but we adhere to those rules whenever possible.

See the Releases section of our GitHub project for changelogs for each release version of Bootstrap. Release announcement posts on the official Bootstrap blog contain summaries of the most noteworthy changes made in each release.

Creators

Mark Otto

Jacob Thornton

Thanks

BrowserStack

Thanks to BrowserStack for providing the infrastructure that allows us to test in real browsers!

Netlify

Thanks to Netlify for providing us with Deploy Previews!

Sponsors

Support this project by becoming a sponsor. Your logo will show up here with a link to your website. [Become a sponsor]

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Backers

Thank you to all our backers! 🙏 [Become a backer]

Backers

Copyright and license

Code and documentation copyright 2011–2024 the Bootstrap Authors. Code released under the MIT License. Docs released under Creative Commons.

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