tailwindcss vs bootstrap vs bulma vs materialize-css
CSS Frameworks Comparison
1 Year
tailwindcssbootstrapbulmamaterialize-cssSimilar Packages:
What's CSS Frameworks?

CSS frameworks are pre-prepared libraries that are meant to be used as a base for starting a particular type of project. They help streamline the development process by providing a set of standardized styles and components that can be easily integrated into web applications. Each framework has its own design philosophy and feature set, catering to different development needs and preferences. The choice of framework can significantly impact the design, responsiveness, and overall user experience of a web application.

Package Weekly Downloads Trend
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Package
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tailwindcss13,966,31686,117563 kB918 days agoMIT
bootstrap4,645,663171,6929.67 MB666a year agoMIT
bulma188,70949,6216.97 MB4942 months agoMIT
materialize-css24,21638,869-7936 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: tailwindcss vs bootstrap vs bulma vs materialize-css

Design Philosophy

  • tailwindcss:

    Tailwind CSS adopts a utility-first approach, allowing developers to apply styles directly in the markup. This promotes rapid development and encourages a more custom design without predefined styles.

  • bootstrap:

    Bootstrap follows a mobile-first approach and emphasizes responsiveness and consistency across devices. It provides a grid system and a variety of pre-styled components that can be easily customized.

  • bulma:

    Bulma is built with Flexbox, promoting a clean and modern design. It focuses on simplicity and ease of use, allowing developers to create responsive layouts with minimal effort.

  • materialize-css:

    Materialize CSS is based on Google's Material Design, which emphasizes depth, shadows, and animations. It aims to create a more tactile and interactive user experience through its components and styles.

Customization

  • tailwindcss:

    Tailwind CSS excels in customization, allowing developers to create unique designs using utility classes. Its configuration file enables extensive customization of colors, spacing, and breakpoints.

  • bootstrap:

    Bootstrap offers a theming system that allows for customization through SASS variables. However, extensive customization may require overriding default styles, which can lead to complexity.

  • bulma:

    Bulma is highly customizable through SASS, enabling developers to modify variables and create their own themes easily. Its modular structure allows for selective imports, reducing file size.

  • materialize-css:

    Materialize CSS provides customization options through SASS variables and mixins, but it may require more effort to deviate from the Material Design guidelines.

Learning Curve

  • tailwindcss:

    Tailwind CSS has a steeper learning curve initially due to its utility-first approach. However, once accustomed to the utility classes, developers often find it faster for styling.

  • bootstrap:

    Bootstrap has a moderate learning curve, especially for beginners. Its extensive documentation and examples make it easier to get started, but understanding its grid system and components may take time.

  • bulma:

    Bulma is relatively easy to learn due to its straightforward syntax and clear documentation. Developers familiar with CSS will find it intuitive to use.

  • materialize-css:

    Materialize CSS has a moderate learning curve, particularly for those unfamiliar with Material Design principles. Understanding its component structure and customization options may take some time.

Community and Support

  • tailwindcss:

    Tailwind CSS has gained significant popularity and has a rapidly growing community. It offers excellent documentation, resources, and a variety of plugins to extend its functionality.

  • bootstrap:

    Bootstrap has a large and active community, providing extensive resources, plugins, and third-party themes. Its popularity ensures a wealth of tutorials and support.

  • bulma:

    Bulma has a growing community, though smaller than Bootstrap. It offers good documentation and community support, but fewer third-party resources are available.

  • materialize-css:

    Materialize CSS has a moderate community presence. While it has decent documentation and resources, it doesn't have as many third-party plugins compared to Bootstrap.

Performance

  • tailwindcss:

    Tailwind CSS is designed for performance, and its utility-first approach minimizes CSS file sizes. PurgeCSS can be used to remove unused styles, further optimizing performance.

  • bootstrap:

    Bootstrap is relatively lightweight, but including the entire framework can lead to larger file sizes. Developers can customize their builds to include only the components they need.

  • bulma:

    Bulma is lightweight and does not include JavaScript, making it faster to load. Its modular nature allows developers to include only the necessary styles, optimizing performance.

  • materialize-css:

    Materialize CSS can be heavier due to its comprehensive component library and JavaScript dependencies. Performance can be improved by selectively including components.

How to Choose: tailwindcss vs bootstrap vs bulma vs materialize-css
  • tailwindcss:

    Choose Tailwind CSS if you value utility-first design and customization. It allows for rapid styling directly in your markup, making it easier to create unique designs without leaving your HTML.

  • bootstrap:

    Choose Bootstrap if you need a robust, widely-used framework with extensive documentation and a large community. It's ideal for rapid prototyping and offers a comprehensive set of pre-designed components and utilities.

  • bulma:

    Select Bulma if you prefer a modern, lightweight framework that uses Flexbox for layout. It's great for developers who want a clean and minimalistic design without the overhead of JavaScript components.

  • materialize-css:

    Opt for Materialize CSS if you want to implement Google's Material Design principles in your application. It provides a rich set of components that follow Material Design guidelines, making it suitable for projects that prioritize aesthetics and user experience.

README for tailwindcss

Tailwind CSS

A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom user interfaces.

Build Status Total Downloads Latest Release License


Documentation

For full documentation, visit tailwindcss.com.

Community

For help, discussion about best practices, or any other conversation that would benefit from being searchable:

Discuss Tailwind CSS on GitHub

For chatting with others using the framework:

Join the Tailwind CSS Discord Server

Contributing

If you're interested in contributing to Tailwind CSS, please read our contributing docs before submitting a pull request.