CSS Purification Libraries Comparison
purgecss vs purify-css vs uncss
1 Year
purgecsspurify-cssuncssSimilar Packages:
What's CSS Purification Libraries?

CSS purification libraries are tools designed to remove unused CSS from your stylesheets, helping to optimize web performance by reducing file sizes and improving load times. These libraries analyze your HTML and JavaScript files to identify which CSS selectors are actually used in your project, allowing developers to maintain cleaner, more efficient stylesheets. By eliminating unused CSS, these tools can significantly enhance the performance of web applications, particularly those with large stylesheets or complex designs.

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Package
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purgecss765,0457,808135 kB4615 days agoMIT
purify-css107,5629,921-857 years agoMIT
uncss72,1379,419-565 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: purgecss vs purify-css vs uncss

Integration

  • purgecss:

    PurgeCSS provides seamless integration with modern build tools and frameworks, such as Webpack, Gulp, and PostCSS. This allows for automated CSS purification as part of your build process, ensuring that your stylesheets remain optimized without manual intervention.

  • purify-css:

    PurifyCSS can be easily integrated into your workflow with minimal setup. It works well with various build systems and can be run as a standalone tool, making it accessible for developers of all skill levels.

  • uncss:

    UnCSS is a standalone tool that can be run via the command line or integrated into build processes. However, it may require more manual configuration compared to PurgeCSS or PurifyCSS, especially for dynamic content.

Customization

  • purgecss:

    PurgeCSS offers extensive customization options, allowing developers to specify which files to scan, which CSS selectors to keep, and how to handle dynamic content. This flexibility makes it suitable for complex applications with varying requirements.

  • purify-css:

    PurifyCSS provides basic customization options, but it is less flexible than PurgeCSS. It allows you to specify files to include or exclude, but advanced configurations may be limited.

  • uncss:

    UnCSS has limited customization capabilities compared to the other two. It primarily focuses on removing unused CSS based on static HTML, which may not be ideal for projects with dynamic content.

Performance

  • purgecss:

    PurgeCSS is optimized for performance and can handle large stylesheets efficiently. It analyzes your content and CSS in a performant manner, ensuring that the purification process does not become a bottleneck in your build pipeline.

  • purify-css:

    PurifyCSS is generally fast for small to medium-sized projects, but its performance may degrade with larger stylesheets or complex HTML structures due to its scanning method.

  • uncss:

    UnCSS can be slower than the other two options, especially for larger projects, as it processes HTML files to determine unused CSS. This can lead to longer build times if not managed properly.

Dynamic Content Handling

  • purgecss:

    PurgeCSS excels at handling dynamic content, such as JavaScript-generated HTML. It allows you to specify custom extraction patterns, ensuring that dynamically added classes are not removed during the purification process.

  • purify-css:

    PurifyCSS may struggle with dynamic content, as it primarily analyzes static HTML. This can lead to the accidental removal of necessary styles if classes are added dynamically.

  • uncss:

    UnCSS is not well-suited for dynamic content, as it relies on static HTML files. If your project involves dynamic class generation, you may find UnCSS inadequate for your needs.

Ease of Use

  • purgecss:

    PurgeCSS has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive configuration options, but it offers greater control and flexibility for advanced users. Documentation and community support are robust, aiding in the learning process.

  • purify-css:

    PurifyCSS is user-friendly and straightforward, making it an excellent choice for beginners or those looking for a quick solution. Its simplicity allows for rapid implementation without extensive setup.

  • uncss:

    UnCSS is relatively easy to use for static projects, but its limitations with dynamic content may require additional effort to ensure proper CSS retention.

How to Choose: purgecss vs purify-css vs uncss
  • purgecss:

    Choose PurgeCSS if you need a highly customizable tool that integrates well with modern build tools like Webpack, Gulp, or PostCSS. It offers advanced configuration options and supports various content types, making it suitable for complex projects.

  • purify-css:

    Select PurifyCSS for a straightforward solution that is easy to set up and use. It is ideal for smaller projects or when you need a quick solution to remove unused CSS without extensive configuration.

  • uncss:

    Opt for UnCSS if you are working with static HTML files and prefer a simpler, more traditional approach to CSS purification. It is effective for projects where the HTML structure is stable and does not change frequently.

README for purgecss

PurgeCSS

npm npm GitHub Dependabot Coverage Status

PurgeCSS logo

What is PurgeCSS?

When you are building a website, chances are that you are using a css framework like Bootstrap, Materializecss, Foundation, etc... But you will only use a small set of the framework and a lot of unused css styles will be included.

This is where PurgeCSS comes into play. PurgeCSS analyzes your content and your css files. Then it matches the selectors used in your files with the one in your content files. It removes unused selectors from your css, resulting in smaller css files.

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Documentation

You can find the PurgeCSS documentation on this website.

Table of Contents

PurgeCSS

Plugins

Guides

Getting Started

Installation

npm i --save-dev purgecss

Usage

import PurgeCSS from "purgecss";
const purgeCSSResults = await new PurgeCSS().purge({
  content: ["**/*.html"],
  css: ["**/*.css"],
});

Contributing

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for details on our code of conduct, and the process for submitting pull requests to us.

Versioning

PurgeCSS use SemVer for versioning.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.