Tailwind vs Custom CSS: What Should You Choose?

When building a website, one of the fundamental decisions you’ll face is how to handle your CSS. Should you rely on a utility-first framework like Tailwind CSS, or write custom CSS from scratch? Each approach has its strengths and trade-offs, and the right choice depends on your project’s requirements, developer preferences, and future scalability.

In this blog, we will explore both Tailwind and custom CSS, diving into what makes them unique, their benefits, and when to choose one over the other. By the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of which method best suits your next project.

Let’s get started.

What is Tailwind CSS?

Tailwind is a utility-first CSS framework that provides low-level utility classes to help you style your elements directly in your HTML. Unlike traditional CSS frameworks that come with predefined components (like Bootstrap), Tailwind allows you to build custom designs by combining utility classes without writing any actual CSS.

For example:

<div class="bg-blue-500 text-white p-4 rounded-lg">
  This is a Tailwind-styled div
</div>

Instead of creating custom class names and writing CSS rules for them, you use pre-built utility classes like bg-blue-500 for background color, text-white for text color, p-4 for padding, and so on.

What is Custom CSS?

Custom CSS refers to writing your own styles from scratch. This involves defining your class names and assigning CSS properties and values to control the appearance of elements. You have complete freedom over how you write your styles, including organizing them into reusable components or creating a design system tailored to your needs.

Here’s an example:

<div class="custom-div">
  This is a custom CSS styled div
</div>

<style>
  .custom-div {
    background-color: #3490dc;
    color: white;
    padding: 16px;
    border-radius: 10px;
  }
</style>

In this case, you define a custom class (custom-div) and manually apply your CSS properties in a <style> block or an external stylesheet.

Tailwind CSS: Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Rapid Development: Tailwind speeds up the development process by allowing you to apply styles directly in your HTML. No need to switch between your CSS and HTML files constantly.

2. Responsive by Design: With built-in responsive utilities like sm:, md:, and lg:, Tailwind makes it easier to apply breakpoints and design for different devices.

3. No Naming Conflicts: Since Tailwind relies on utility classes, you don't have to worry about creating conflicting class names, which is a common issue when working with custom CSS.

4. Consistency: The use of predefined utility classes enforces a consistent design system throughout your project, making it easier to maintain the codebase.

Cons:

1. HTML Bloat: Styling everything in your HTML can lead to a bloated codebase, with long class strings that may reduce readability.

2. Learning Curve: While Tailwind is powerful, there’s a learning curve involved, especially if you’re used to traditional CSS methods.

3. Customization Limits: Although Tailwind offers great flexibility, some developers find that it limits creativity, as you're constrained by its pre-built utilities unless you extend the framework.

Custom CSS: Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Full Control: With custom CSS, you have complete control over your styles, making it easier to implement highly specific designs that may not be achievable with a utility-first framework.

2. Cleaner HTML: Custom CSS allows you to keep your HTML clean and uncluttered, focusing purely on structure while your styles are defined separately.

3. Scalability: If organized well, custom CSS can scale efficiently with large projects. By building reusable classes and components, you can create a robust design system that adapts to future needs.

Cons:

1. Slower Development: Writing custom CSS can take longer than using a utility-first framework, especially for common styling patterns that Tailwind handles out of the box.

2. Potential for Inconsistency: Without a predefined design system, it's easy for custom CSS to become inconsistent across pages, especially when working in a team or on a large project.

3. Maintenance: Over time, managing a growing custom CSS codebase can become challenging, especially if not well-organized. Naming conflicts and specificity issues may arise.

Tailwind or Custom CSS: Which Should You Choose?

Both Tailwind and custom CSS have their advantages, but your choice will depend on a few factors:

• Project Size:

If you're building a smaller project and need to move fast, Tailwind CSS might be the better option. Its utility-first approach allows for rapid development without the need to set up a comprehensive design system.

For larger projects where scalability and long-term maintainability are key, custom CSS provides more control and can be tailored to the project's needs.

• Developer Experience:

Developers who prefer working with pre-built systems and want to focus on functionality rather than design details may find Tailwind CSS more convenient.

On the other hand, if you enjoy fine-tuning every aspect of your design, custom CSS gives you the freedom to do so without being constrained by a framework.

• Consistency vs. Flexibility:

Tailwind CSS excels at enforcing a consistent design system across your project, which can be a huge advantage for teams.

Custom CSS offers greater flexibility, which is ideal if your design needs deviate significantly from typical patterns or if you want a highly unique look.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the choice between Tailwind and custom CSS depends on your project’s needs and your personal workflow preferences. Tailwind CSS is perfect for developers who want to speed up their development process and maintain a consistent design system, while custom CSS is ideal for those who want more control over their design and are willing to spend extra time fine-tuning their styles.

Also, no matter what you choose, Dualite is here to help in both scenarios. Dualite supports both Tailwind CSS and custom CSS, allowing you to choose whichever fits your needs best.