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Shubhadip Bhowmik
Shubhadip Bhowmik

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Top 5 best CSS frameworks in 2023.

CSS frameworks are pre-prepared libraries that are meant to be used to speed up the process of building websites or web applications. Here are six of the best CSS frameworks.

Bootstrap:

Bootstrap is one of the most popular and widely used CSS frameworks. It includes a wide range of pre-designed components, such as typography, forms, buttons, tables, and navigation. Bootstrap also comes with JavaScript plugins for added functionality.

Pros:

  1. It is widely supported and has a large community of users, making it easy to find documentation and help.
  2. Bootstrap's grid system is very flexible and responsive, making it easy to create complex layouts that work on different screen sizes.
  3. It has a large number of pre-designed components and styles, saving time and effort in designing and coding.

Cons:

  1. Bootstrap can lead to websites that look similar to each other since it is so widely used.
  2. Its large size can sometimes slow down page load times.
  3. Bootstrap's default styles may require customization to fit with the design aesthetic of a particular project.

For the latest on Bootstrap and other top CSS frameworks, check out our Top Best CSS Frameworks in 2024.


Tailwind CSS

Tailwind CSS is a popular utility-first CSS framework that provides a set of pre-defined classes that can be used to style HTML elements. Like any other technology, Tailwind CSS has its own set of pros and cons.

Pros:

  1. Customizable: Tailwind CSS is highly customizable and allows you to configure and modify various aspects of the framework to suit your specific needs.
  2. Faster Development: Tailwind CSS makes it easy to create a responsive and modern UI without writing a lot of custom CSS code. This saves development time and effort.
  3. Consistent Design: Tailwind CSS provides a consistent design system that can be applied across an entire project, ensuring that all UI elements look and feel consistent.
  4. Improved Accessibility: By providing semantic HTML and accessibility-focused classes, Tailwind CSS makes it easier to build accessible websites.
  5. Scalable: Tailwind CSS is designed to scale well and can be used for small projects as well as large, complex applications.

Cons:

  1. Learning Curve: Tailwind CSS has a steep learning curve compared to traditional CSS frameworks due to its utility-first approach. Developers need to learn the framework's classes and how to use them effectively.
  2. Bloated HTML: Since Tailwind CSS relies on pre-defined classes, it can result in more HTML markup than is necessary, which may make the HTML code more complex and harder to maintain.
  3. Overuse of Classes: Without careful consideration, it's easy to overuse Tailwind CSS classes, resulting in bloated CSS and HTML files, which can negatively impact website performance.
  4. Design Constraints: Tailwind CSS is a utility-first framework, which can limit design flexibility and creativity compared to traditional CSS frameworks.

Overall, Tailwind CSS is a powerful tool that can make web development faster, more efficient, and more accessible. However, it's important to carefully consider its pros and cons before deciding whether to use it for your project.

Want to know if Tailwind is still a top choice in 2024? Visit our Top Best CSS Frameworks in 2024 post.


Bulma:

Bulma is a relatively new CSS framework that focuses on simplicity and flexibility. It includes a responsive grid system and pre-designed components, such as forms, buttons, and navigation.

Pros:

  1. Bulma's components are very customizable and can be easily modified to fit specific design needs.
  2. Its CSS classes are very easy to use and understand, making it a great choice for beginners.
  3. Bulma has a very small file size compared to other CSS frameworks, leading to faster page load times.

Cons:

  1. It has a smaller user community compared to other CSS frameworks, making it harder to find resources and support.
  2. Bulma's components can sometimes require more customization than other CSS frameworks, leading to more coding effort.
  3. Its design aesthetic can be less distinct compared to other CSS frameworks.

Stay updated with Bulma and other top frameworks in our Top Best CSS Frameworks in 2024.


Semantic UI

Semantic UI is a popular open-source front-end development framework that aims to make web development more intuitive and efficient by using natural language principles to name classes and components. Here are some of the pros and cons of using Semantic UI:

Pros:

  1. Intuitive: Semantic UI uses natural language principles to name classes and components, making it easy to understand and use.
  2. Customizable: Semantic UI provides a range of customization options that allow developers to create unique and visually appealing designs.
  3. Responsive: The framework is designed to be responsive, which means that the layout and design of a website will automatically adjust to different screen sizes and resolutions.
  4. Comprehensive: Semantic UI includes a comprehensive set of pre-built components and styles, making it easy to create complex and visually appealing user interfaces.
  5. Cross-browser compatibility: Semantic UI is designed to work across different browsers, ensuring that a website will function and look the same on different devices and platforms.

Cons:

  1. Steep learning curve: Semantic UI can be complex to learn, particularly for beginners who are new to front-end development.
  2. Large file size: The framework can have a large file size, which may slow down the loading time of a website.
  3. Limited documentation: The documentation for Semantic UI can be limited at times, making it challenging to find answers to specific questions or issues.
  4. Compatibility issues: Semantic UI can sometimes have compatibility issues with other front-end frameworks or libraries, which may require additional time and effort to resolve.

Overall, Semantic UI can be an excellent choice for developers who are looking for a comprehensive and intuitive front-end development framework. However, it is essential to consider the pros and cons before deciding whether it is the right choice for a particular project.

Explore the latest trends in Semantic UI and other frameworks in our Top Best CSS Frameworks in 2024.


Foundation:

Foundation is another popular CSS framework that includes a wide range of pre-designed components and a responsive grid system. It also includes JavaScript plugins for added functionality.

Pros:

  1. Foundation's grid system is very flexible, allowing for easy customization of layouts.
  2. Its components are designed to be very customizable and can be easily modified to fit specific design needs.
  3. Foundation is designed with mobile-first in mind, making it a great choice for responsive web design.

Cons:

  1. Foundation's documentation can be less comprehensive compared to other CSS frameworks.
  2. Some of its features can be less intuitive to use than Bootstrap's.
  3. Foundation has a smaller user community compared to Bootstrap, so finding support and resources can be more challenging.

Materialize:

Materialize is a CSS framework that is based on Google's Material Design principles. It includes pre-designed components, such as buttons, cards, and forms, and a responsive grid system.

Pros:

  1. Materialize's components are designed with mobile-first in mind, making them great for responsive web design.
  2. Its adherence to Material Design principles means that it can create a consistent and modern design aesthetic.
  3. Materialize includes a wide range of JavaScript plugins for added functionality.

Cons:

  1. Its strict adherence to Material Design principles can make it less flexible than other CSS frameworks.
  2. Materialize's documentation can be less comprehensive compared to other CSS frameworks.
  3. Some of its features can be less intuitive to use than Bootstrap's.

For the latest insights on Materialize and other top CSS frameworks, don't miss our Top Best CSS Frameworks in 2024.

Top comments (13)

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venelinn profile image
Venelin • Edited

Bootstrap - the best framework????? It's the opposite!! These days you don't need any of these frameworks. CSS became so powerful! Just spend a bit more time to learn instead to relay on another dependancies in your project(s). If you want to have full control over. Just use SCSS/PostCSS and that's it!
Enjoy !

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green8888elephant profile image
Kostya • Edited

I don't want to deal with different namings, and uses BEM and spend my time on that.
I rather have easy to use Tailwindclasses and not good :hover and dark:hover:

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susyzee profile image
SusyZee

That's what I also thought, infact I never use Bootstrap!

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bouscs profile image
bouscs

Exactly! CSS has so many features like :has, :is and even upcoming nesting that make it great and you just need to spend a little time to learn.

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spock123 profile image
Lars Rye Jeppesen

Bootstrap should not be used in 2023.

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robinbastiaan profile image
Robin Bastiaan

What CSS frameworks make up your shortlist in 2023?

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spock123 profile image
Lars Rye Jeppesen

Hi Robin... let me see....

Honestly I have been using TailwindCSS for the past couple of years, it's such fun

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shadysamir profile image
shadysamir

I'm surprised to see Foundation on a list in 2023. It was once a strong contender, an opinionated hard to tame one though. I picked it over bootstrap for every project. It was such a let down to see it abandoned. Nevertheless, it doesn't belong to this list today.

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mike_andreuzza profile image
Michael Andreuzza
  • Bullshit.
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kaii profile image
Leo

What about MIUI? I think it deserves a place on this ranking, perhaps above some of the mentioned ones.

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jdgamble555 profile image
Jonathan Gamble

Materialize is a specific framework for Svelte that was archived and has not bee updated for 3 years. Do NOT use it. Svelte Material UI is still active.

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developgenix profile image
Brian Koudijs | Developgenix

I've used materialize many years ago. Even before Svelte was even there. So materialize and Svelte has nothing to do with each other to be honest.

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leonardorafael profile image
Leonardo Rafael Wehrmeister

Nice list. I recommend this one.