Tag: Tailwind CSS

Tailwind CSS vs Bootstrap: Which one is a better CSS framework? Amit Jain February 1, 2023

What is Tailwind CSS?

  • Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework for creating custom user interfaces quickly. It is a snazzy way to write inline styling and create an awesome interface without writing a single line of CSS.
  • Tailwind CSS gives developers much flexibility and control over how a component looks and feels, whereas typical UI kits include many prebuilt components, making it more difficult to create a unique UI. Its utility classes make it simple and quick to create reusable components that match the overall look and feel of your UI.
  • The first alpha version of Tailwind CSS was released on November 1, 2017, according to the GitHub release history.

What is Bootstrap?

  • Bootstrap is a free, open-source, and the most popular HTML, CSS, and Javascript framework developed by Twitter for creating responsive web applications.
  • Bootstrap includes a mobile-first, responsive fluid grid system that scales up to 12 columns as the device or viewport size increases. It includes predefined classes for easy layout options and powerful mixins for generating more semantic layouts.
  • Many companies use Bootstrap as part of their technology stack. Bootstrap is widely used by professional web developers when developing apps and websites for businesses in a variety of industries. According to SimilarTech, Bootstrap has been utilized to build over half a million websites in the United States.

Comparing Tailwind CSS and Bootstrap

a) Key Differences

  • The primary distinction between Tailwind CSS and Bootstrap is that Tailwind CSS is not a user interface kit. Unlike UI kits like Bootstrap, Foundation, and Bulma.
  • Tailwind CSS lacks a default theme and built-in UI components. Instead, it includes pre-designed widgets that you can use to build your site from the ground up. Bootstrap comes with responsive layouts, components, and utility classes.
  • Due to the required files, the file size of Bootstrap is larger than Tailwind. Whereas you can use PurgeCSS to remove unused classes in Tailwind CSS.
  • Bootstrap is well-known for its responsiveness and flawless design, whereas Tailwind CSS supporters typically value the framework’s customizability. The best option for you is determined by your priorities and project requirements.

b) Which one is more popular?

  • Tailwind CSS is a newer framework gaining a lot of popularity, replacing Bootstrap in comparison.
  • Bootstrap is used by well-known companies such as Spotify, Twitter, Lifebuoy, Forbes India, and Lyft, whereas Tailwind CSS is used by BlaBlaCar, Exyplis, and Bazzite.

c) Which one is a better choice?

  • Tailwind CSS does not impose difficult-to-reverse design decisions because apps and sites are made of predesigned widgets. Working with Tailwind CSS entails utilizing a set of utility classes that allow you to work with only what you require. This is a clever way to create user interfaces that are more open to developers’ creativity.
  • With Bootstrap, the sites almost always look the same, which limits our ability to incorporate creativity into the development environment. One of Tailwind CSS’s advantages is its ability to easily build complex user interfaces without encouraging any two sites to look the same.
  • According to StackShare, Bootstrap has a higher level of acceptance, with 42906 companies using it in tech stacks, including Spotify, Twitter, and Udemy. In contrast, Tailwind CSS is reportedly used by 380 companies, including MAK IT, Superchat, and überdosis.

d) Which one is an easier framework?

  • Bootstrap is a broader concept than Tailwind and necessitates using multiple files to access its full functionality. As a result, using Bootstrap results in a significantly larger file size than Tailwind.
  • Bootstrap is a component-based framework that includes prebuilt components and utilities for layering displays, spacing, and so on. It includes pre-styled mobile-first, responsive components for quickly creating flawless website pages.
  • CSS, on the other hand, is primarily a utility framework. Tailwind CSS is similar to writing regular CSS. It does not have any pre-built components, unlike Bootstrap.
  • There is very little CSS to write with Bootstrap’s pre-built components. As a result, minor changes in the design could cause problems. Tailwind CSS allows you to style your elements from the ground up using Tailwind’s styling syntax. It makes changes easier because you only need to remove a few CSS classes.

Tailwind CSS or Bootstrap: Which one to choose for your organization?

Tailwind and Bootstrap are used to aid in the creation of a project’s user interface to reduce development time and, ultimately, improve your user experience.

  • Tailwind CSS makes writing and maintaining your application’s code easier. You don’t have to write custom CSS to style your application if you use this utility-first framework. Instead, you can use utility classes to control your application’s padding, margin, color, font, shadow, and other properties.
  • Bootstrap is much older and has evolved significantly over time. Tailwind is much younger and smaller than Bootstrap, resulting in faster loading times in comparison.
  • The subject of developing with Tailwind or Bootstrap is vast, and determining which is superior should begin with research. Learning more about each approach and how to apply it will help you decide which is best for your needs. There are numerous methods for conducting research, and you can use them in small projects, watch videos, and become involved in the community.

Conclusion-

So, which CSS framework should you employ? It always depends on your specific situation. If your project does not deviate too far from some of the more common layouts, or if you are a backend or full-stack developer, Bootstrap may be the better framework. Tailwind might be a better option if your project requires a lot of front-end customization, follows a different layout, or if you’re more experienced with CSS. Whatever you decide, make sure it meets the requirements of your project.

Learn more about Tailwind CSS

Pros and Cons of Using Tailwind CSS Sujeet Pillai December 8, 2022

What is CSS?

CSS is an abbreviation for Cascading Style Sheets. CSS specifies how HTML elements should appear on screen, paper, or other media platforms. With CSS, you can control the appearance of multiple web pages at once by changing the styles in a single style sheet. Using CSS allows you to separate the content of your HTML document from the visual design, making it easier to update and maintain the look of your website. It also helps to improve the accessibility and performance of your website by reducing the amount of HTML code and allowing you to use more efficient selectors. CSS is one of the open web’s core languages and is standardized across Web browsers according to W3C specifications.

 

What is Tailwind CSS?

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework and was released in May 2019. It gives you the tools and the standardization to develop exactly what you want instead of limiting you to a predetermined design. It is especially useful for building prototypes or small, dynamic projects where the design may change frequently. Other CSS frameworks or libraries, such as React or Vue.js, can be used in conjunction with Tailwind CSS. It can easily be utilized stand-alone without requiring other frameworks or libraries. 1370 programmers on StackShare have acknowledged using Tailwind CSS.

 

Pros of Using Tailwind CSS

1) Easy and free-to-use

Tailwind styling is much easier to keep up. A quick and easy way to create unique user interfaces is with Tailwind CSS, a free and open-source CSS framework. The use of Tailwind on your website facilitates development and responsiveness and offers a great degree of customization. You can use more than 500+ components in your Tailwind projects and UI designs. Tailwind aids in the implementation of a consistent design system (without being too restrictive). Several well-liked tools that integrate with Tailwind CSS include Gatsby, Tailwind Starter Kit, Headless UI, Tailwind UI, and windiCSS.

2) Better CSS Styling Process

When it comes to styling HTML, Tailwind CSS is the fastest framework available. As a result, styling elements directly make it simple to develop attractive layouts. It is achievable because Tailwind provides hundreds of built-in classes that eliminate the need to start from scratch when creating designs. Your production CSS only contains styles that you use. Making style changes without overriding things is simple.

3) Highly customizable

Tailwind CSS is a highly flexible framework. Although it has a default configuration, a tailwind.config.js file can easily override it. The configuration file allows for simple customization of color palettes, styling, spacing, themes, and so on. Tailwind combines the ideal utilities for easy project management and maximum customer satisfaction. This, in turn, provides more convenience. According to reports, 332 businesses use Tailwind CSS in their tech stacks, including MAK IT, Superchat, and überdosis.

4) Responsiveness and Security

A website can be viewed on various devices with varying resolutions, such as smartphones, laptops, and iPads. These are known as breakpoints, such as small, large, or medium. So, while coding, a developer can assign classes based on breakpoints to ensure that it does not break on any devices. Each HTML element can have responsive code changes applied to it conditionally. As an outcome, there will be no more media query codes in a different CSS file. With this level of control, you can change any element at any given breakpoint. Thus, you can design the layout directly in an HTML file using Tailwind’s pre-built classes. Aside from that, since its initial release, Tailwind has proven to be a stable framework. As it was developed by top-tier engineers, it has resulted in a framework that is relatively free of bugs and breaks.

5) Optimization using PurgeCSS

PurgeCSS is a tool that helps optimize the CSS in your website by removing any unnecessary styles that are not being used. When building a website, it is common to use a CSS framework like Bootstrap, Materializecss, or Foundation, but you will likely only use a small portion of the styles these frameworks provide. PurgeCSS works by analyzing the content of your website and comparing it to the CSS styles you have included. It then removes any styles not being used in your content, resulting in smaller CSS files and improved performance for your website.

 

Cons of Using Tailwind CSS

1) Large HTML files

Tailwind CSS being a utility-first approach, frequently involves a large number of classes in HTML. This, in turn, may increase the download size of your HTML file. Further, it can impact the website’s performance, as a larger HTML file may take longer to download and render in the browser. However, it is important to consider the trade-offs between file size and development efficiency when choosing a CSS approach for your project. The utility-first approach of Tailwind CSS can be very efficient for developers, as it allows for the rapid development of custom designs without the need to write custom CSS. Additionally, the extra data in the HTML file is highly compressible, which can help mitigate the impact on performance.

2) Small Learning Curve

Tailwind is fairly simple to use and grasp if you are familiar with CSS. Try studying Tailwind, as it is the same CSS we are writing but in a shorter version. But for those who are unfamiliar with CSS, Tailwind is quite learning-intensive due to the built-in classes it offers. Thus, it may serve as a crutch for developers new to the CSS concept. Using Tailwind CSS effectively can be challenging, even for experienced developers, as it requires a thorough understanding of the pre-built classes. This learning curve can make it take longer to become productive with Tailwind CSS. Additionally, some may argue that relying heavily on the pre-built classes offered by Tailwind CSS could hinder a developer’s ability to understand and master CSS fully. However, others might say that the time saved using the pre-built classes can be used to learn other important skills. Ultimately, the decision to use Tailwind CSS or any other CSS framework should be based on a project’s specific needs and goals.

3) An Installation process is required

To use the latest versions of Tailwind CSS, you need to run an installation process that generates the CSS. This may require additional resources and could potentially incur additional costs. The added complexity could be overwhelming for developers unfamiliar with front-end build processes. However, Tailwind CSS integrates well with many front-end frameworks, and TailwindCLI can help simplify the process. Hence, it is important to consider your project’s specific needs and goals when deciding whether to use Tailwind CSS or another CSS framework.

4) Tailwind CSS is not an all-rounder

Tailwind CSS is only capable of doing some things. While Tailwind’s capabilities are expanding, some CSS properties and advanced features are beyond the scope of what it can do. It means you may need to use inline styles or create custom classes concerning Tailwind CSS to get things done. Is this a bad idea? No, but it does imply that Tailwind isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

5) HTML and Styling are mixed

Tailwind works differently than most CSS frameworks because you don’t have to write your own CSS rules. While this is advantageous for those who are unfamiliar with CSS, it also means that Tailwind incorporates style rules into your HTML files,  violating the ‘separation of concern’ principle. Many developers believe that separating page structure and style makes the Tailwind markup process more verbose.

 

Conclusion

Tailwind CSS has many benefits in terms of maintainability, efficiency, and development speed. In addition to all of that, it has a fantastic ecosystem of UI elements and pre-existing designs. You can use comprehensive documentation and free tutorial videos on YouTube. Although it has a few limitations, Tailwind’s extensive library of CSS classes is useful for developers looking to improve their applications or websites.

Tailwind CSS – The Ultimate Resource for Designers, Developers & Front-End Developers Marketing December 6, 2022

What is CSS?

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. CSS is a straightforward design language created to make the process of making web pages presentable. It defines web page styles such as design layout and display variations for different devices and screen sizes. Earlier, tags such as font color, background, style, border, and size had to be regularly employed on each web page. CSS was developed to address issues like the time and cost involved in building a large website with font and color information on each page. CSS is a powerful tool for web designers and developers, as it allows them to separate the content of a web page from its presentation. A website’s styling can be changed globally by altering a single CSS file rather than changing each page, making it simpler to maintain and update websites.
CSS is an essential part of modern web development, and virtually all websites on the internet use it. The rendering of CSS styles is handled differently by browsers like Firefox and Internet Explorer.

 

What is Tailwind CSS?

  • Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework for quickly creating unique user experiences. It means that, as opposed to the traditional approach, we can create custom designs using utility classes. These utility classes can create unique and custom designs. You can use utility classes to modify your application’s padding, margin, color, font, shadow, and more.
  • The CSS framework is extremely adaptable and provides all the building blocks required to create custom designs without requiring you to struggle to overcome argumentative styles. The developers can create designs, layouts, and even a one-page website template using Tailwind CSS.
  • It gives us a workflow without any restrictions and unwanted features. It doesn’t enforce design guidelines or dictate how your website should look; instead, you combine little parts to create a one-of-a-kind user interface. Tailwind takes a “raw” CSS file, processes it through a configuration file, and delivers the best results.
  • For large projects or companies, Tailwind CSS is beneficial. Many brands, like GitHub, Heroku, Kickstarter, Twitch, Segment, etc., implement Tailwind CSS. If you want to work with unlimited flexibility, then Tailwind CSS is the best choice.  
  • Netflix, for instance, uses Tailwind for Netflix Top 10, while the entire website only transmits 6.5kB of CSS.

 

Why do developers want to use Tailwind CSS?

  • Tailwind CSS makes workflows better for web development. 
  • It is super customizable and comes with a default configuration. You can customize almost everything in Tailwind CSS. 
  • From colors to fonts and space sizing everything, it is so much faster than other frameworks.
  • No switching from HTML to CSS saves developers time. Also, if you are familiar with Tailwind, you can jump into a new project without hassle. 
  • No more coming up with names for style classes in Tailwind CSS; you only have to name things when you extract a component. Otherwise, you don’t have to waste time naming them.
  • When utilizing conventional CSS, you must update the CSS file with any modifications you make to your designs. However, you can make design updates without altering the entire file. Simply put, you don’t need to download the complete file again. Therefore, developers are enticed to use Tailwind CSS for their applications.
  • Tailwind CSS integrates with popular tools like Gatsby, Tailwind Starter Kit, Headless UI, Tailwind UI, and windiCSS.

 

Is it worthwhile to try Tailwind?

Working with Tailwind is very different from working with other CSS frameworks. It is an excellent solution for CSS-savvy developers who want to improve their creation and design process in the long run. But, if you are unfamiliar with the concept of CSS or don’t want to spend time learning a new CSS framework, then Tailwind CSS is not a good idea. It becomes obvious that everything is dependent on your individual needs and preferences. If saving time on CSS styling is important, you should give Tailwind a shot. Regardless of whether you use Tailwind, many developers do so for good reasons. It’s here to stay because it provides a better styling process and is a responsive and stable framework. Tailwind CSS is quite efficient and can change the way you work.

 

Conclusion

Tailwind’s extreme customizability was a design goal from the beginning. It is a popular choice for developers who want a flexible and customizable CSS framework that allows them to build unique and consistent designs with minimal effort. You seldom ever need to write any custom CSS because Tailwind offers practically all the tools you need to develop a site entirely in HTML. You can use Tailwind CSS in various projects, including websites, web applications, and even native mobile apps.