Which CSS Framework is Better – Tailwind or Bootstrap?

HTML elements on a web page can use the style sheet language CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) ) for styling. CSS frameworks are libraries that make it easier for developers to create websites that comply with more standards. Because these libraries are ready-made, there’s no need to create laborious and lengthy CSS programs.

CSS frameworks give you the ability to quickly create a user interface that can be reused across projects, rather than starting from scratch for each one. Common uses for CSS frameworks include creating navigation bars, headers, footers, off-canvas, sliders, hamburger menus, horizontal scrolling, accordions, tri-column layouts, and more. Frameworks also allow for the development of SASS, SCSS, JavaScript, and other technologies.

When web developers are short on time, frameworks are a useful tool for designing web pages (such as homepages) without even having to use the full CSS code. In this article, we’ll discuss two well-known CSS frameworks: Bootstrap and Tailwind. We’ll also discuss which framework is better.

First, let’s understand what these two frameworks are.

Bootstrap

A free, open-source CSS framework called Bootstrap is used to build responsive mobile and web apps. It’s a mobile-first front-end development framework. It provides HTML, CSS, and JavaScript templates for various components. Jacob Thorton and Mark Otto created Bootstrap.

It’s one of the most widely used open-source frameworks. It allows programmers to design server-side technologies such as Java, PHP, and other technologies to build web and mobile-based applications. It is used to build applications that can run on various platforms, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones. Versions 2 and 3 of Bootstrap supported responsive web apps, while version 4 of Bootstrap now supports SASSs and Flexbox.

It’s a powerful front-end development framework. Developers can access pre-made themes and templates, which speeds up development. It incorporates a mobile-first approach, dividing the screen into a 12-square grid. It ensures compatibility with all browsers and can be customized to suit project requirements. It provides basic styling for HTML components, including buttons, https://coder-cafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/images, icons, tables, forms, code snippets, maps, alerts, progress bars, drop-down menus, and more.

To apply Bootstrap to your web app, please use the following CDN link –

"https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.3.1/css/bootstrap.min.css"

Tailwind CSS

Tailwind CSS was developed by Adam Wathan. Tailwind CSS is a low-level CSS framework that prioritizes utility over performance. It provides single-purpose classes that can be applied directly to styling elements on a web page, giving developers the ability to quickly design custom user interfaces. A well-known utility-first CSS library is Tailwind CSS.

Because most user interface creation tools already include common components and functionality, designing a unique user interface can be a challenge for developers. Tailwind CSS, on the other hand, gives you a lot of control over an element’s appearance and behavior. Because of this, it’s ideal for designing unique and personalized user interfaces.

The available utility classes are native, meaning you can update or modify them without interfering with or breaking your web application. This might not be possible using pure CSS. It’s highly customizable, allowing you to create unique user interfaces. It offers a variety of features, such as different color palettes, styling, spacing, and more.

To apply Tailwind CSS to your webpage, use the following CDN link.

”https://unpkg.com/tailwindcss@^1.0/dist/tailwind.min.css”

Tailwind CSS or Bootstrap

The key difference between Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS is that Bootstrap includes a set of pre-made responsive, mobile-first components with a specific UI kit, while Tailwind provides pre-designed widgets for building websites from scratch for rapid UI development.

• The biggest problem with Bootstrap is that programmers are locked into using a specific set of abstract patterns. This completely defeats the purpose of adopting a framework in the first place, as it forces you to overwrite it with custom CSS.

• Websites built with Bootstrap all follow the same general pattern, giving them a uniform look. This, of course, makes it difficult to successfully unleash your creativity. Furthermore, the total file size of Bootstrap, including the main file, Bootstrap JS, Popper.js, and jQuery, is 308kb.

• In contrast, Tailwind CSS uses a collection of utility classes to design slick user interfaces with more flexibility. With the help of pre-designed widgets, you can implement your design without worrying about how one part will affect related parts.

• For example, classes can be used to set focus states, hover, and active. Furthermore, by using PurgeCSS to remove unnecessary classes, you can potentially significantly reduce file size. This is why Tailwind can be a good choice for lightweight projects, as it only requires the basic stylesheet file, which can weigh up to 27kb.

• Speaking of performance, the four main Bootstrap files that must be included during development take up approximately 300kb. We have too much overhead code in Bootstrap, which adds about 160 seconds to the build time. Stylesheets are required for Tailwind CSS. This CSS file is approximately 30kb in size.
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