Vanilla CSS vs Bootstrap vs Tailwind: An Analysis

Hello everyone! Today’s article is something I’ve always wanted to discuss. I remembered when I first learned CSS and hearing about Bootstrap and other frameworks like Materialize. At that time, I was unsure if I should learn these frameworks but I ended up with Bootstrap for a team project and it stuck around. And now Tailwind CSS seems to be rising in popularity, which makes me ponder if I should learn once again.

In this article, we will be looking at Vanilla CSS, Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS; analyzing their pros and cons and determining which one is best to learn in 2020. So let’s begin!

CSS

My experience with CSS is that it is easy to pick up but hard to master. I do like CSS because I like to create custom styles that feels like my own. Also, it minimizes code as you are only writing styles that your site needs. Loading large chunks of CSS can slow down page loading time so by writing vanilla CSS, you reduce unnecessary code and boost your page’s speed.

However, writing CSS from scratch can be daunting and tedious for many developers. This is especially true when the product you’re making does not need custom designs but just a basic, simple look. In this case, it may be better to just use a framework, like Bootstrap, so let’s take a look what it has to offer.