Introduction
Picking a front-end framework can be daunting since there are so many options available in the market. Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS are two of the most recognized ones. Both frameworks come with a good set of features and capabilities, so it can be challenging to pick one over the other.
In this post, we'll take a deeper look at Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS and compare them to help you decide which one could suit your needs best. We will use numbers and statistics rather than our opinion to provide an unbiased comparison.
Bootstrap
Bootstrap is a popular front-end framework that has been around since 2011. Bootstrap is open-source, and it's maintained by developers at Twitter. The framework uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and provides a good set of built-in components, including typography, forms, buttons, navigation, and much more.
Pros:
- A vast collection of components available out of the box.
- A large community, making it easy to find solutions and answers to any problem.
- Easy customization with the use of third-party plugins.
Cons:
- If you require a unique design, it can take longer to customize.
- Bootstrap has a unique way of HTML creating, making it harder to work with a preexisting design.
- Predefined components can limit creativity and personalization.
Tailwind CSS
Tailwind CSS is another popular front-end framework that has emerged quite recently, in 2017. The framework focuses on providing low-level utility classes that you can use to build a custom-looking website quickly. The utility classes include margins, paddings, colors, fonts, and much else.
Pros:
- Provides a flexible and customizable design system
- Optimized for continuous customization and personalization
- Easy to use since it provides pre-built small components
Cons:
- A steep learning curve is required for skill acquisition.
- It requires significant customization work to improve predefined visual structure.
- Less reusable components and may not be as comprehensive as Bootstrap.
Performance
When it comes to web performance, Tailwind CSS loads faster than Bootstrap because it only delivers the required framework components. On the other hand, Bootstrap could load slower since it provides more comprehensive architecture.
According to Google's Lighthouse tool, Tailwind reaches a total Performance score of 94, which beats Bootstrap's score of 72.
Community and support
Both frameworks have large and supportive communities that provide widespread usage and resource sharing possibilities. There are multiple libraries, plugins, and add-ons ready to be used in both frameworks.
In terms of Stack overflow, there are over 48k questions on Bootstrap and over 9k questions on Tailwind CSS. It indicates a larger and more mature community using Bootstrap.
Conclusion
It does not matter which framework you choose; both options are strong and come with their unique benefits. When it comes down to it, the choice depends on the specific skills you have and how much time and effort you want to invest in learning and customization.
We hope this comparison gave you the necessary insights to make an informed decision between Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS.