TailWind CSS Vs Bootstrap: What’s The Difference & Which One Is Best?

When it comes to CSS frameworks, there are two that stand out above the rest: TailWind CSS and Bootstrap. Both of these frameworks have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, so which one is the best for web or software development?

TailWind CSS Vs Bootstrap: A Closer Look 🧐

TailWind CSS is a newer framework that has recently gained popularity for its utility-first approach. This means that instead of predefined styles, TailWind provides a set of low-level utility functions that can be composed to build any design. This makes it very flexible and customisable, but it can also be challenging to learn and use.

Bootstrap is the older and more established of the two frameworks. It has a traditional grid-based layout with predefined styles for common elements like buttons and forms. This can make it easier to get started, but it can also be less flexible.

So which one should you use? Keep reading to find out.

What Is TailWind CSS? 🗒️

TailWind is a utility-based CSS framework that makes creating responsive designs super quick and easy. In addition to being incredibly fast, TailWind also offers a massive library of pre-built components that can be easily customised to fit your specific needs.

And if you can’t find what you’re looking for in the library, you can always create your own custom rules. That’s why, as of now, 50,239 websites use TailWind CSS. 

One of the best things about TailWind is that it eliminates the need for media queries. Instead of writing separate stylesheets for different screen sizes, you can just use the built-in responsive utilities to ensure your designs look great on any device. This saves you time and keeps your code much cleaner and easier to maintain.

While TailWind does have its limitations, it is still a potent tool that can help you create unique responsive designs. So if you’re looking for a fast, efficient way to build responsive websites, TailWind is definitely worth checking out.

Pros Of TailWind CSS 🌟

There are many reasons to love TailWind. Here are a few:

1. Easy To Get Started With 🚶‍♂️

Unlike other CSS frameworks, you don’t need to learn a whole new set of conventions or rules. TailWind is just regular CSS, so if your developers know how to write CSS, they already know how to use TailWind.

2. Highly Customisable 💻

With TailWind, you have complete control over the look and feel of your website or application. This is possible because of the tailwind.config.js file that lets one override the default TailWind settings. That way, your developers can customise every design aspect, from the colours to the spacing to the responsive behaviour.

3. Efficient ⏩

Because TailWind is such a concise framework, writing the CSS for even the most complex designs doesn’t take long. And, because your developers don’t have to write much code, there’s less chance of making mistakes.

4. Well-Supported ✌️

TailWind is developed and maintained by a team of experienced professionals. They are constantly adding new features and improvements, so you can be confident that TailWind will continue to meet your needs as your project grows.

5. Easy To Learn 📚

Many resources are available to help you get started with TailWind, including tutorials, video courses, and blog posts. Developers can also join the TailWind community on Slack for support from other developers using TailWind.

What’s more, developers don’t need to write CSS when they are using TailWind. That’s why more developers are getting attracted to this framework. A developer can simply add pre-built classes to the HTML code. So for those who are not experienced with CSS or don’t want to write lengthy code, TailWind is an excellent choice.

Cons Of TailWind CSS 😔

You should be aware of a few potential cons to using TailWind before deciding if it’s the right tool for your project.

Lacks Pre-built Components 🤷

Since TailWind is a utility-first CSS framework, it doesn’t come with many pre-built components like other frameworks (e.g. Bootstrap). This means your developers will have to build any UI components you need from scratch, which can be time-consuming.

Heavier Code 🧮

TailWind generates a lot of extra CSS code you may not need for your project. This can make your final CSS file large, impacting performance.

Additional Learning Curve ➕

TailWind requires a compiler (such as PostCSS) to generate the final CSS file. This can be an additional learning curve for those unfamiliar with CSS preprocessors.

Potential Barrier To Learning 🛑

Tailwind is a crutch for developers who don’t know how to write CSS code. Chances are they will start relying on TailWind’s pre-built classes and never actually learn how to work with CSS.

Overall, TailWind CSS is an excellent tool for those looking for a utility-first CSS framework. However, it’s essential to know the potential cons before using TailWind on your project.

What Is Bootstrap? 📋

Bootstrap is a front-end web development framework that provides several reusable, cross-browser-compatible HTML and CSS templates for forms, buttons, tables, navigation, and other interface components. Bootstrap also offers JavaScript plugins for standard web page elements such as modals and carousels.

Currently, a whopping 10,118,742 websites use Bootstrap as their primary framework, thanks to its free and open-source technology.

Twitter developers created bootstrap to standardise the design of their web applications. The framework includes responsive CSS styles that automatically adjust to different screen sizes, making it ideal for developing mobile-friendly websites.

This framework is free and open-source, meaning anyone can use it for any project without restriction. However, Bootstrap does have some limitations. For example, a fixed-width grid layout can make pages appear cluttered on smaller screens. Additionally, Bootstrap’s default styling is not always ideal for every project.

Despite these limitations, it remains one of the most popular front-end web development frameworks due to its ease of use and wide range of available features. So if you’re looking for a way to quickly and easily create responsive, mobile-friendly websites, Bootstrap may be the right solution.

Pros Of Bootstrap ✨

Bootstrap is a CSS and JavaScript framework that helps developers build responsive websites. It’s popular because it makes front-end web development faster and easier.

Some of the key benefits of using Bootstrap include:

1. Mobile-First Design 📱

Bootstrap takes a mobile-first approach to design. This means that when you create a website using Bootstrap, it will be designed to work optimally on mobile devices first, then scale up to larger screens.

2. Responsive Design 📲

It helps you create responsive websites. Responsive design is essential because it ensures that your website will look good and function correctly no matter what device it is being viewed on.

3. Cross-Browser Compatibility ⚔️

Bootstrap also helps to ensure cross-browser compatibility. This means that your website will work correctly in all major browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome.

4. Pre-Built Components 🧰

It comes with a wide range of pre-built components that you can use to build your website. These components include navbars, buttons, forms, carousels, and more.

5. Customisable 😊

Even though it comes with a wide range of pre-built components, it’s still highly customisable. You can easily customise any elements to match your website’s design.

6. Extensible 👺

The framework is also extensible, which means that you can add additional features and functionality if you need to. There is a wide range of Bootstrap extensions available that you can use to add extra functionality to your website.

7. Community Support 👪

Another great thing about this is that it has a large and active community of developers who are always willing to help and answer any questions you may have.

8. Documentation 📖

Finally, Bootstrap comes with comprehensive documentation that covers everything from getting started with the framework to customising components and extending functionality.

Bootstrap is an excellent tool for front-end web development. If you are looking for a CSS and JavaScript framework to help you build responsive websites, this is the perfect option to consider.

Cons Of Bootstrap 😟

A developer wants to finish a project quickly. So they turn to Bootstrap. It’s easy to use, right? And it looks good too. However, they may not know its drawbacks. In fact, there are several reasons why developers and designers might want to avoid using this framework.

Not as Flexible as Other Frameworks 😔

Bootstrap is an excellent framework for getting your website up and running quickly. But it’s not as flexible as other frameworks, such as Foundation or Materialise. This can be a problem if you need to customise your website that it doesn’t support.

Can Lead to Bloated Code ⭕

Because Bootstrap has so many features, it can often lead to bloated code. This means that your website will load more slowly, making it more difficult for search engines to index your content.

Not Always Up-To-Date 👎

Although it’s constantly being updated, that doesn’t mean that all of the resources out there are always up-to-date. This can be a problem if you’re relying on third-party resources, such as tutorials or templates, that haven’t been updated for the latest version of Bootstrap.

Not as Accessible as it Could Be ❌

The framework includes several features that are designed to make your website more accessible. Unfortunately, however, it’s not as accessible as it could be. For example, the default font size is too small for some users, and the colour contrast is not always ideal.

May Not Be Supported in the Future 🤖

Twitter developed bootstrap, and there’s no guarantee that it will be supported in the future. If Twitter decides to stop supporting it, that could mean big problems for your website.

So those are some of the cons of using Bootstrap. Of course, there are also several pros to using Bootstrap, but ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if it’s suitable for your project.

TailWind CSS Vs Bootstrap: Core Differences 💭

So, what are the core differences between these two frameworks?

TailWind is a newer framework that is quickly gaining popularity. It is a utility-first framework that gives you more control over your CSS. The downside is that it can be more challenging to learn than other frameworks.

Bootstrap, on the other hand, is a much more opinionated framework. It comes with pre-built components that you can use to quickly put together a responsive website or app. While this can help you get started quickly, it can also be limiting if you want to stray from the pre-built designs.

The Final Verdict 👨‍⚖️

If we pit TailWind CSS vs Bootstrap, we find both have their pros and cons. TailWind CSS is great for experienced developers who want complete control over their designs. Bootstrap is better for beginners who want to get up and running quickly.

So which one should your company use? The answer depends on your developers’ experience level and preference for control. If yours is a start-up company with relatively beginner developers, Bootstrap is probably the best choice. If yours is an experienced team, TailWind CSS is worth considering.

If you want more information on TailWind CSS vs Bootstrap (or any other CSS frameworks, for that matter!), feel free to write to us for a friendly discovery chat.