It depends on the project’s requirements. Learn Bootstrap for rapid development with pre-built components, or Tailwind for a customizable, utility-first approach that allows for unique designs.
Key takeaways:
Tailwind css uses utility first classes for custom designs while Bootstrap provides pre designed components.
Tailwind suits unique designs and flexibility while Bootstrap is ideal for common UI elements and rapid development.
Tailwind offers responsive modifiers for utility classes; Bootstrap has a robust grid system for layouts.
Remember both frameworks have their strengths and weaknesses. The best choice depends on your specific needs and preferences.
Tailwind css and Bootstrap are popular frontend frameworks used to make web pages responsive and user-friendly, but they have significant differences in their approaches and usage. In this Answer, we explore the key differences, code examples, and use cases for each framework to help you choose the right one for your next project.
Tailwind css is a utility-based framework based on css.
It provides a catalog of css classes that makes the process of styling more convenient. Tailwind is not a UI Kit like Bootstrap, Foundation, or Bulma. It does not provide ready-made design blocks. It simply provides classes to make custom designs and prevents the user from writing lengthy code, such as that in Vanilla css.
Tailwind css requires npm, yarn or CDN link to install. We can use the following commands:
npm install tailwindcss
or
yarn add tailwindcss
or CDN link:
<script src="https://cdn.tailwindcss.com"></script>
Bootstrap is a free, open-source front-end framework used to develop responsive and mobile-friendly websites.
It is incorporated with HTML and css based design templates for typography, forms, buttons, tables, navigation, modals, image carousels, and JavaScript plugins. Bootstrap aims to help developers create responsive and mobile-first websites quickly and easily.
For Bootstrap, we can directly use the CDN link or the following command:
npm install bootstrap
or
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.3.0/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css">
The following are the main differences between Tailwind css and Bootstrap:
Approach: Tailwind css is the utility-first framework which we can directly use and customize for HTML elements, while Bootstrap provides css based templated and pre-designed common UI components which are more organised and well structured.
Customization: Tailwind css allows us to make modifications as much as we want. We can even change the default settings or configuration, while in Bootstrap, customization is very limited as its' components are pre-designed, so it's hard to completely change them.
Use cases: Tailwind css can be widely used in such projects which require highly customised designs and can be customised in future, while Bootstrap can be used where there are higher chances that the interface and design won't need much customization.
Key differences | Tailwind css | Bootstrap |
Design focus | Utility-first; emphasizes custom design | Component-based; provides pre-designed components |
Customization | Highly customizable | Customizable but often requires overriding styles |
Responsive design | Built-in responsive modifiers for utility classes | Powerful grid system for responsive layouts |
Pre-built components | Minimal | Extensive |
Now, let's set up the environment for these frameworks to observe these differences ourselves.
In the following example, we create a simple nav bar in Tailwind css and Bootstrap.
To render the changes, we can click the “+” button to open a new terminal and run multiple files of each technology in two different terminals after clicking on the "Run" button:
cd /usercode && live-server --port=8080 --entry-file=tailwind.htmlcd /usercode && live-server --port=3000 --entry-file=bootstrap.html
Go to the following links to connect multiple browser tabs to each file and verify that the changes are successfully rendered.
{{EDUCATIVE_LIVE_VM_URL}}{{EDUCATIVE_LIVE_VM_URL}}:3000
Note: We have already installed Tailwind css on our platform.
/*
! tailwindcss v3.3.3 | MIT License | https://tailwindcss.com
*/
/*
1. Prevent padding and border from affecting element width. (https://github.com/mozdevs/cssremedy/issues/4)
2. Allow adding a border to an element by just adding a border-width. (https://github.com/tailwindcss/tailwindcss/pull/116)
*/
*,
::before,
::after {
box-sizing: border-box;
/* 1 */
border-width: 0;
/* 2 */
border-style: solid;
/* 2 */
border-color: #e5e7eb;
/* 2 */
}
::before,
::after {
--tw-content: '';
}
/*
1. Use a consistent sensible line-height in all browsers.
2. Prevent adjustments of font size after orientation changes in iOS.
3. Use a more readable tab size.
4. Use the user's configured `sans` font-family by default.
5. Use the user's configured `sans` font-feature-settings by default.
6. Use the user's configured `sans` font-variation-settings by default.
*/
html {
line-height: 1.5;
/* 1 */
-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;
/* 2 */
-moz-tab-size: 4;
/* 3 */
-o-tab-size: 4;
tab-size: 4;
/* 3 */
font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji";
/* 4 */
font-feature-settings: normal;
/* 5 */
font-variation-settings: normal;
/* 6 */
}
/*
1. Remove the margin in all browsers.
2. Inherit line-height from `html` so users can set them as a class directly on the `html` element.
*/
body {
margin: 0;
/* 1 */
line-height: inherit;
/* 2 */
}
/*
1. Add the correct height in Firefox.
2. Correct the inheritance of border color in Firefox. (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=190655)
3. Ensure horizontal rules are visible by default.
*/
hr {
height: 0;
/* 1 */
color: inherit;
/* 2 */
border-top-width: 1px;
/* 3 */
}
/*
Add the correct text decoration in Chrome, Edge, and Safari.
*/
abbr:where([title]) {
-webkit-text-decoration: underline dotted;
text-decoration: underline dotted;
}
/*
Remove the default font size and weight for headings.
*/
h1,
h2,
h3,
h4,
h5,
h6 {
font-size: inherit;
font-weight: inherit;
}
/*
Reset links to optimize for opt-in styling instead of opt-out.
*/
a {
color: inherit;
text-decoration: inherit;
}
/*
Add the correct font weight in Edge and Safari.
*/
b,
strong {
font-weight: bolder;
}
/*
1. Use the user's configured `mono` font family by default.
2. Correct the odd `em` font sizing in all browsers.
*/
code,
kbd,
samp,
pre {
font-family: ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, "Liberation Mono", "Courier New", monospace;
/* 1 */
font-size: 1em;
/* 2 */
}
/*
Add the correct font size in all browsers.
*/
small {
font-size: 80%;
}
/*
Prevent `sub` and `sup` elements from affecting the line height in all browsers.
*/
sub,
sup {
font-size: 75%;
line-height: 0;
position: relative;
vertical-align: baseline;
}
sub {
bottom: -0.25em;
}
sup {
top: -0.5em;
}
/*
1. Remove text indentation from table contents in Chrome and Safari. (https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=999088, https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=201297)
2. Correct table border color inheritance in all Chrome and Safari. (https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=935729, https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=195016)
3. Remove gaps between table borders by default.
*/
table {
text-indent: 0;
/* 1 */
border-color: inherit;
/* 2 */
border-collapse: collapse;
/* 3 */
}
/*
1. Change the font styles in all browsers.
2. Remove the margin in Firefox and Safari.
3. Remove default padding in all browsers.
*/
button,
input,
optgroup,
select,
textarea {
font-family: inherit;
/* 1 */
font-feature-settings: inherit;
/* 1 */
font-variation-settings: inherit;
/* 1 */
font-size: 100%;
/* 1 */
font-weight: inherit;
/* 1 */
line-height: inherit;
/* 1 */
color: inherit;
/* 1 */
margin: 0;
/* 2 */
padding: 0;
/* 3 */
}
/*
Remove the inheritance of text transform in Edge and Firefox.
*/
button,
select {
text-transform: none;
}
/*
1. Correct the inability to style clickable types in iOS and Safari.
2. Remove default button styles.
*/
button,
[type='button'],
[type='reset'],
[type='submit'] {
-webkit-appearance: button;
/* 1 */
background-color: transparent;
/* 2 */
background-image: none;
/* 2 */
}
/*
Use the modern Firefox focus style for all focusable elements.
*/
:-moz-focusring {
outline: auto;
}
/*
Remove the additional `:invalid` styles in Firefox. (https://github.com/mozilla/gecko-dev/blob/2f9eacd9d3d995c937b4251a5557d95d494c9be1/layout/style/res/forms.css#L728-L737)
*/
:-moz-ui-invalid {
box-shadow: none;
}
/*
Add the correct vertical alignment in Chrome and Firefox.
*/
progress {
vertical-align: baseline;
}
/*
Correct the cursor style of increment and decrement buttons in Safari.
*/
::-webkit-inner-spin-button,
::-webkit-outer-spin-button {
height: auto;
}
/*
1. Correct the odd appearance in Chrome and Safari.
2. Correct the outline style in Safari.
*/
[type='search'] {
-webkit-appearance: textfield;
/* 1 */
outline-offset: -2px;
/* 2 */
}
/*
Remove the inner padding in Chrome and Safari on macOS.
*/
::-webkit-search-decoration {
-webkit-appearance: none;
}
/*
1. Correct the inability to style clickable types in iOS and Safari.
2. Change font properties to `inherit` in Safari.
*/
::-webkit-file-upload-button {
-webkit-appearance: button;
/* 1 */
font: inherit;
/* 2 */
}
/*
Add the correct display in Chrome and Safari.
*/
summary {
display: list-item;
}
/*
Removes the default spacing and border for appropriate elements.
*/
blockquote,
dl,
dd,
h1,
h2,
h3,
h4,
h5,
h6,
hr,
figure,
p,
pre {
margin: 0;
}
fieldset {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
legend {
padding: 0;
}
ol,
ul,
menu {
list-style: none;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
/*
Reset default styling for dialogs.
*/
dialog {
padding: 0;
}
/*
Prevent resizing textareas horizontally by default.
*/
textarea {
resize: vertical;
}
/*
1. Reset the default placeholder opacity in Firefox. (https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/issues/3300)
2. Set the default placeholder color to the user's configured gray 400 color.
*/
input::-moz-placeholder, textarea::-moz-placeholder {
opacity: 1;
/* 1 */
color: #9ca3af;
/* 2 */
}
input::placeholder,
textarea::placeholder {
opacity: 1;
/* 1 */
color: #9ca3af;
/* 2 */
}
/*
Set the default cursor for buttons.
*/
button,
[role="button"] {
cursor: pointer;
}
/*
Make sure disabled buttons don't get the pointer cursor.
*/
:disabled {
cursor: default;
}
/*
1. Make replaced elements `display: block` by default. (https://github.com/mozdevs/cssremedy/issues/14)
2. Add `vertical-align: middle` to align replaced elements more sensibly by default. (https://github.com/jensimmons/cssremedy/issues/14#issuecomment-634934210)
This can trigger a poorly considered lint error in some tools but is included by design.
*/
img,
svg,
video,
canvas,
audio,
iframe,
embed,
object {
display: block;
/* 1 */
vertical-align: middle;
/* 2 */
}
/*
Constrain images and videos to the parent width and preserve their intrinsic aspect ratio. (https://github.com/mozdevs/cssremedy/issues/14)
*/
img,
video {
max-width: 100%;
height: auto;
}
/* Make elements with the HTML hidden attribute stay hidden by default */
[hidden] {
display: none;
}
*, ::before, ::after {
--tw-border-spacing-x: 0;
--tw-border-spacing-y: 0;
--tw-translate-x: 0;
--tw-translate-y: 0;
--tw-rotate: 0;
--tw-skew-x: 0;
--tw-skew-y: 0;
--tw-scale-x: 1;
--tw-scale-y: 1;
--tw-pan-x: ;
--tw-pan-y: ;
--tw-pinch-zoom: ;
--tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity;
--tw-gradient-from-position: ;
--tw-gradient-via-position: ;
--tw-gradient-to-position: ;
--tw-ordinal: ;
--tw-slashed-zero: ;
--tw-numeric-figure: ;
--tw-numeric-spacing: ;
--tw-numeric-fraction: ;
--tw-ring-inset: ;
--tw-ring-offset-width: 0px;
--tw-ring-offset-color: #fff;
--tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5);
--tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000;
--tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000;
--tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000;
--tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;
--tw-blur: ;
--tw-brightness: ;
--tw-contrast: ;
--tw-grayscale: ;
--tw-hue-rotate: ;
--tw-invert: ;
--tw-saturate: ;
--tw-sepia: ;
--tw-drop-shadow: ;
--tw-backdrop-blur: ;
--tw-backdrop-brightness: ;
--tw-backdrop-contrast: ;
--tw-backdrop-grayscale: ;
--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ;
--tw-backdrop-invert: ;
--tw-backdrop-opacity: ;
--tw-backdrop-saturate: ;
--tw-backdrop-sepia: ;
}
::backdrop {
--tw-border-spacing-x: 0;
--tw-border-spacing-y: 0;
--tw-translate-x: 0;
--tw-translate-y: 0;
--tw-rotate: 0;
--tw-skew-x: 0;
--tw-skew-y: 0;
--tw-scale-x: 1;
--tw-scale-y: 1;
--tw-pan-x: ;
--tw-pan-y: ;
--tw-pinch-zoom: ;
--tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity;
--tw-gradient-from-position: ;
--tw-gradient-via-position: ;
--tw-gradient-to-position: ;
--tw-ordinal: ;
--tw-slashed-zero: ;
--tw-numeric-figure: ;
--tw-numeric-spacing: ;
--tw-numeric-fraction: ;
--tw-ring-inset: ;
--tw-ring-offset-width: 0px;
--tw-ring-offset-color: #fff;
--tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5);
--tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000;
--tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000;
--tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000;
--tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;
--tw-blur: ;
--tw-brightness: ;
--tw-contrast: ;
--tw-grayscale: ;
--tw-hue-rotate: ;
--tw-invert: ;
--tw-saturate: ;
--tw-sepia: ;
--tw-drop-shadow: ;
--tw-backdrop-blur: ;
--tw-backdrop-brightness: ;
--tw-backdrop-contrast: ;
--tw-backdrop-grayscale: ;
--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ;
--tw-backdrop-invert: ;
--tw-backdrop-opacity: ;
--tw-backdrop-saturate: ;
--tw-backdrop-sepia: ;
}
.container {
width: 100%;
}
@media (min-width: 640px) {
.container {
max-width: 640px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 768px) {
.container {
max-width: 768px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 1024px) {
.container {
max-width: 1024px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 1280px) {
.container {
max-width: 1280px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 1536px) {
.container {
max-width: 1536px;
}
}
.collapse {
visibility: collapse;
}
.float-right {
float: right;
}
.mx-auto {
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
}
.mr-4 {
margin-right: 1rem;
}
.bg-blue-500 {
--tw-bg-opacity: 1;
background-color: rgb(59 130 246 / var(--tw-bg-opacity));
}
.p-4 {
padding: 1rem;
}
.text-xl {
font-size: 1.25rem;
line-height: 1.75rem;
}
.font-bold {
font-weight: 700;
}
.text-white {
--tw-text-opacity: 1;
color: rgb(255 255 255 / var(--tw-text-opacity));
}The code differences between the Bootstrap and Tailwind css navbar implementations primarily lie in their styling approaches and HTML structure. The Bootstrap navbar (bootstrap.html) utilizes pre-defined classes such as navbar, navbar-expand-lg, and bg-primary, which encapsulate responsive behavior and styling in a more complex HTML structure that includes elements like the toggle button for mobile views. In contrast, the Tailwind css navbar (tailwind.html,) relies on utility classes like bg-blue-500, p-4, and text-white, promoting a simpler and more flexible design but lacking built-in responsiveness.
If the project requires a unique design that deviates significantly from standard UI components, Tailwind css is an excellent choice.
Tailwind’s utility classes allow for quick iterations, making it suitable for prototyping and MVPs.
Tailwind is ideal for projects where we want to maintain consistency across various components without relying on predefined styles.
If the project needs common UI elements like buttons, modals, and forms, Bootstrap’s pre-built components can save time.
For projects with tight deadlines, Bootstrap allows for rapid development due to its ready-made components and grid system.
If we need a straightforward solution for creating responsive designs, Bootstrap’s grid system simplifies the process.
Both Tailwind css and Bootstrap have their strengths and ideal use cases. Tailwind css excels in providing a customizable, utility-first approach that fosters unique designs, while Bootstrap offers a comprehensive suite of pre-built components that accelerate development.
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