The Top 10 CSS Frameworks for 2024
Published: 2024-02-02 06:07:10



# Top 10 CSS Frameworks for Developers in 2024

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Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) frameworks provide developers with pre-designed components and tools to quickly build web interfaces without having to write CSS from scratch. The right framework can speed up front-end development work significantly. 

In 2024, CSS frameworks continue to evolve with new features and improvements. Developers have many options to consider based on their specific needs. Here we review the top 10 CSS frameworks that are most popular, capable, and useful for developers this year.

## 1. Tailwind CSS

Tailwind CSS has exploded in popularity over the past few years due to its utility-first approach. Instead of predefined components, Tailwind provides low-level utility classes to construct fully custom user interfaces. 

For example, you can build a button with classes like `px-4 py-2 bg-blue-500 text-white font-bold rounded` instead of having a `.btn` class. This gives you flexibility while eliminating the need to write custom CSS.

Key features of Tailwind include:

- Highly customizable – Tailwind is customizable down to the color palette and default spacing/sizing values.

- Mobile-first workflows – Classes adapt for mobile/desktop breakpoints. 

- Just-in-time engine – Only generates the CSS you need for your final project.

- Extensive documentation – Thorough docs with examples make learning Tailwind easy.

- Active ecosystem – Many 3rd party plugins and tools integrate with Tailwind.

- Popular adoption – Used by large tech companies like GitHub, Shopify, Atlassian.

Tailwind requires learning many classes, but it enables rapid development after the learning curve. It’s a great choice if you value customization and want to break away from component libraries.

## 2. Bootstrap

Bootstrap by Twitter has been the most popular CSS framework for years. It provides a library of responsive, mobile-first components like buttons, menus, forms, and modal windows. 

Bootstrap uses a 12-column responsive grid system that adapts to phone, tablet, and desktop viewports. The full version bundles optional JavaScript behaviors for interactivity.

Key Bootstrap features:

- Huge component library – Tons of built-in components for common UI elements.

- Extensive theming – Change color schemes and CSS variables.

- Modular – Use parts in isolation like the grid or reboot CSS. 

- Sass versions – Customizable with Sass variables and mixins.

- Trusted by millions – Large community provides examples and support.

- Regular updates – Bootstrap 5 released in 2021 with new components and features.

If you want a batteries-included framework with almost everything you need for web and mobile apps, Bootstrap is a leading choice trusted by enterprises and startups worldwide.

## 3. Bulma 

Bulma is a popular open source CSS framework known for its modularity. It provides ready-made interface elements while allowing extensive customization.

Bulma uses Flexbox for its layout system and comes with a responsive, mobile-first grid. But it avoids prescriptive CSS styles, leaving styling details up to you.

Why developers love Bulma:

- Modular – Import only components you need like buttons, cards, or forms.

- Customizable – No default colors or fonts imposed. Style freely with CSS.

- Lightweight – Under 40kb minified and gzipped. Vanilla CSS only.

- Flexbox-based – Powerful layout capabilities with Flexbox.

- Free and open source – Actively maintained on GitHub.

- Sass integration – Customize with Sass variables if needed.

If you want a lightweight starter kit focused on layout and structural elements, Bulma lets you retain control over styling details.

## 4. Materialize

Materialize is an open source CSS framework based on Google's Material Design principles. It aims to adapt Material Design components for the web using standard frontend technologies.

Materialize provides many material UI elements like cards, buttons, parallax, shadows, side navs, and more. The grid is similar to Bootstrap but uses CSS classes instead of grid tiers.

Benefits of using Materialize:

- Follows material design – Provides material styling for the web out of the box.

- Large component library – All common UI components are available.

- Responsive grid system – Works well on all device sizes.

- Extensive customization – Override styles with Sass/CSS.

- Lightweight – Leans towards flat, minimalist material design aesthetic.  

- Active development – Components continuously improved by the open source community.

If you want material styling without the complexity of something like Angular Material, give Materialize CSS a try. The library is focused purely on presentation.

## 5. Foundation

Foundation by Zurb is another major responsive CSS framework supporting both sites and apps. It contains reusable components optimized for mobile, web, and desktop.

In addition to CSS, Foundation provides flexible JavaScript widgets and templates. The XY grid distinguishes it from Bootstrap with the ability to mix column widths.

Why developers choose Foundation:

- Responsive – Mobile-first grids, menus, and components. 

- Accessible – Provides ARIA roles and focus states.

- Customizable – Change styles and themes using Sass.

- Frontend agnostic – Works with React, Angular, Vue, and more.

- Well documented – Thorough docs with code examples.

- Active community – Commercial support and learning resources available. 

- Lightweight – weighs ~20kb minified.

Foundation supports complex responsive layouts. It’s a good pick for sites needing grid flexibility, robust components, and accessibility support.

## 6. UIkit

UIkit is an open source modular front-end framework designed for web interfaces. It provides CSS/JS components including typography, forms, buttons, and navigation elements.

The grid uses Flexbox with classes for responsive column spacing. Mobile, tablet, and desktop layouts are supported. Components come with styles for light and dark modes.

Key features of UIkit:

- Lightweight modular library – Keep only what you need.

- Flexbox grid system – Powerful column and layout control. 

- Pre-styled components – Buttons, cards, navbar, modals, and more.

- Customizable – Change variables/themes with CSS/Sass.

- Accessible and RTL – Follows a11y best practices.

- Active development – Used by large sites like T-Mobile and Mozilla.

UIkit leans towards minimalist, unopinionated styling with utility classes. It integrates well with various frontend frameworks.

## 7. Semantic UI

Semantic UI offers themable UI components and tools useful for prototyping and production apps. It minimizes custom CSS with friendly HTML class names.

For layouts, Semantic has a responsive grid with mobile support. Styles use natural language class names like `huge`, `padded`, `secondary`, and `orange`. This improves readability.

Why developers choose Semantic UI:

- Human-friendly HTML – Clean, readable markup.

- Themable – Default themes available including Material. 

- Responsive – Mobile-first grid and components.

- Modular library – Include only what you need.

- Popular adoption – Used by Visa, Amazon, Cisco, others.

- Extensive docs – User guide with examples for all features.

If you want a CSS framework with intuitive class names and theming, Semantic UI is a solid choice with both CSS and jQuery plugins available.

## 8. Pure CSS

Pure CSS is a lightweight set of CSS modules for layout, menus, buttons, forms, tables, etc. The goal is to provide a starting point for your CSS without enforcing styles.

Classes use a `pure-` prefix like `.pure-menu-horizontal` and `.pure-button-primary` for clarity. You can override any styles by writing CSS without specificity issues.

Benefits of using Pure CSS:

- Ultra lightweight – under 5kb minified.

- Modular – Include only the CSS you need.

- Non-invasive – Minimal styles are easily tunable. 

- Responsive grid – Easy column-based layouts. 

- Broad browser support – Works with IE 10+.

- Free and open source – Actively maintained on GitHub.

For stripped down CSS building blocks without prescriptive styling, Pure CSS is a great open source option. The modules integrate cleanly with any frontend.

## 9. Skeleton 

Skeleton is a tiny, responsive boilerplate that provides basic UI elements without dictating visual styles. It's ideal for rapidly building responsive prototypes and sites.

The grid uses a syntax like `<div class="container"> <div class="six columns">...</div> </div>` for responsive columns. You style components like buttons and forms from scratch.

Notable features of Skeleton:

- Light as possible – Around 400 lines of CSS.

- Responsive grid – Easy column-based layouts.

- Typography defaults – Basic heading/paragraph styles.

- Media queries – Adapts for mobile and desktop. 

- No JavaScript – Vanilla CSS only.

- Free

Skeleton sets up some simple responsive structures without styling anything. It's great for getting a quick prototype built that you can style later.

## 10. Tachyons

Tachyons is a functional CSS framework focused on reusable, composable classes. It contains over 300 atomic class names to style elements like colors, fonts, backgrounds, borders, padding, and more.

For example, Tachyons classes like `f5` `ba` `b--blue` `bg-light-gray` can style an element with font size, border style, color, and background. You combine classes to create any component style needed.

Reasons to use Tachyons:

- Atomic, functional CSS – Single purpose class names.

- Extremely modular – Pull in only what you need.

- Optimization focused – Very lightweight.

- Promotes consistency – Reuse class names throughout codebase. 

- Active community – Used by Netflix, Cloudflare, Reddit, and more.

- No Sass dependencies 

Tachyons is ideal if you prefer functional CSS and want to share style elements across UI components flexibly. It has a learning curve but powerful results.

## CSS Framework Comparison

| Framework | Responsive | Components | Theming | Learning Curve | Customization |
|-|-|-|-|-|-|
| Tailwind | Yes | Utility classes | Highly customizable | Steep | Total control |  
| Bootstrap | Yes | Extensive library | Pre-built themes | Low | Sass variables |
| Bulma | Yes | Structural only | BYO styling | Low | Sass mixins |
| Materialize | Yes | Material components | Color schemes | Low | Sass overrides |
| Foundation | Yes | Robust set | Themes available | Low | Sass variables |
| UIkit | Yes | Modular set | Themes, RTL | Low | CSS variables |
| Semantic UI | Yes | Modular library | Multiple themes | Low | Component theming |
| Pure CSS | Yes | Limited modules | Non-invasive | Low | CSS overrides |
| Skeleton | Yes | Grid only | No styling | Low | N/A |
| Tachyons | No | Atomic classes | Custom builds | High | Extreme control |

## Key Considerations When Choosing

When selecting a CSS framework for your next project, keep these factors in mind:

- **Features needed** – Review the components and tools each framework provides. Prioritize ones that have what your project requires.

- **Learning curve** – Consider how easy it is to learn and use the framework efficiently.

- **Customization** – Determine how much control over styling/branding you need.

- **Performance** – Lightweight frameworks tend to provide better performance. 

- **Community & support** – Look for active forums and developer communities around the framework.

- **Compatibility** – Ensure the framework works with your chosen frontend libraries/tools.

- **Long-term maintenance** – Select established frameworks that receive ongoing updates.

## Conclusion

CSS frameworks continue to evolve with new options emerging alongside longstanding stalwarts like Bootstrap. Consider your specific needs and priorities to determine the right choice for your next web project.

Frameworks like Tailwind provide extreme customization while others like Materialize and UIkit focus on beautiful pre-built components. Lightweight modules like Tachyons and Pure CSS give you flexibility and performance.

Whichever option you choose, CSS frameworks minimize the hassles of writing CSS from scratch so you can build responsive, modern web interfaces faster than ever.