A Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) framework is a library of already made web designs that make frontend development easier and faster. A world without CSS frameworks would mean developers would have to code from scratch every time they are working on a new app or website.
Some CSS frameworks like Pure CSS and Skeleton are generally easy to use and implement if you have some basic knowledge of coding.
However, it’s important to note that not all frameworks are compatible with all web development projects. There are different frameworks available for different development needs.
Why You Need CSS Frameworks.
- Speeds up web development.
If you’re a beginner coder, creating websites can be quite challenging at first but with CSS frameworks, you get to save a lot of time; because of the variety of features and widgets that come already pre-installed. This is also similar to developers and designers who want to make their work easier and speed up the development process.
- Creation of prototypes.
A framework helps you create wireframes and prototypes quickly rather than creating from scratch.
- Responsive design.
A framework that uses responsive design for multiple devices which will help you attract more website visitors and potential clients.
- Help you learn CSS.
Frameworks are a great starting point when you want to learn how CSS work. With several features available with each framework, you get to learn how to create websites and incorporate different designs.
- Can be great in a team setting.
When working as a team, frameworks help you achieve consistency by applying a standardized approach. This can also be helpful when onboarding new team members.
- Cross-browser compatibility.
CSS frameworks ensure your website can be accessed using multiple browsers. Imagine working on an app or website then later finding out that it can only be supported on a single browser! Tragic, right?
- Fewer mistakes.
With frameworks, once you know which patterns of code work, you can easily add it to any project and know it won’t contain any errors.
With a vast selection of CSS frameworks in the market, it can be hard to determine which best suits your needs. In this article, we’ve narrowed down the best CSS frameworks worth learning about in 2022 alongside their unique features.
Tailwind.
Tailwind is a lightweight, highly customizable, and learning-intensive framework that’s mostly ideal for small businesses. It doesn’t come with default themes or built-in components which offers freedom to developers by letting everyone implement their own style in a fast and more effective way.
While Tailwind CSS is primarily coded in SCCS, it can be used in any language, which is also another reason why most developers are highly satisfied with it.
Tailwind has CSS utility classes which makes usage more straightforward. Although the classes can be highly repetitive, they make styling easy and present a well-engineered design system.
Why use Tailwind?
- It gives users the freedom to choose and customize web designs.
- You can also reuse your custom components throughout your project.
- Has multitasking which allows developers to complete projects first while shifting from HTML to CSS.
- Is small and lightweight making it suitable for smaller projects.
Drawbacks of using Tailwind
- You are forced to build a design from scratch.
- You need to have some basic CSS knowledge to use it.
If you’re looking for a framework that’s interesting to use, you should consider Tailwind. Its customizable features and designs will make app development more engaging than frameworks that come with preinstalled templates.
Bootstrap
Bootstrap is another popular open-source framework in the world of IT developers. It features responsive grid systems, SASS variables, powerful JavaScript plugins, and extensible pre-built components which make it a great open source toolkit for developers. It was first introduced by Twitter in 2001 making it the first-ever framework to give priority to mobile devices.
Since then, the framework has drastically grown to support modern CSS and create responsive websites and apps that look good on different devices.
Why use Bootstrap?
- It’s feature-rich and easily customizable using Sass.
- Has a straightforward file structure with easy access.
- It’s among the most popular CSS frameworks and comes with lots of tutorials.
- It’s free to use and compatible with all browsers.
- It’s user friendly.
Drawbacks
- It’s overused and has a distinct look that is easily noticeable.
- Requires some knowledge of coding.
Foundation.
Foundation CSS is one of the most advanced open source frameworks and is used to design beautiful emails and websites. Foundation is quite similar to bootstrap and is built in CSS, HTML, SASS, and JavaScript. If you’re looking for a fast and responsive framework to build a huge app, then Foundation is a great choice.
The framework was developed by ZURB and has a growing community support.
Why use Foundation CSS?
- It’s easy to use and read.
- Can build modern email templates.
- Foundation is lightweight and has flexible components.
- Ideal for large projects.
- Has many features which make customizing easy.
Drawbacks
- It’s complex, making it hard to learn.
- Relies on JavaScript
Pure.
This open-source framework from Yahoo is the smallest framework available at only 3.78KB. Its minimalistic structure makes it easy to use and helps users create code without using up too much space. This makes it a perfect choice for beginners.
Pure CSS was developed mainly for creating designs on mobiles. It builds on Normalise.css and provides styling and layouts for native HTML elements.
Why use Pure CSS?
- Works well with limited space.
- Easy to customize because of its limited features.
- Comes with ready-made components.
Drawbacks
- Has limited features.
- Not suitable for large apps and websites.
If you’re looking for a reliable framework that works well with limited space, then pure CSS is your best bet.
UIkit.
UIkit is a lightweight and minimalist front-end framework that offers a comprehensive collection of CSS, JS, and HTML components. It’s one of the best front-end frameworks and is used for iOS development.
With this framework, you can customize your app as much as you can while also taking advantage of the readily available web themes.
Why use UIkit?
- Free and open source.
- Compatible with multiple browsers.
- It’s simple to set up.
- Offers a modern framework with a minimalist style.
- User friendly.
Drawbacks
- Complex and not recommended for beginners or smaller projects.
- Isn’t as popular as other frameworks.
Bulma.
Bulma is a relatively new open-source framework that was developed by Jeremy Thomas and released in 2016. It is fairly lightweight, modern, and has many similarities to Bootstrap.
Bulma uses a powerful system known as tiles that’s powered by Flexbox to create grids that make the page neat and aesthetic. It is a unique framework that can be used to make a dull web page look beautiful.
Bulma is also completely responsive and modular, meaning you only need to import what you need.
Why use Bulma
- Free and open source.
- Has a simple syntax and minimalistic design.
- Easy to learn.
- It’s quite popular.
- Has readable CSS classes.
- Uses Flexbox which makes the creation of grids effortless.
Drawbacks
- Fairly new which means it has a small community.
- It’s still in the development phase.
- Has less documentationand still needs minor improvement.
Skeleton.
Skeleton CSS is a very lightweight framework with only 400 lines of code. It is mainly used for developing user-friendly web services for mobile devices but can also work well for small and straightforward websites. You get responsive grids, media queries, and vanilla CSS without the complexities of larger frameworks.
Skeleton is highly recommended for beginners who want to quickly create small and simple websites.
Why use Skeleton
- It contains only 400 lines of code.
- Great for small tasks.
- Has a minimalistic design.
- Easy to learn which makes it great for beginners.
Drawbacks
- Only suitable for mobile devices and small websites.
Conclusion
Instead of wasting time building apps and websites every time you want to start a new project, why not let CSS Frameworks do the work for you.
This article has highlighted some of the best CSS Frameworks that are worth checking out in 2022 and we hope you’ve found one that will make your web development process more bearable.