CSS frameworks can save a lot of time for front-end developers and make it easier to write code that is compatible across all browsers. They are essential and while there are a lot of them, some CSS frameworks are more popular than others.
Here are the 8 best CSS frameworks that are used by thousands of developers worldwide.
Bootstrap
Bootstrap is probably the most popular framework there is. It was released in 2011 and is developed by Twitter. Bootstrap is one of the most responsive and stable frameworks and comes with a mobile-first grid design that allows you to divide the screen into 12 columns. There are also a lot of pre-built components, great themes, and an SVG icon library. With a large and very active community, clear documentation, Bootstrap is no wonder the most popular choice.
Semantic UI
This framework uses syntax from natural languages to create classes, which makes class names very easy to understand and read. With more than 50 UI components and 3,000+ theming variables, Semantic UI provides good looking default layouts. The only downside is that it has been two years since the last release of the framework, and there is uncertainty about how actively it is still developed.
Bulma
A CSS-only framework – you only need a .css file. There are no components in Bulma that require JavaScript to function. It is a lightweight framework and built with flexbox with easy to read syntax. There are useful tutorial videos on the Bulma website, which make learning Bulma quite straightforward.
Materialize
Based on Google’s Material Design, Materialize is a responsive front-end framework. Using this framework will allow you to create bold and eye-catching designs you have seen in some Google products like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Drive. There is a 12-column grid system, similar to Bootstrap, and although with fewer UI components, Materialize offers default effects and components that lack in Bootstrap.
Foundation
A mobile-first responsive framework that works well, especially for Ruby on Rails projects. It offers CSS and HTML UI components, a responsive grid, templates, and so on. There is also an email component that allows you to create HTML emails. There are many tutorials on the Foundation website you can use to master the framework. It might take some time and effort as Foundation is one of the most comprehensive frameworks.
Tailwind
Probably the best-loved CSS frameworks, Tailwind is very customizable and focuses on utility classes, instead of predesigned components, that can be directly applied in HTML. It might not be the best looking, but it is beneficial and makes the development work easier.
Pure
A very lightweight CSS framework, Pure is built on Normalize.css. You have the most common UI components, layout for native HTML elements, and styling. Built with mobile devices in mind, Pure is a great starting point if you want to keep file size to a minimum while speeding up the development.
UIkit
A modular, lightweight, and minimalist framework. It has a good list of components and is very useful for the development of iOS apps. Ulkit is frequently updated and actively developed, so look at it, especially if you often work in the Apple ecosystem.
