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Autoprefixer vs Stylus: What are the differences?

## Introduction
In web development, tools like Autoprefixer and Stylus play a crucial role in improving CSS workflow and efficiency. Understanding the key differences between these tools can help developers make informed decisions on which one to use for their projects.

1. **Syntax**: Autoprefixer is a postprocessor that automatically adds vendor prefixes to CSS rules based on the provided browser support while Stylus is a preprocessor that allows users to write CSS in a more concise and readable syntax with features like variables, nesting, and mixins.

2. **Browser Compatibility**: Autoprefixer focuses on automatically handling vendor prefixes to ensure better browser compatibility for CSS properties, while Stylus is primarily focused on simplifying CSS writing through its preprocessor features and does not address browser compatibility.

3. **Output**: Autoprefixer modifies the CSS file directly by adding necessary vendor prefixes, making it easier to maintain and update the code, while Stylus generates a separate CSS file from the stylus code, allowing developers to keep the original stylus files clean and organized.

4. **Dependency**: Autoprefixer is typically used as a plugin in build tools like Grunt or Gulp, enhancing the CSS output during the build process, whereas Stylus needs to be explicitly included in the project and compiled separately before the final CSS file is generated.

5. **Community Support**: Autoprefixer has a large community and is widely used in the industry, with frequent updates and maintenance to address new CSS features and browser support, while Stylus has a smaller but dedicated community that focuses on improving the preprocessor's functionalities.

6. **Learning Curve**: Autoprefixer is easy to integrate into existing projects as a plugin, requiring minimal configuration and setup, while Stylus may have a steeper learning curve for developers due to its unique syntax and features, which might take time to master.

In Summary, understanding the key differences between Autoprefixer and Stylus can help developers choose the right tool based on their specific project requirements and workflow preferences.
Advice on Autoprefixer and Stylus
awesomebanana2018
Needs advice
on
PostCSSPostCSSSassSass
and
StylusStylus

Originally, I was going to start using Sass with Parcel, but then I learned about Stylus, which looked interesting because it can get the property values of something directly instead of through variables, and PostCSS, which looked interesting because you can customize your Pre/Post-processing. Which tool would you recommend?

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Replies (2)
Recommends
on
PostCSSPostCSS

You're not correct with saying "vs Postcss". You're using Less/Sass/Stylus/... to produce "CSS" (maybe extended means it has some future features) and then in any case PostCSS will play (it is shipped with Parcel/NextJS/CRA/...)

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Pros of Autoprefixer
Pros of Stylus
    Be the first to leave a pro
    • 69
      Simple
    • 54
      Indented syntax
    • 38
      Efficient
    • 33
      Built for node.js
    • 32
      Open source
    • 24
      Expressive
    • 21
      Maintainable
    • 17
      Feature-rich
    • 13
      Better than CS
    • 6
      Variables
    • 5
      Functions
    • 3
      @extend directive
    • 2
      Contempt for curly brackets
    • 2
      Very clean
    • 2
      Mixins
    • 2
      Is Easy
    • 2
      No colons, semi-colons or even curly braces
    • 1
      Its unique
    • 1
      Dynamic selectors
    • 1
      Scriptable
    • 1
      Easy Efficiently
    • 1
      Transparent
    • 1
      Supports orthogonal architecture

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    What is Autoprefixer?

    It is a CSS post processor. It combs through compiled CSS files to add or remove vendor prefixes like -webkit and -moz after checking the code.

    What is Stylus?

    Stylus is a revolutionary new language, providing an efficient, dynamic, and expressive way to generate CSS. Supporting both an indented syntax and regular CSS style.

    Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

    What companies use Autoprefixer?
    What companies use Stylus?
    See which teams inside your own company are using Autoprefixer or Stylus.
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    What tools integrate with Autoprefixer?
    What tools integrate with Stylus?
      No integrations found

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      What are some alternatives to Autoprefixer and Stylus?
      gulp
      Build system automating tasks: minification and copying of all JavaScript files, static images. More capable of watching files to automatically rerun the task when a file changes.
      PostCSS
      PostCSS is a tool for transforming CSS with JS plugins. These plugins can support variables and mixins, transpile future CSS syntax, inline images, and more.
      Sass
      Sass is an extension of CSS3, adding nested rules, variables, mixins, selector inheritance, and more. It's translated to well-formatted, standard CSS using the command line tool or a web-framework plugin.
      Animate.css
      It is a bunch of cool, fun, and cross-browser animations for you to use in your projects. Great for emphasis, home pages, sliders, and general just-add-water-awesomeness.
      css-loader
      The css-loader interprets @import and url() like import/require() and will resolve them.
      See all alternatives