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Tailwind CSS vs reactstrap: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will compare Tailwind CSS and Reactstrap, two popular frameworks for building user interfaces (UIs) in web development. We will analyze the key differences between these frameworks, focusing on the specific features that set them apart.

  1. Design Philosophy: Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that provides a set of low-level utility classes that can be combined to build custom UI components. On the other hand, Reactstrap is a UI framework for React that provides pre-built components with styling. The key difference here is that Tailwind CSS focuses on providing building blocks (utility classes) to create custom UI components, whereas Reactstrap offers ready-to-use components out of the box.

  2. Styling Approach: Tailwind CSS provides a highly customizable approach to styling, as it allows developers to write their own CSS using utility classes. It offers a wide range of utility classes, such as spacing, typography, colors, and flexbox, that can be used to style elements in a modular way. In contrast, Reactstrap follows a more predefined styling approach, where components come with their own styling options and variations.

  3. Dependency: Tailwind CSS is a CSS framework that can be used with any front-end framework or library, including React. It doesn't have any direct dependency on React. Reactstrap, on the other hand, is a React-specific UI framework and requires React as a dependency. This difference makes Tailwind CSS more flexible in terms of project integration.

  4. Customization: Tailwind CSS offers extensive customization options. It provides a configuration file where developers can customize the utility classes, colors, breakpoints, and more according to their project requirements. Reactstrap, on the other hand, offers limited customization options. The styling of Reactstrap components is primarily controlled through component props rather than global configuration.

  5. Learning Curve: Tailwind CSS has a relatively steeper learning curve compared to Reactstrap. Its utility-first approach requires developers to familiarize themselves with the available utility classes and their combinations. Reactstrap, being a framework for React, aligns more closely with React's component-based approach, making it easier for React developers to work with.

  6. Community and Ecosystem: Reactstrap has a larger community and ecosystem compared to Tailwind CSS. Reactstrap is built on top of Bootstrap, one of the most widely used CSS frameworks, hence it inherits the popularity and widespread usage of Bootstrap. This leads to a larger pool of resources, tutorials, and community support available for Reactstrap users.

In summary, Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that focuses on providing building blocks for custom UI components, allowing for extensive customization and flexibility, while Reactstrap is a React-specific UI framework that offers ready-to-use components with limited customization options, but benefits from a larger community and ecosystem.

Advice on reactstrap and Tailwind CSS
Needs advice
on
BootstrapBootstrap
and
Tailwind CSSTailwind CSS

I am planning to redesign my entire application, which is currently in Bootstrap. I heard about Tailwind CSS, and I think its really cool to work with. Is it okay if I use Bootstrap and Tailwind together? I can't remove Bootstrap altogether, as my application is using the js dependencies of Bootstrap, which I don't want to disturb.

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Replies (3)
Ivo Pereira

Factually talking about systems, we gotta make two bold headlines about each one: Bootstrap has been around for a while, has a vast community and much probably will not be gone in a while. Tailwind in the other hand, is the trendy framework starting from the past year. Referring to UI, I really prefer Tailwind, however I can't ignore the fact that a lot of libraries that emerged felt short in the end after a few years (a point where Bootstrap kept his status).

You are able to use both them together but I advise you — it will be a mess. And you gotta hope that you won't have any kind of conflicts between class naming and other general styling.

My recommendation would be to use one and only one. Perhaps rebuild the UI with a specific framework in mind, otherwise you will start to workaround things of both frameworks to contradict each other - and your team (if you work with one) will hate you.

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Arslan Ameer
Sr. Software Engineer at Forenax Technologies · | 5 upvotes · 584.4K views
Recommends
on
BootstrapBootstrap

You might have heard about bootstrap 5. Bootstrap is now totally jQuery free. i have tried foundation and bulma too. but eventually fall again for bootstrap, as it is most convenient and stable. i use bootstrap with less or sass.

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Barry Hylton
Recommends
on
BootstrapBootstrap

I use both of these regularly. If you're going to have to use Bootstrap due to your js dependencies, stick with Bootstrap. I actually prefer Tailwind, but trying to use both of them and make them "play nice" feels like making things more complex with no real benefit.

EDIT: Sorry for the late response, I just noticed how old this is. StackShare sent me this in an email for some reason so I assumed it was relatively fresh.

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Needs advice
on
BootstrapBootstrapTailwind CSSTailwind CSS
and
UIkItUIkIt

We are re-modifying the existing portal to the new one. Looking out for a CSS framework where over-rides are possible, the performance of page loading, extendable, etc Please suggest between tailwind, UIkit and bootstrap frameworks explaining in detail on different factors. I request your help on the same.

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Replies (2)
Collins Ogbuzuru
Front-end dev at Evolve credit · | 3 upvotes · 547.1K views
Recommends
on
Tailwind CSSTailwind CSS

Hey Sai, My thoughts on UIkit - It's beautiful, fast, and it has good animation too. Why would I choose it ? Nothing other than giving the internet a new look .

My thoughts on Bootstrap - it's beautiful, if used well. It's very fast and has clean class naming convention unlike Uikit. Why I would choose it ? It's been tested and trusted, I can find a whole lot of resources and a community around it. Also with the type of project you working on I bet Bootstrap would do the job .

Now, considering Tailwind, it's seen as a classic, simple-to-set-up tool with clean utilities. I wouldn't think of tailwind the way I would to Bootstrap or UIkit. What do I mean ? Tailwind is more like a tool set to create your own design flow. Tailwind allows you to build unique design elements, offering you a level of customization that may be unmatched by the other frameworks.

My final thoughts.

If you have the time , setup and use tailwind it will give you a great chance when it comes to customization and performance.

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Brett Stevenson
Recommends
on
BootstrapBootstrap

I'm a big proponent of Tailwind and I personally use it whenever I get the chance, mostly because it's not really a UI-kit, but it sounds like in this case a UI-kit like Bootstrap with pre-defined components is more what you are looking for. Bootstrap is (relatively) extendable and overridable and makes it really simple to make a decent looking UI using a handful of pre-defined classes, whereas with Tailwind you configure the classes and create your own components. My main reason for replacing Bootstrap in my workflow is that it feels like the component creation has become so abstracted from the developer that any meaningful customization becomes a chore, resulting in many websites having the generic "Bootstrap-look". Nonetheless, it is effective for creating a pleasant and responsive UI. Though, I don't have any experience with UIkit.

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Decisions about reactstrap and Tailwind CSS
Bridget Sarah
Full Stack Developer at Bridget Sarah · | 10 upvotes · 634.6K views

I do prefer to write things from scratch however when it came to wanting to jump-start the frontend, I found that it was taking me a lot longer hence why needing to use something very fast.

Bootstrap was the boom when it came out, I didn't like it, to be honest, set in its way and a pain to over-ride and in addition, you can tell from a distance if you're using boostrap and as everything looks the same.

I came across Tailwind CSS as I wanted more dynamic features, you could say, I've been now doing it for a few days and I love it a lot. I've been practising with the full stack part installed but I an't we wait until I do a new project, and I'll e able to select exactly what I want. Much faster.

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Pros of reactstrap
Pros of Tailwind CSS
  • 4
    Prebuilt Bootstrap 4 components
  • 44
    Highly customizable
  • 33
    Quick setup
  • 30
    Utility first styles, its amazing
  • 24
    Versatile
  • 23
    Great docs
  • 16
    Customizable
  • 16
    Fast
  • 15
    Consistent
  • 11
    Very light
  • 11
    Semantic
  • 11
    Open source
  • 9
    Responsive
  • 1
    Easy Tree shaking with Tailwind CLI

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Cons of reactstrap
Cons of Tailwind CSS
    Be the first to leave a con
    • 14
      Priced
    • 5
      Cluttered html structure

    Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions

    - No public GitHub repository available -

    What is reactstrap?

    It provides prebuilt Bootstrap 4 components that allow a great deal of flexibility and prebuilt validation. This allows us to quickly build beautiful forms that are guaranteed to impress and provide an intuitive user experience.

    What is Tailwind CSS?

    Tailwind is different from frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, or Bulma in that it's not a UI kit. It doesn't have a default theme, and there are no build-in UI components. It comes with a menu of predesigned widgets to build your site with, but doesn't impose design decisions that are difficult to undo.

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    What are some alternatives to reactstrap and Tailwind CSS?
    Bootstrap
    Bootstrap is the most popular HTML, CSS, and JS framework for developing responsive, mobile first projects on the web.
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    Ant Design
    An enterprise-class UI design language and React-based implementation. Graceful UI components out of the box, base on React Component. A npm + webpack + babel + dora + dva development framework.
    Semantic UI React
    Semantic UI React is the official React integration for Semantic UI. jQuery Free, Declarative API, Shorthand Props, and more.
    Semantic UI
    Semantic empowers designers and developers by creating a shared vocabulary for UI.
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