What Is a CSS Framework?

A CSS framework is a collection of CSS code that simplifies the process of laying out web pages with various visual styles. It provides ready-to-use classes, UI components, grid systems, and other techniques to assist front-end developers. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) define the appearance of all page elements, such as fonts, borders, colors, etc., significantly reducing the effort for programmers and enabling them to achieve a polished website presentation in a shorter time.

Benefits of Using CSS Frameworks

1. Fast start: Quickly demonstrate your vision of the website to clients with minimal effort.
2. Coherence: Ensure consistent styling across all pages, creating a sense of balance for visitors.
3. Layout without special knowledge: CSS frameworks can be used even with minimal layout expertise.
4. Perfect cross-browser compatibility: Websites appear identical on different browsers, ensuring a seamless user experience. An excellent example is the online casino MIT Hoher, Gewinnchance which functions flawlessly on all devices.
5. Community support: Access technical assistance easily through active and extensive community support.
6. Customisability: Seamlessly combine and modify components and styles to create a unique website presentation.

Primary Goals of CSS Framework

A CSS framework aims to provide user-friendly interfaces for websites and applications, optimizing the efforts of programmers and yielding fast, well-elaborated results. Key goals include:

1. Reliable and tested solutions: Avoid errors related to page layout.
2. Flexible functionality: Achieve originality comparable to coding from scratch.
3. Responsive web design: Ensure consistent display across devices.
4. Simplicity of upgrading: Easily add new components or modify existing ones.

The 20 Best CSS Frameworks in 2023

Name	What It Is	GitHub Stars	License
Bootstrap	The most sought-after CSS framework	165k	MIT
Bulma	Clear and comprehensible CSS framework	47.4k	MIT
Foundation	Considered the best alternative to Bootstrap	30k	MIT
Fomantic UI	An updated version of Semantic UI	3.3k	MIT
Blaze UI	Scalability and maintainability-focused toolkit	1.5k	MIT
Vanilla Framework	Minimalistic stylesheet for web projects	705	LGPL-3.0
Tailwind	Top CSS for creating unique design websites	71k	MIT
Open Props	Non-prescriptive CSS library	3.4k	MIT
Tachyons	Design-oriented CSS framework	11.4k	MIT
Materialise	Web design framework based on Google recommendation	38.8k	MIT
Pure	Lightweight framework by Yahoo	23k	BSD
Milligram	Perfect minimalistic CSS for small projects	10k	MIT
Chota	Ease-of-use micro CSS framework	1.2k	MIT
Spectre	Flexbox-based lightweight and responsive framework	11.2k	MIT
Skeleton	Lightweight CSS with a basic set of components	3.2k	MIT
Water	Drop-in collection to style your websites	7.7k	MIT
MVP	Classless CSS framework to create a Minimal Viable Product	4.7k	MIT
UI Kit	Top CSS focused on building apps for iOS	17.9k	MIT
Gutenberg	Best CSS framework to prepare HTML pages for printing	4.7k	MIT
Bojler	Framework devoted to the creation of email templates	994	MIT

General-Purpose CSS Frameworks

Bootstrap

Bootstrap is the most sought-after CSS framework that has contributed to the creation of about one-fifth of all websites on the web. It is open-source and free for both non-commercial and commercial use.

Summary of Bootstrap:

• File size: approx. 163.82 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 576px, 768px, 992px, 1200px, 1400px
• JavaScript: All plugins in Bootstrap 5 are pure JavaScript (previous versions used jQuery)
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Alerts, Buttons, Card, Navs, Carousel, Media Object, Popovers, Dropdowns, Forms, List Group, Input Group, Jumbotron, Modal, Spinners, Pagination, Progress, Scrollspy, and many more
• Particularities: Utilities, ready-made components, build layout tools, styling classes, community extensions/examples

Reasons to Use Bootstrap:

• Tested on millions of websites
• Abundant ready-made classes and components
• High-speed performance
• Customisable
• Excellent technical support from active communities

Drawbacks:

• Difficult to create unique designs due to its widespread usage
• Large file sizes

Bulma

Bulma is a modern and straightforward CSS framework known for its clarity and ease of use. It is suitable for developing websites and apps for all devices.

Summary of Bulma:

• File size: approx. 206.62 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 768px, 1024px, 1216px, 1408px
• JavaScript: Does not require JavaScript
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Box, Button, Image, Content, Notification, Card, Tab, Delete, Icon, Message, Navbar, Pagination, Progress bars, Tag, Titles
• Particularities: Based on the Flexbox module

Reasons to Use Bulma:

• Easy customization
• Lightweight
• Compatible with any JavaScript framework
• Minimal HTML code

Drawbacks:

• Smaller community compared to other CSS frameworks
• Still under development, which may affect documentation

Foundation

Foundation is a feature-rich CSS framework that caters to front-end developers. Originally designed for mobile devices, it now offers responsive capabilities for larger screens.

Summary of Foundation:

• File size: approx. 134.84 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 640px, 1024px
• JavaScript: foundation.min.js and jQuery
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Abide, Label, Accordion, Badge, Switch, Off-canvas, Flex Grid, Button, Callout, Grid, Reveal, Close Button, Equalizer, Interchange, Menu, Orbit, Pagination, Sticky, Table, Toggler, Tooltip, Visibility Classes, etc.
• Particularities: Motion UI, using Flexbox module in the latest version, documentation with videos

Reasons to Use Foundation:

• Open source
• Rapid development with the Sass compiler
• Advanced interface
• Reliable grid system
• Comprehensive animation library
• Suitable for websites and email templates

Drawbacks:

• Design may not be as appealing
• Requires coding skills for code modification
• Less popular than Bootstrap, resulting in limited community support

Fomantic UI

Fomantic UI is an improved version of Semantic UI, combining the best features of both frameworks to cater to their fan bases.

Summary of Fomantic UI:

• File size: More than 600 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 723px, 933px, 1127px
• JavaScript: jQuery
• Grid system: 16 columns
• Features: Buttons, Inverted Buttons, Images, Icons, Inputs, Dividers, Loaders, Breadcrumbs, Statistics, Cards, Accordions, etc.
• Particularities: Build tools

Reasons to Use Fomantic UI:

• Free and open source
• Abundance of theming variables
• Numerous UI components
• Responsive for tablet, mobile, and other devices
• Simplified debugging
• Cross-browser compatibility

Drawbacks:

• Possible style conflicts
• Limited documentation

Blaze UI

Blaze UI is a mobile-first CSS framework with responsive capabilities for other devices as well. It relies on native browser features without additional CSS libraries.

Summary of Blaze UI:

• JavaScript: Compact JavaScript Library
• Features: Addresses, Avatars, Badges, Divider, Lists, Trees, etc.
• Particularities: One of the lightest CSS frameworks

Reasons to Use Blaze UI:

• Free and open source
• Works well on all screen sizes
• Easy customisation
• Lightweight UI toolkit
• Well-documented

Drawbacks:

• Less JavaScript support compared to other frameworks
• Smaller community, resulting in limited technical support

Vanilla Framework

Vanilla Framework is a minimalist CSS framework that can be easily expanded and complemented with custom patterns.

Summary of Vanilla Framework:

• JavaScript: Compact JavaScript Library
• Grid system: Responsive CSS grid
• Features: Accordion, Badge, Buttons, Cards, Grid, Chips, Icons, Lists, etc.
• Particularities: Built using Sass

Reasons to Use Vanilla Framework:

• Highly flexible
• Easy to integrate into projects
• Lightweight
• Responsive CSS grid
• Pre-made HTML elements
• Compatible with numerous other frameworks

Drawbacks:

• Requires expanding JavaScript support
• Smaller community, affecting technical assistance

Utility-Based CSS Frameworks

Tailwind

Tailwind is a powerful CSS framework known for its advanced infrastructure. It is suitable for creating complex and unique websites and has gained popularity in recent years.

Summary of Tailwind:

• File size: approx. 2413.4 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 640px, 768px, 1024px, 1280px, 1536px
• JavaScript: Varies
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Possibility of combining CSS classes for creating components

Reasons to Use Tailwind:

• Compatible with many other frameworks
• Greater control and easy component modeling
• Excellent documentation
• Support for all modern browsers
• Unlimited flexibility

Drawbacks:

• Excessive use of utility classes

Open Props

Open Props is an optimised open-source non-prescriptive CSS library that allows custom classes to be used alongside or instead of predefined class names.

Summary of Open Props:

• Responsive breakpoints: 360px, 480px, 768px, 1024px, 1400px, 1920px
• JavaScript: Builds the JavaScript modules
• Features: Lists, Code, Audio, Video, Progress, Meter, Images, Checkboxes, etc.
• Particularities: Non-prescriptive CSS library

Reasons to Use Open Props:

• Vast possibilities for website design
• Customizable interfaces
• Opportunity to add animations

Drawbacks:

• Insufficient documentation
• Smaller community, limiting technical support

Tachyons

Tachyons is a progressive CSS framework that utilises functions and utilities to design web pages and apps, minimising the use of code and resulting in a small CSS file size.

Summary of Tachyons:

• File size: approx. 73.26 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: Medium and large
• JavaScript: Optional
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Article Lists, Articles, Forms, Avatars, Tables, Collections, Links, Banners, Buttons, Cards, Footers, Layout, Headers, Lists, Quotes, Text, etc.
• Particularities: Open-source CSS libraries

Reasons to Use Tachyons:

• Powerful yet flexible front-end framework
• Simple class functions
• Follows a mobile-first strategy
• Thorough module documentation

Drawbacks:

• Limited distribution due to high competition
• More challenging to master compared to alternative products

Materialise

Materialise is a front-end framework that allows you to bring web design ideas to life with minimal effort. It enables the creation of web products in Google’s style, making it one of the most popular CSS frameworks.

Summary of Materialise:

• File size: approx. 139.62 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 600px, 992px, 1200px
• JavaScript: Materialise.min.js and jQuery
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Auto Init, Collapsible, Badges, Footer, Breadcrumbs, Carousel, FeatureDiscovery, Icons, Pushpin, Modals, Scrollspy, Navbar, Pagination, Tooltips, Waves, etc.
• Particularities: Tailored to Material Design

Reasons to Use Materialise:

• Abundance of advanced components and classes
• Maximises developer productivity
• Fast page loading
• Easy to use

Drawbacks:

• Limited ability to create a unique product due to design uniformity
• Reliance on excessive JavaScript

Lightweight CSS Frameworks

Pure

Pure is the most popular lightweight CSS framework, developed by Yahoo as a minimalist alternative to Bootstrap.

Summary of Pure:

• File size: approx. 16.79 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 568px, 768px, 1024px, 1280px
• JavaScript: Limited support
• Grid system: 5 and 24 columns
• Features: Base, Forms, Grids, Tables, Buttons, Menus
• Particularities: Built on Normalise.css

Reasons to Use Pure:

• Very small file size
• Works well with leading browsers and OS
• Possibility of adding Bootstrap elements

Drawbacks:

• Minimal JavaScript support (vanilla JavaScript is possible)

Milligram

Milligram is a free and minimalistic CSS framework that proves a tiny framework can be powerful. It ranks high among CSS frameworks due to its complete set of tools in a very small file size.

Summary of Milligram:

• File size: approx. 9 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 640px, 1280px, 1920px
• JavaScript: Does not support JavaScript
• Features: Buttons, Typography, Tables, Blockquotes, Lists, Forms, Grid

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• Particularities: Use of Flexible Box Layout Module

Reasons to Use Milligram:

• Enables developers to create clean and concise code
• Several handy ways to add it to your projects
• Can be mastered in just one day

Drawbacks:

• Lack of templates
• Some components from other popular front-end frameworks are not available due to the lack of JavaScript support
• Smaller community, making technical assistance difficult

Chota

Chota is a new CSS framework focused on ease of use with clear rules that even beginners can understand. Despite being a micro framework with a very small file size, it comes with a great set of components and utilities.

Summary of Chota:

• File size: approx. 3 kB
• JavaScript: Limited JavaScript support
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Rid, Tabs, Buttons, Card, Nav, Tag
• Particularities: Doesn’t use preprocessors

Reasons to Use Chota:

• Possibility to extend thanks to SASS
• Support of seven leading browsers
• Adheres to semantic HTML conventions
• Possibility of using icons

Drawbacks:

• Few learning materials
• Lack of comprehensive community support

Spectre

Spectre is based on Flexbox and CSS grid, allowing it to create responsive websites with a small file size. It is optimised for different fonts, including Asian ones, and is considered one of the best CSS frameworks.

Summary of Spectre:

• File size: approx. 45 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 480px, 600px, 840px, 960px, 1280px
• JavaScript: Does not support JavaScript
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Accordions, Code, Avatars, Buttons, Labels, Toasts, Cards, Chips, Forms, Hero, Media, Panels, Menu, Modals, Nav, Steps, Tables, Tooltips, Typography, etc.
• Particularities: Based on the Flexbox module

Reasons to Use Spectre:

• Multiple methods to add to your project
• Ability to edit LESS files
• Easily creates uncommon responsive tables
• Compatible with older browsers

Drawbacks:

• Does not support JavaScript

Skeleton

Skeleton is a minimalist and lightweight CSS framework that provides only basic CSS components, making it ideal for quickly starting the development of a website.

Summary of Skeleton:

• File size: approx. 31.6 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 440px, 550px, 750px, 1000px, 1200px
• JavaScript: Based on CSS and JavaScript
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Grid, Forms, Typography, Tables, Media queries, Buttons, Lists, etc.
• Particularities: Has tested Less and Sass extensions proposed by the community

Reasons to Use Skeleton:

• Easy to store and manage due to small file size
• Works with all modern browsers
• Easy to learn even for inexperienced developers
• Ability to use Sass or Less extensions

Drawbacks:

• The choice of pre-styled components is not very wide

Class-Less CSS Frameworks

Water

Water is a simple and lightweight CSS framework ideal for developing simple static web pages or presenting demo websites to clients. It doesn’t require classes and can be easily added to projects using just one line of code.

Summary of Water:

• File size: < 2 kB
• JavaScript: Based on CSS and JavaScript
• Features: Background, Code, Border, Animation, Links, Focus, Variable, etc.
• Particularities: Built with CSS variables

Reasons to Use Water:

• Class-free semantic HTML
• High code quality
• Supports all popular browsers
• Customisable

Drawbacks:

• Best suited for small projects only

MVP

MVP is the best CSS framework for quickly creating a Minimal Viable Product. By adding just one line of code to your HTML file, you can style your website and make it more attractive.

Summary of MVP:

• File size: One line of code
• JavaScript: Does not require JavaScript
• Features: Table, Details, Summary, Code, Checkbox, Pre-line, Focus, Font, etc.
• Particularities: Easy CSS variables modification

Reasons to Use MVP:

• Easy workflow using semantic HTML
• Reusable components
• Mobile-friendly
• Free for any purpose
• Ability to use CSS variables

Drawbacks:

• The choice of customisation options is quite limited

Specialised CSS Frameworks

UI Kit

UI Kit is the best CSS framework for developing applications for iOS. Backed by Apple, it provides the perfect user experience with an intuitive interactive interface built with CSS libraries.

Summary of UI Kit:

• File size: approx. 256.01 kB
• Responsive breakpoints: 640px, 960px, 1200px, 1600px
• JavaScript: uikit.min.js
• Grid system: 12 columns
• Features: Alert, Animation, Cover, Article, List, Badge, Block, Grid, Breadcrumb, Button, Close, Flex, Column, Comment, Contrast, Pagination, Dropdown, Form, Icon, Overlay, etc.
• Particularities: Free autocomplete plugins

Reasons to Use UI Kit:

• Creating a consistent style for web products and applications
• Ability to quickly design alternative project options
• Ease of rebranding due to the wide selection of UI components offered by the best UI framework

Drawbacks:

• App performance may degrade when using advanced features

Gutenberg

Gutenberg is the best CSS framework for content appearance when printed. It offers a variety of post templates that facilitate and speed up the work of the developer, making the results attractive to end-users.

Summary of Gutenberg:

• Responsive breakpoints: 480px, 600px, 782px, 960px, 1080px, 1280px, 1440px
• JavaScript: Supports JavaScript
• Features: Code, Headings, Sub, Paragraph, Blockquote figure, Sup, etc.
• Particularities: Available on npm

Reasons to Use Gutenberg:

• Ease of use thanks to the block system
• Can be mastered without programming skills
• Thousands of blocks available
• Detailed documentation

Drawbacks:

• Narrow focus

Bojler

Bojler is one of the best CSS frameworks for responsive email templates. It is easy to use yet allows you to create great product designs compatible with various email clients.

Summary of Bojler:

• File size: approx. 345.9 kB
• JavaScript: Supports JavaScript
• Features: Reset styles, Grid system, Components, Utility classes, Typography
• Particularities: Built with SASS

Reasons to Use Bojler:

• Lightweight email templates
• Works correctly with common email clients
• Wide selection of utility classes and components

Drawbacks:

• Narrow focus, interesting only to a small community of users

Is Tailwind Better than Bootstrap?

The choice between Tailwind and Bootstrap depends on your specific tasks. If you need to quickly create an effective digital product using a responsive website design framework, Bootstrap is a suitable option. However, if you desire an

ultra-modern CSS framework and the ability to create unique product layouts, Tailwind is the preferred choice. It provides a greater level of flexibility and customisation, but it requires more effort to master compared to Bootstrap.

Conclusion

CSS frameworks have become indispensable tools for web developers. By streamlining front-end development, they allow for faster and more consistent website creation. With numerous options available, developers can choose the best CSS framework based on their project requirements and personal preferences. Whether it’s a general-purpose, utility-based, lightweight, class-less, or specialised CSS framework, these tools have proven to be essential in achieving attractive and responsive web designs with minimal effort.

jaam automation, a pioneering automation company, is celebrating a remarkable achievement with dual wins at the prestigious Nintex Solution Innovation Awards (SIAs). Notably, Holcim Group, a leader in sustainable construction, secured the Customer Excellence Award for the AI-powered CV standardisation solution designed and implemented by jaam automation. Additionally, Ernie Hayter, Head of Automation at jaam, earned an Individual Excellence Award for his outstanding work on jaam’s new work and case management solution.

Holcim Group, with its global mission of end-to-end decarbonisation of building practices, faced the challenge of managing CV standardisation for its extensive workforce of 65,000 employees across multiple regions. Collaborating closely with Holcim, jaam automation developed an intelligent automation solution that seamlessly transformed CVs into the required format using AI-powered tools, such as Affinda, integrated with a customised Nintex K2 cloud application. This innovative solution streamlined the CV upload, data extraction, and review process, effectively integrating with SAP SuccessFactors. The transformation significantly reduced processing time, with HR managers now capable of bulk uploading hundreds of CVs in minutes, while employees can extract their CV data in seconds, greatly enhancing efficiency.

Beyond the remarkable turnaround on standardised CVs, the new solution empowers the HR team with comprehensive reporting capabilities, allowing them to analyse application usage, CV processing metrics, return on investment, and adoption rates across different regions. Andrés Arias, Group Head of HR Innovation & Transformation at Holcim, expressed delight with the award, acknowledging the positive impact of the solution on data enhancement and Talent-related processes.

Andrew Murphy, Head of Strategy at jaam automation, praised the partnership with Holcim, emphasising the project’s successful achievement of freeing up staff for more value-added tasks, thanks to the power of automation and AI technologies.

Adding to jaam automation’s triumph, Ernie Hayter secured the Individual Excellence Award for his instrumental work on the company’s new work and case management solution. This transformative jaam product boasts enhanced productivity, streamlined workflows, improved collaboration, and faster case resolution, ultimately leading to a seamless user experience for both jaam customers and the broader Nintex community. Ernie expressed gratitude for the award and attributed the success to the collective effort of the jaam team.

The Nintex Solution Innovation Awards recognise exemplary achievements in digital transformation using the Nintex Process Platform. The panel of judges evaluated nominations submitted by Nintex customers or partners, acknowledging exceptional process and automation solutions that yielded significant results.

Nintex CEO, Amit Mathradas, commended jaam automation and Holcim Group for their innovative approach and perpetual curiosity, which epitomises the essence of automation and artificial intelligence in this new era.

As a renowned leader in automation, jaam automation’s achievements at the Nintex SIAs reaffirm their commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions and driving digital transformation for their clients. With the spirit of continuous innovation, jaam automation remains poised to make a lasting impact in the automation landscape.

In light of recent alarming cyber incidents targeting critical infrastructure globally, particularly the cyber attacks on Norwegian government ministries, the pressing need for heightened cybersecurity measures to protect these critical systems has once again taken center stage.

Smarttech247, in response to this critical issue, is urging all organisations with Operational Technology (OT) systems in place to conduct a thorough review of their current security measures. Additionally, the company is actively collaborating with critical infrastructure agencies to bolster their cybersecurity defenses. The recent attacks have laid bare vulnerabilities in the public sector on a global scale, emphasising the urgent requirement for proactive and resilient cybersecurity measures.

The nefarious intentions of cyber actors targeting critical infrastructure, including power grids, transportation networks, and water supply systems, pose a significant threat to public services, public safety, and the economy at large.

Raluca Saceanu, the CEO of Smarttech247, expressed her concern, stating, “Over the past 12 months, we have observed a staggering 70% increase in attempted cyber attacks on organisations’ Operational Technology (OT) or Industrial Control Systems (ICS) systems. This poses grave risks to the essential services that our societies rely upon. We are dedicated to empowering organisations to confront these evolving challenges head-on, safeguarding critical infrastructure with robust defense strategies and cutting-edge technologies.”

To tackle the ever-evolving threat landscape, considering the projected 25 billion IoT connections worldwide by 2025, Smarttech247 is taking proactive measures. They are offering a complimentary cybersecurity health check to critical infrastructures across Europe.

According to Saceanu, this initiative is designed to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen defenses, thereby fortifying these critical systems against potential cyber risks.