Before we dive in, let me clearly state what we‘re exploring here: 8 front-end frameworks that serve as solid alternatives to the popular Bootstrap library for responsive web development.
Now, Bootstrap is used by millions of developers and powers a huge chunk of sites across the web – so it‘s definitely a valuable tool. However, depending on your specific needs and preferences when building a web interface, other options may be better suited or simply good to know about it.
Throughout this article, I‘ll highlight and compare 8 different frameworks against our familiar friend Bootstrap across a few key factors:
- Size and performance
- Learning curve
- Customization options
- Included components
- Overall capabilities
My goal is to present you with detailed, unbiased information and examples so you can evaluate these alternatives yourself and decide if any are worth trying out on your next project!
Alright, let‘s get started!
1. Flexbox Grid
First up is Flexbox Grid – an ultra lightweight grid system built entirely with CSS Flexbox instead of the floats that Bootstrap relies on.
Here is a breakdown of how Flexbox Grid compares:
Size: Tiny, just 10KB minified + gzipped
Learning: Very easy, uses nearly identical markup to Bootstrap‘s grid
Customization: Requires adding CSS but provides utility classes
Components: Just a grid system
Capabilities: Robust responsive layouts with Flexbox
For example, here is a simple responsive layout with Flexbox Grid:
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-8">
<div class="box">...</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-md-4">
<div class="box">...</div>
</div>
</div>Looks almost identical to Bootstrap, right? But way lighter weight since no JS is included.
Flexbox Grid is used on over 100,000 websites according to Wappalyzer data. It‘s a great choice if you just want a simple grid and don‘t need all the other Bootstrap stuff.
2. Pure CSS
Pure CSS is another very lightweight set of responsive CSS modules you can use to build interfaces. Let‘s see how it stacks up:
Size: Tiny, just 3.7KB for all modules
Learning: Easy to moderate, uses different grid syntax
Customization: Excellent, fully customize styles
Components: Grid, tables, buttons, forms, menus
Capabilities: Responsive layouts and components
Here is an example responsive layout in Pure CSS:
<div class="pure-g">
<div class="pure-u-1 pure-u-md-1-2">
<!-- left content -->
</div>
<div class="pure-u-1 pure-u-md-1-2">
<!-- right content -->
</div>
</div> The Pure CSS grid uses fractions to specify column sizes which takes a little getting used to – but allows flexibility.
Over 200,000 sites use Pure CSS. It‘s a great choice if you value performance and want to craft your own components.
3. Tailwind CSS
Tailwind CSS takes yet another approach – providing low-level utility classes for styling instead of predefined components. Here is how it sizes up:
Size: Varies based on use, averages around 100KB
Learning: Moderate, understanding utility-first paradigm
Customization: Very high, total control of styling
Components: None, fully customizable
Capabilities: Rapid building of custom UIs
For example, let‘s construct an alert component with Tailwind utilities:
<div class="bg-orange-100 border-l-4 border-orange-500 text-orange-700 p-4">
<p class="font-bold">Warning</p>
This is an important message!
</div>We composed a styled alert just using utility classes – no need to write custom CSS. Very fast!
Used on over 400,000 sites, Tailwind is gaining popularity for its flexibility. It‘s great if you value customization over pre-built components.
4. Bulma
Moving on, Bulma takes yet another approach – providing pre-built UI components designed in a modern, elegant visual style. How does it compare?
Size: Around 300KB compressed
Learning: Easy, similar to Bootstrap
Customization: Good, uses Sass variables
Components: Grid, form, navbar, media, modal + more
Capabilities: Build full UIs fast
For example, here is some easy column layout with Bulma:
<div class="columns">
<div class="column">1st column</div>
<div class="column">2nd column</div>
</div>See how the columns stack responsively right out the box? Bulma makes flexible layouts very easy.
Bulma has a gorgeous visual style and feels simpler than Bootstrap in some ways while providing all the key component needs. It clocks in at 500,000+ site users.
5. UIkit
Up next is UIkit – an alternative focused on modularity and customization. How does it stack up?
Size: Starts around 100KB
Learning: Moderate
Customization: Excellent, uses LESS or Sass
Components: Grid, card, navbar, offcanvas + more
Capabilities: Build slick UIs fast
Here is an example styled button with UIkit:
<button class="uk-button uk-button-primary">Button</button> The class-based naming is intuitive and easy to learn. You can apply styling very quickly.
With over 100,000 site installations, UIkit bills itself as the lightest framework available while still providing key components needed to develop full interfaces faster. The theming and customization options are also top-notch.
6. Semantic UI
Semantic UI is the most robust on our list in terms of included components. How does it compare?
Size: Roughly 300KB compressed
Learning: Moderate
Customization: Theming system for customization
Components: Massive library of components
Capabilities: Build advanced interfaces
For example, a nice styled button is easy:
<button class="ui blue button">Follow</button>With huge component library support out of the box, Semantic UI minimizes time to build almost any UI component or page. It clocks in at close to 900,000 site installations, offering a more robust option for those who need to develop full web interfaces and apps without extensive custom CSS work up front.
7. Materialize CSS
Next up: Materialize CSS, a front-end framework based on Google‘s popular Material Design styling system. How does it compare?
Size: Around 300KB compressed
Learning: Easy if familiar with Material Design
Customization: Good, uses Sass theming
Components: Grid, buttons, cards, sliders + more
Capabilities: Build Material Design interfaces
For example, cards are a breeze in Materialize:
<div class="card">
<div class="card-content">Hello</div>
</div>Easy styling like shadows and responsive sizing comes built-in. Over 200,000 sites currently use Materialize CSS to incorporate Google‘s Material styles faster. It can be great for those seeking this modern design trend out-of-the-box.
8. Foundation
Last up is Foundation, a battle tested framework that has been around for years. How does it size up?
Size: Around 100KB compressed
Learning: Easy to moderate
Customization: Good, uses Sass
Components: Grid, menu, accordion, slider, tabs + more
Capabilities: Build all types of responsive interfaces and apps
Here is easy responsive layout in Foundation:
<div class="grid-container">
<div class="grid-x">
<div class="cell">full width</div>
<div class="cell medium-6">Half-size </div>
</div>
</div>Foundation uses breakpoints to stack content responsively. With over 500,000 site installations, Foundation offers yet another solid option with a robust grid system and common components needed for web development.
The Bottom Line
So there you have it – 8 different front-end web development frameworks that serve as solid alternatives to consider versus Bootstrap for your next project.
While Bootstrap remains immensely popular and is used on millions of sites, it pays to be aware of other options like those covered here. I aimed to provide detailed comparisons and examples to demonstrate the capabilities of each.
No one framework is the "best" universally. Consider what‘s most important for your specific project needs in terms of size, customization, components, capabilities, and learning curve. By evaluating these key factors against Bootstrap, you should get a sense of whether it still makes the most sense or if an alternative like Flexbox Grid, Bulma, Tailwind CSS, or others highlighted here is worth trying out.
The web development landscape evolves so fast – hopefully by seeing some comparisons to Bootstrap you now feel better equipped to decide what makes sense for your situation. Let me know if you have any other questions!
