Choosing between Tailwind CSS and Vanilla CSS can significantly impact your workflow, styling consistency, and project scalability. Both have their strengths, but the best option depends on your project’s needs and what works best for you.
My Journey with Tailwind CSS
I recently started using Tailwind CSS after completing a course on Scrimba. I also implemented it in a recent project for my HNG internship. However, one question still lingers in my mind: Vanilla CSS or Tailwind CSS?
After working with both, I have some insights to share that might help you make a decision.
My Thoughts on Tailwind CSS
I strongly recommend Tailwind CSS for fast-paced projects. If you have a tight deadline, Tailwind is a lifesaver. It allows you to write styles directly within your elements, eliminating the need to switch between HTML and CSS files in your IDE.
For example:
In Vanilla CSS:
In Tailwind CSS:
With Tailwind, you can write styles faster, making it easier to meet tight deadlines. It provides a structured approach, and since it follows a utility first methodology, you don’t have to worry about naming classes, just apply the styles directly.
Why I Prefer Vanilla CSS
While Tailwind is great for efficiency, I still prefer Vanilla CSS for full control over my designs and animations. I don’t mind writing custom styles because it allows me to be more precise with my design choices.
Additionally, Tailwind can sometimes make HTML look cluttered with numerous utility classes. I prefer to maintain a clear distinction between HTML for structure and CSS for styling.
These websites also improved my love for vanilla css
CSS Tricks and MDN Docs
Conclusion
When to Choose Tailwind CSS:
- If you need to build a project quickly and efficiently.
- When working on large scale or complex projects where maintainability is crucial.
- If you prefer utility first styling and don’t want to name classes manually.
Check out Tailwind docs to learn more about tailwind.
When to Choose Vanilla CSS:
- If you want complete control over your styles, animations, and layout.
- When you prefer a clean and structured separation between HTML and CSS.
- If you don’t mind writing more custom styles for precise design control.
At the end of the day, both Tailwind CSS and Vanilla CSS have their strengths and drawbacks. If you prioritise speed and structured styling, Tailwind is a game changer. If you want more control and a cleaner HTML structure, Vanilla CSS is the way to go. Personally, I lean towards Vanilla CSS because it gives me complete freedom without utility class restrictions.
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Top comments (10)
Both have their place!
Vanilla CSS gives full control but requires more effort to maintain and scale.
Tailwind CSS speeds up development with utility-first classes, keeping styles consistent and reducing the need for custom CSS.
If you want efficiency and maintainability, Tailwind is a solid choice.
🚀 Looking for a quick Tailwind reference? Check out Tailwind Cheatsheet for a fast, searchable guide to all utilities!
👉 cs.hardikgohilhlr.tech/
Absolutely!, thank you so much for your comment
Very interesting insights I must say… and I agree with you because even as flexible and fast as tailwind can be there needs to be a bit more customizable practices to make the best of it.
Although I prefer tailwind over vanilla CSS , I make sure of vanilla especially when I wan more control over my animations and need more customizable styling .
Totally agree, I'm still trying to get used to Tailwind. Thank you so much for your comment
Thanks for posting. I'm about to start the Tailwind course on Scrimba as well - they have a lot of great content over there. I'm sure you can overwrite some of Tailwind's default styles yeah?
Yes, you can
That is one beautiful thing about tailwind, it has almost no limitations
Yeah well in that case I think that will be my default then haha. Anything to speed up the CSS process a little bit. In front-end, I think that's always the grind.
I recently tried tailwind and it was anything but efficient. I did everything as described in the docs and it still didn't work.
The statement that you can write styles faster is also not true. I already know CSS and can add style="justify-content: center" with my eyes closed, but in tailwind I need to relearn it and write justify-center instead. Why? That's not really any faster, but adds a lot of mental overhead.
Plus, with CSS I can experiment freely in the browser with any style combination at any moment. As I understand it, tailwind doesn't include all the possible styles at all times. How do I experiment freely in the browser if that's the case?
The whole premise of tailwind being good for prototyping was false for me, it was just a massive slowdown and annoyance.
From Vanilla CSS, to CSS preprocessors like SCSS, to Tailwind, I prefer Tailwind. All have their advantages. One thing I like to do is that for elements that I feel need more granular control in projects using Tailwind, I write the styles for those elements in global.css, using the ID rather than the class names that Tailwind works with. Best of both worlds!
Tailwind don't handle CSS 3D, for dynamic modified style also better to use a simple CSS. But for layouting and responsivity is great.