A CSS framework is a library allowing for easier, more standards-compliant web design using the Cascading Style Sheets language. Most of these frameworks contain at least a grid. More functional frameworks also come with more features and additional JavaScript based functions, but are mostly design oriented and focused around interactive UI patterns. This detail differentiates CSS frameworks from other JavaScript frameworks.
Two notable and widely used examples are Bootstrap and Foundation.
CSS frameworks offer different modules and tools:
Bigger frameworks use a CSS interpreter like Less or Sass.
| Name | Latest release | License | Grid | Units | Features | of columns | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| version | date | ||||||||
| Blueprint | 1.0.1 | data-sort-value=20110514 | May 14, 2011[1] | Typography, forms, print, plugins for buttons, tabs, and sprites. | |||||
| Bootstrap | 5.3.3 | data-sort-value=20220907 | February 20, 2024[2] [3] [4] | fixed, fluid, responsive | px, % | Layout, typography, forms, buttons, navigation, media queries, .sass files, JavaScript libraries, RTL layout. | , default 12[5] | ||
| Foundation | 6.7.5 | data-sort-value=20200408 | July 13, 2022[6] | fluid | px, % | Responsive layout, source ordering, typography, forms, buttons, navigation, media queries, and JavaScript libraries. | , default 12[7] | ||
| YAML | 4.1.2 | data-sort-value=20130728 | July 28, 2013[8] | fixed, elastic, fluid | px, em, % | Layout, grids, columns, forms, buttons, progressive linearization for responsive layouts, float handling, navigation, typography, accessibility, and add-ons. (accessible tabs, RTL-support, and microformats) | |||
| YUI CSS grids | 3.18.1 | data-sort-value=20141022 | October 22, 2014[9] | -3 | fixed and fluid | ||||
| Tailwind | 3.4.3 | data-sort-value=20140324 | March 27, 2024[10] [11] | fixed, fluid, responsive | |||||