Head-to-Head: Emotion vs Tailwind CSS Analysis

@emotion/css

v11.13.0(7 days ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 5Monthly npm downloads

@emotion/css is a popular CSS-in-JS library that allows developers to style their components using JavaScript. It provides a powerful and flexible way to manage styles by enabling the use of template literals for writing CSS directly within JavaScript code. @emotion/css offers features like nested selectors, global styles, and theming support, making it easy to create dynamic and responsive styles for web applications.

Alternatives:
styled-components+
linaria+
goober+
stitches+
twin.macro+
emotion+
@emotion/react+
aphrodite+
glamor+
styletron+

Tags: css-in-jsstylingjavascriptreactive-stylestheming

tailwindcss

v3.4.7(1 day ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 22Monthly npm downloads

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that provides a set of pre-built classes to style your web projects. It focuses on rapid development and customization by offering a low-level utility approach, allowing you to quickly style your components without writing custom CSS. Tailwind CSS is highly configurable, enabling you to create unique designs while maintaining consistency across your project.

Alternatives:
windicss+
tachyons+
bootstrap+
bulma+
foundation-sites+
semantic-ui-css+
skeleton+
materialize-css+
uikit+
primer-css+

Tags: cssframeworkutility-firstrapid-developmentcustomization

Fight!

Popularity

Both @emotion/css and Tailwind CSS are popular choices in the JavaScript community. Tailwind CSS has gained significant popularity in recent years due to its utility-first approach and ease of use. @emotion/css, on the other hand, is widely used in the React ecosystem and has a strong following.

Approach

Tailwind CSS follows a utility-first approach, providing a set of pre-defined utility classes that can be used to style components. @emotion/css, on the other hand, is a CSS-in-JS library that allows you to write CSS styles directly in your JavaScript code.

Customization

Tailwind CSS offers extensive customization options through its configuration file, allowing you to customize colors, spacing, typography, and more. @emotion/css provides flexibility in writing custom CSS styles using JavaScript, giving you full control over the styling.

Developer Experience

Tailwind CSS provides a highly intuitive and developer-friendly experience with its utility classes, making it easy to rapidly prototype and build UI components. @emotion/css, being a CSS-in-JS library, offers a more familiar development experience for JavaScript developers and allows for dynamic styling based on props and state.

Integration

Both @emotion/css and Tailwind CSS can be easily integrated into a React project. @emotion/css integrates seamlessly with React components, allowing you to write styles directly in your components. Tailwind CSS can be used with React by either including the pre-built CSS file or using the Tailwind CSS JIT compiler for a more optimized and tailored approach.

Performance

In terms of performance, @emotion/css generates optimized CSS styles at runtime, which can result in slightly slower initial load times compared to pre-compiled CSS. Tailwind CSS, when used with the JIT compiler, generates highly optimized and minimal CSS, resulting in faster load times.