@linaria/core is a zero-runtime CSS-in-JS library for styling JavaScript applications. It allows you to write CSS code directly in your JavaScript files using tagged template literals. This approach provides better performance and eliminates the need for a separate build step or runtime dependencies.
PureCSS is a minimal and lightweight CSS framework designed to help developers create responsive and mobile-first web pages quickly and easily. It provides a collection of commonly used CSS classes that can be applied to HTML elements to achieve commonly used layout and design patterns without having to write custom CSS code. With PureCSS, you can create responsive grids, forms, buttons, tables, and more with minimal effort.
@linaria/core is a relatively newer package compared to PureCSS, which has been around for a longer time. PureCSS has gained a significant amount of popularity and has a large user base. However, @linaria/core is also gaining traction in the JavaScript community, especially among developers using CSS-in-JS solutions.
Size
@linaria/core is a lightweight CSS-in-JS library that focuses on generating minimal CSS. It allows you to extract only the CSS rules that are actually used, resulting in smaller bundle sizes. PureCSS, on the other hand, is a larger CSS framework that provides a set of pre-styled components and stylesheets, which can make the bundle size larger.
Flexibility
@linaria/core provides great flexibility when it comes to styling components. It allows you to write CSS directly in your JavaScript or TypeScript code using tagged template literals. Additionally, it supports standard CSS and CSS-in-JS approaches. PureCSS, on the other hand, offers ready-to-use components and stylesheets, which may limit customization options compared to @linaria/core.
Integration
@linaria/core seamlessly integrates with React, allowing you to write CSS-in-JS directly in your components. It also has support for other popular frameworks like Vue.js and Preact. PureCSS can be used with any front-end framework as it primarily relies on CSS classes and does not have tight integration with any specific framework.
Developer Experience
@linaria/core has a developer-friendly API and provides excellent tooling and support for TypeScript. It offers features like static extraction, hot module replacement, and automatic vendor prefixing. PureCSS provides a straightforward and simple approach to styling, but it may not offer the same level of tooling and developer experience as @linaria/core.
Customization
@linaria/core allows for greater customization as you have full control over the CSS you write. You can apply dynamic styles based on props, variables, or any logic. PureCSS, on the other hand, provides a predefined set of styles and components that may not be as customizable as working directly with @linaria/core.
