Head-to-Head: styled-jsx vs Tailwind CSS Analysis

styled-jsx

v5.1.6(7 months ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 1Monthly npm downloads

Styled-jsx is a library that allows you to write scoped and modular CSS directly in your JavaScript files using JSX syntax. It provides a seamless way to style React components by encapsulating styles within the component's scope, preventing style leakage and conflicts. With styled-jsx, you can enjoy the benefits of CSS-in-JS while maintaining the familiar CSS syntax.

Alternatives:
styled-components+
emotion+
linaria+
stitches+
goober+
fela+
jss+
styletron+
aphrodite+
glamor+

Tags: javascriptcss-in-jsreactstylingscoped-styles

tailwindcss

v3.4.17(16 days 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:
bootstrap+
bulma+
foundation-sites+
materialize-css+
uikit+
semantic-ui+
ant-design+
chakra-ui+
mui+
skeleton+

Tags: cssframeworkutility-firstrapid-developmentcustomization

Fight!

Styling Approach

Styled-jsx is a CSS-in-JS solution that allows you to write scoped styles directly in your React components using a JSX-like syntax. Tailwind CSS, on the other hand, is a utility-first CSS framework that provides a set of pre-defined utility classes to style your components.

Flexibility

Styled-jsx offers more flexibility in terms of writing custom styles within your components, giving you full control over the styling logic. Tailwind CSS, on the other hand, provides a more opinionated approach with a predefined set of utility classes, which can limit the flexibility but speeds up the styling process.

Developer Experience

Styled-jsx can be more intuitive for developers who are already familiar with JSX and CSS. It allows for a seamless integration of styles within components. Tailwind CSS, on the other hand, requires learning its utility classes and may have a steeper learning curve for some developers.

Performance

In terms of performance, Styled-jsx generates scoped styles at build time, which can lead to smaller CSS bundles and better runtime performance. Tailwind CSS, due to its utility-first approach, can generate larger CSS files, but it offers optimizations like PurgeCSS to remove unused styles in production builds.

Community and Ecosystem

Tailwind CSS has gained significant popularity in the frontend development community and has a large ecosystem of plugins and tools to enhance its functionality. Styled-jsx, while widely used in React projects, may have a smaller ecosystem compared to Tailwind CSS.