The front-end developer comes for the very first time in client’s project faces the problem of choosing a Best CSS framework in 2018. You can easily find more than 50 frameworks, each of which is good for something. But which one suits you? In this article we’ll guide you through most popular CSS frameworks and concentrate on the main. 2018 year promises the new era and new approach in HTML coding and entire web development after flexboxes. But first, what to choose between mobile app and website?
And more importantly has following options:
1. Stable.
2. Easy-customizable.
3. Lightweight.
4. Adaptive.
5. Rich functionality.
Building web projects or business websites of varying complexity, we at Merehead faced the similar problem; and fortunately successfully solved it. Now it’s our turn to share experience and find out what CSS framework to use for a website or complex application.
#5. Materialize CSS
Built relying on Google material design philosophy. Has a unique color scheme, animations, and gradients.
Pros:
1. Fascinating functional
Cons:
1. Conflicts and problems with almost every Javascript plugin.
Such a wide range of exciting animations you are unlikely to see in any other framework. However, its cons outweigh the pros. Highly likely it won’t work at all with your WordPress favorite plugins.
#4. Pure CSS by Yahoo
Not every frontend developer knows about Pure CSS by Yahoo, but in vain. We called it a hidden treasure in the entire front-end.
Yahoo represented it a few years ago. Despite the fact that they have already lost positions as a “search engine” company a long time ago compared with Google. But the things with this CSS framework not so unambiguous.
Pros:
1. Just 3.8Kb, and you can enjoy instant web page loads. If your aim is mobile devices users, then Pure should be your choice. Almost all users will be grateful to you for the time load speed.
2. Flexible, up to 24-columns grid(!)
Cons:
1. Poor functional.
PureCSS was built exactly as the core for CSS. With it help you can create any grid system that you wish. Easy to make a responsive website. Poor functionality is easily solved when you have some experience coding on JavaScript or integrating 3rd-party plugins.
#3. Bootstrap 3
Everyone has heard about Bootstrap, right? One of the most popular CSS frameworks among web design companies. Ask any user interface developer – “why do you use it?” and you unlikely to hear a clear answer. Let’s discover its strengths, and why it is preferred by everyone in 2017, 2016 and highly likely it will be as successful in 2018 as well.
Was developed by Twitter for its internal needs and introduced later to the whole world in 2011. Twitter actually built their entire social network use it. Therefore it is the most popular, stable and in right usage lightweight framework for React and Angular.JS.
Pros:
1. Easy-customizable
2. Rich functionality
3. Classic 12-column grid
4. Very popular. Huge CDN vendors offer a free Bootstrap download from their servers. It means instant web page loads (caching).
Cons:
1. Very popular. All animation, transitions, icons, styles have long been seen. They are bored to others.
Appearance is the bottleneck of Bootstrap. You have 2 options how to solve this – get known with web design trends 2019. Another way just cut the functionality. In Merehead approach used the only 12-columns grid system without other styles. The answer is simple – we use only custom design and build it from scratch. It’s much faster than customizing the ready classes. Additionally, 3rd-party plugins integration seamless. Cross-conflict and error had never existed.
#2. Zurb Foundation
Zurb is, in our opinion, one of the most advanced CSS frameworks. Rich set of pre-integrated functions that go “out of the box”. You can easily set-up and integrate Foundation on your website knowing Javascript at the very minimal level. With its help, you can adapt website for mobile devices and desktops and even for SmartTV.
Pros:
1. Rich functionality
2. Easy-customizable
Cons:
1. Conflicts with third-party scripts.
Zurb Foundation impresses the beginner with its rich features, but it confronts with other issues: heavyweight, and a lot of conflicts with third-party Javascript plugins. The first problem is easy enough to solve just choose what features and options you exactly need and simply compile. However, the second one is much more complicated. If you didn’t already learn Javascript – then you should do it immediately, because this is the top programming language 2019. You are a frontend ninja if you can combine all plugins with Foundation virtuously.
#1. Bootstrap 4
The only one small issue that was on famous Bootstrap 3 has already been solved in the 4th release. Professional and modern themes, bright colors impress users. The framework is in Beta testing, but by 2018 it will be released as a full-fledged release.
According to Merehead, the Bootstrap developers will begin to promote themes to make some money, or even launch their own platform that is oriented towards plug-ins.
