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24 alternatives to I started building yet another CSS framework

I really wanted to move my automation server project to a proper framework instead of the current ad hoc nightmare of inline CSS and redundant classes... But nothing seemed quite right. None of them seem suitable for deep restyling without changing markup. So, I took all the good parts of my current CSS, replaced the bad parts with things I liked from the most popular frameworks, then extracted it as a standalone library. The whole thing is 17.5kb, without minifying or removing comments. It starts with classless styles for semantic html. There is a very small set of about 5 components(The…

This is a lightweight CSS framework weighing 17.5kb that prioritizes restyling without markup changes. It begins with classless styles for semantic HTML and includes a minimal set of components like windows, cards, and… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. I started building yet another CSS framework launched in 2023; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

  1. 1AS
    A small (less than 2 kb) CSS framework▲79

    A beautiful CSS framework in under 2 KiB

    2013 · andhart.github.io · its alternatives →

  2. 2NM
    Neat – Minimalist CSS Framework▲213

    Today I fixed a couple little bugs and released a new version of my minimalist CSS framework. I built this to scratch my own itch and I've been using it for a few years as the starting point for most of my own websites. I noticed I hadn't shared this with HN for about 18 months (5 or 6 minor version changes) so I thought it might be okay to do that now. Edit: Err, I missed a post from 7 months ago. Previous Posts: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32990838 (7 months ago) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24594381 (Sept 25, 2021)…

    2023 · neat.joeldare.com · its alternatives →

  3. 3
    Shorthand CSS▲169

    Feature rich CSS framework for the new decade

    2020 · shorthandcss.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4
    Wing▲247

    A dead-simple, responsive, CSS framework

    2016 · its alternatives →

  5. 5
    Tailwind CSS▲420

    A utility-first CSS framework for rapid UI development

    2017 · tailwindcss.com · its alternatives →

  6. 6AS
    A simple lightweight CSS grid, not a bloated framework▲134

    2012 · thisisdallas.github.com · its alternatives →

  7. 7
    Picnic.css, a lightweight Bootstrap alternative▲247

    I've tried to make it as light as possible. It's only tested with Firefox and Chrome, however I intend to test it in IE down to 9. What would you change? What would you add? Any feedback or pull request is greatly welcome! MIT Licensed

    2014 · picnicss.com · its alternatives →

  8. 8
    Tailwind CSS v2.0▲385

    Rapidly build modern websites without ever leaving your HTML

    2020 · tailwindcss.com · its alternatives →

  9. 9
    I decided to document and share my high-level CSS best practices▲223

    2012 · github.com · its alternatives →

  10. 10
    Layer CSS▲152

    Lightweight CSS framework to build your own fluid layouts

    2015 · layers-css.vercel.app · its alternatives →

  11. 11
    lit▲265

    World's smallest responsive CSS framework (398 bytes!)

    2018 · ajusa.github.io · its alternatives →

  12. 12MB
    my boilerplate CSS code for new designs, written in Less.▲108

    2011 · mgeraci.github.com · its alternatives →

  13. 13
    Unnamed▲248

    A colorful CSS framework made by a human not an AI

    2017 · smakosh.com · its alternatives →

  14. 14
    Sumi.css – CSS Framework▲63

    A minimalist, classless-first CSS framework. Contribute to vladocar/Sumi.css development by creating an account on GitHub.

    7h ago · github.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15LC
    Lissom.CSS - A classless, minimalist, and themeable CSS library▲55

    This is a personal take on making a classless semantic CSS library.

    2023 · lissomware.github.io · its alternatives →

  16. 16
    Pretty Please▲2

    For when normal ugly just ain't doing it.

    2020 · pretty-please.arjungandhi.com · its alternatives →

  17. 17
    A simple, plain, minimal, classless CSS for simple, plain HTML pages▲128

    A simple, minimal, classless stylesheet for simple HTML pages - susam/spcss

    2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

  18. 18
    launch.css▲42

    Launch Your Ideas Faster

    2025 · launch-css.dev · its alternatives →

  19. 19
    Skeleton 2.0▲127

    A dead simple, responsive CSS boilerplate.

    2014 · getskeleton.com · its alternatives →

  20. 20M2
    My 24-hour project, instacss.com▲90

    http://instacss.com (in case DNS update hasn't propagated: http://morning-warrior-3377.herokuapp.com/) Last night I was annoyed at how slow (and web 1.0-ish) most CSS reference sites seem to be, so I created this. It's basically a scrape of the CSS reference on w3schools, but with client side searching. Feedback is most welcome! some of the tech involved: node, requirejs, backbone, mongodb the code: http://github.com/rgarcia/instacss

    2011 · instacss.com · its alternatives →

  21. 21AM
    A maximalist CSS framework for full stack developers▲52

    2020 · ridgecss.com · its alternatives →

  22. 22
    Simple.css - A classless CSS framework▲6

    Make semantic HTML look great, quickly.

    2022 · simplecss.org · its alternatives →

  23. 23MT
    Min, the world's fastest CSS framework▲52

    2016 · mincss.com · its alternatives →

  24. 24V2
    Version 2 of concrete.css, a simple classless CSS framework▲11

    A simple and to the point classless CSS stylesheet

    2021 · concrete.style · its alternatives →

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →