The frontend ecosystem has evolved far beyond writing plain CSS files. Today, developers can choose from a variety of UI libraries and frameworks, each solving different problems.
If you're new to frontend development or wondering why there are so many UI libraries, here's a simple breakdown.
Raw CSS: The Original Approach
Raw CSS is where everything starts.
It gives you:
- Complete control over styling
- Unlimited customization
- A deeper understanding of how the web works
The downside? As projects grow, managing CSS can become messy and difficult. That's why most production applications use some form of abstraction on top of CSS.
Tailwind CSS: CSS, But Better
Tailwind doesn't give you components—it gives you utility classes that make styling faster and more maintainable.
<button class="bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded">
Click Me
</button>
You're still working with native HTML elements, but without constantly jumping between CSS files.
Why Developers Like Tailwind
- Uses native HTML elements
- Keeps styles close to components
- Highly customizable
- Doesn't impose a design system
Think of Tailwind as an unopinionated layer on top of CSS.
Material UI (MUI): Pre-Built Components
MUI takes the opposite approach.
Instead of styling everything yourself, it provides ready-made React components:
<Button variant="contained">
Submit
</Button>
This speeds up development significantly, but customization can sometimes feel restrictive.
Pros
- Fast development
- Consistent UI
- Large component ecosystem
- Accessibility built in
Cons
- Highly opinionated
- Custom designs may require additional styling solutions like Emotion
Think of MUI as a highly opinionated UI framework that prioritizes productivity.
Radix UI: Logic Without Design
Some UI components are difficult to build correctly.
Examples include:
- Modals
- Dropdowns
- Tooltips
- Accordions
These components require:
- Accessibility support
- Keyboard navigation
- Focus management
- Complex interaction logic
Radix handles all of that for you while leaving the styling completely up to you.
What Makes Radix Different?
- No built-in styling
- Accessibility-first
- Focuses only on component behavior
Radix handles the functionality, not the appearance.
Chakra UI: The Middle Ground
Chakra UI sits somewhere between Tailwind and MUI.
It provides:
- Pre-built components
- Accessibility by default
- Easier customization than MUI
If MUI feels too restrictive and Tailwind feels too low-level, Chakra often strikes a nice balance.
Think of Chakra as a flexible component library with sensible defaults.
Bootstrap: The OG Framework
Before Tailwind became popular, Bootstrap dominated frontend development.
It made building responsive websites much easier through:
- Components
- Grid systems
- Utility classes
Why Bootstrap Was So Popular
Developers could quickly create polished interfaces without writing much CSS.
Why It's Less Common Today
Modern applications often require more customization, while Bootstrap tends to produce similar-looking UIs out of the box.
Still, it's a solid choice for:
- Prototypes
- Internal tools
- Legacy applications
Shadcn: The Modern Approach
Shadcn has quickly become one of the most popular choices in the React ecosystem.
What's interesting is that it's not really a component library.
Instead, it combines:
- Radix UI for behavior
- Tailwind CSS for styling
And copies the component source code directly into your project.
Why Developers Love Shadcn
- Full ownership of component code
- No vendor lock-in
- Easy customization
- Production-ready patterns
A simple way to think about it:
Shadcn = Radix + Tailwind + Full Ownership
Quick Comparison
| Library | What It Solves |
|---|---|
| Raw CSS | Complete control |
| Tailwind | Cleaner CSS workflow |
| MUI | Fast development with pre-built components |
| Radix | Accessible component logic |
| Chakra UI | Flexible pre-built components |
| Bootstrap | Rapid UI development |
| Shadcn | Modern, customizable component system |
Final Thoughts
The biggest mistake developers make is comparing all UI libraries as if they solve the same problem.
Each tool serves a different purpose:
- Tailwind helps you write CSS more efficiently.
- MUI and Chakra UI provide pre-built components.
- Radix UI provides accessibility and interaction logic.
- Bootstrap offers a complete UI framework.
- Shadcn combines Radix and Tailwind into a modern development experience.
Once you understand the problem each library solves, choosing the right one becomes much easier.
