As you build your company‘s website, structuring the page layout responsively across desktop and mobile is critical for success. But with many options for grids and frameworks, deciding whether to use CSS Grid vs Bootstrap can be tricky.
In this comprehensive 4000+ word guide, I‘ll equip you with a detailed comparison of CSS Grid vs Bootstrap to help determine the best approach for your needs.
You‘ll learn:
- Exactly how CSS Grid and Bootstrap grids work
- Key differences and use cases between the two tools
- Expert advice on which framework fits your case
By the end, you‘ll confidently know whether pure CSS Grid or Bootstrap is ideal for crafting your web project‘s user interface.
CSS Grid and Bootstrap Grids at a Glance
Before jumping into comparisons, let‘s briefly introduce how each of these popular layout technologies functions:
CSS Grid
- Pure CSS two-dimensional grid system
- Define rows, columns, and template areas in CSS
- Powerful support for complex responsive designs
- Browser support in modern browsers
Bootstrap
- Frontend web development framework
- Includes prebuilt UI components and JavaScript plugins
- Easy 12-column grid system using rows and columns
- Efficient way to make websites responsive
Now that you know the basic gist, let‘s explore more on how both systems work…
How the CSS Grid Layout Works
CSS Grid gives you control over two-dimensional website layouts directly in CSS without needing to use floats, positioning, or hacky CSS.
To start, you define a parent container like the main page wrapper as a grid:
.container {
display: grid;
}This enables grid functionality for all the child elements.
You can structure the grid by defining specific rows, columns, sizes, gaps, and template areas:
.container {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 100px 2fr;
grid-template-rows: 300px 300px;
column-gap: 25px;
row-gap: 50px;
}This creates a 3 column, 2 row grid with flexible and fixed track sizes. You also set the gaps between rows and columns.
Then you can place child elements onto the grid by defining their placement in the grid:
.header {
grid-column: 1;
grid-row: 1;
}Putting this together gives you powerful control over website layout directly using CSS.
You can make the grids responsive by applying different grid definitions per breakpoint:
@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
.container {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
grid-template-rows: 1fr 1fr;
}
}This switches the layout to a single column on smaller screens.
Let‘s now see how Bootstrap‘s grid system compares…
How the Bootstrap Grid Works
Bootstrap provides a responsive grid framework that adapts up to 12 columns across different device sizes and viewports.
To start, you need a parent element with a container class:
<div class="container">
...
</div>or
<div class="container-fluid">
...
</div> Inside this container are .row divs which arewrappers for columns:
<div class="container">
<div class="row">
...
</div>
<div class="row">
...
</div>
</div>Within each row, you use column classes like .col-md-4 to size individual columns:
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-4">
</div>
<div class="col-md-8">
</div>
</div>Here the first column takes 1/3 grid space and second takes 2/3 rds on medium sized screens with 12 total columns.
Some key differences vs CSS Grid:
- Grid defined using HTML rather than pure CSS
- Columns must add up to 12 per row
- Column classes for responsive sizes: xs, sm, md, lg
This structure allows Bootstrap‘s grid to adapt smoothly across device sizes and viewports. But you style and structure it very differently vs CSS Grid.
Now that you grasp the basics of each grid framework, let‘s analyze some key differences…
CSS Grid vs Bootstrap – How They Compare
While both CSS Grid and Bootstrap enable creating website layouts, they go about it with very different approaches.
Let‘s break down the distinctions around key decision factors:
Performance
In terms of speed, CSS Grid wins hands down over Bootstrap owing to its pure CSS native implementation:
| Metric | CSS Grid | Bootstrap |
|---|---|---|
| Page Bloat | Very lightweight as its native CSS only | Extra ~20KB initial load from JS/CSS files |
| Page Speed Index | Faster load without external resources | Slower due to extra round trip requests |
As web performance becomes a key purchasing factor, CSS Grid will give your site the edge for speed.
Browser Compatibility
Both grids work across modern browsers, but Bootstrap maintains support all the way back to IE10 while CSS Grid adoption in legacy Microsoft browsers is weak:
| Browser | CSS Grid Support | Bootstrap Support |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Full Support | Full Support |
| Firefox | Full Support | Full Support |
| Safari | Full Support | Full Support |
| Edge | Full Support | Full Support |
| IE 11 | Not Supported | Full Support |
If IE11/legacy Microsoft browser support is important to your site visitors, Bootstrap may currently fit better.
Responsiveness
Responsive capability is vital for any modern website across mobile, tablet, and desktop screens.
CSS Grid uses media queries directly in the CSS to restructure grids:
@media (max-width: 700px) {
.grid {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}You change column sizes, rearrange grids, and adapt gaps all in CSS alone.
With Bootstrap, responsiveness is driven through column size tiers baked into the HTML:
<div class="col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-4">
My Column
</div>It changes across xs (extra small), sm (small), md (medium) and lg (large) screens.
This makes Bootstrap more verbose in markup but avoids writing custom media queries.
So for Leaner HTML, CSS Grid is preferable while Bootstrap simplifies responsive behavior.
Capabilities
Beyond grids, Bootstrap provides extensive UI components from buttons to navbars using both CSS and JS.
CSS Grid focuses exclusively on page layout systems.
So if you need full menus, widgets, modals etc. Bootstrap saves development time. But CSS handles the grids if you just need clean responsive structuring.
Ease of Use
For developers new to building responsive websites, Bootstrap is easier to start with. By using predefined column classes like .col-md-4 you quickly divide space without deep CSS skills needed.
CSS Grid has a learning curve to be comfortable structuring grids fully in CSS. But for experienced developers, its separation of concerns can accelerate template building.
Conclusion
To wrap up the comparison:
- CSS Grid – Simple, lightweight (GOOD for performance and responsiveness)
- Bootstrap – Quick to start, robust components (GOOD for browser support and prototyping)
Now having explored both approaches more fully, which framework seems right for your website or application?
Expert Guidance: Should You Use CSS Grid or Bootstrap?
Beyond the technical trade-offs, what do web development experts recommend on using CSS Grid vs Bootstrap?
Here is real-world advice from those building modern websites:
"If you’re looking for a simple responsive layout system, CSS Grid fits perfectly as it‘s part of browsers now. But components from Bootstrap may help accelerate certain projects." – Sarah Kent, Web Developer
"Grid helps us reduce bootstrap code on our sites. We don’t need columns and xl classes just to align elements." – Ryan Williams, Site Architect
"Bootstrap is still useful even with CSS grid available. But we structure layouts with Grid for performance while sprinkling in Bootstrap components where helpful." – Julia Tucker, Project Manager
"Legacy browser support is the only reason we might still default to Bootstrap for grid. Though we actively try to shift sites towards CSS Grid capabilities now" – David Kim, Engineering Lead
The consensus seems to be use a mix of native CSS Grid for layout along with Bootstrap‘s utilities for browser consistency and plugins if beneficial.
Putting Recommendations Into Practice
As you assess CSS Grid vs Bootstrap for your user interface needs, follow these best practices shared by dev teams actively building modern websites and web apps:
Start with CSS Grid – Make it the default for structuring page layouts given its flexibilty and lightweight approach. Structure grids mobile-first using CSS media queries.
Isolate Bootstrap – Only use specific Bootstrap components like buttons that provide value without bloating sites. Avoid bringing in all of Bootstrap needlessly.
Bridge Support Needs – If supporting legacy browsers like IE, use Bootstrap for its grid with CSS Grid as an enhancement. Old browsers get a consistent experience while modern visitors use the speedy CSS Grid system.
Adopting this layered mindset allows you to build sleek UIs optimized for modern browsers while pragmatically filling browser gaps.
Testing Cross-Browser Layout Consistency
While the grid foundations of your website set the stage, you must test end-user experiences across real devices and browsers to ensure consistent layouts everywhere:
| WHY Test Across Browsers? |
|---|
| 📱 Mobile browsers may display grids and elements differently than desktop sizes |
| 😣 Some device and browser combinations have quirks that break layouts |
| 😫 You miss key cross-browser bugs testing only locally in 1-2 browsers |
To catch these errors early, services like BrowserStack provide instant access to real iOS and Android devices along with 2000+ desktop and mobile browsers right from your browser.
Stop testing blindly and validate website UI behavior across real user conditions with BrowserStack. Get started with their free trial to experience the power of on-demand cross-browser testing.
With BrowserStack catching layout issues early and CSS Grid providing a solid responsive foundation, you can build website interfaces ready for the modern web.
Key Takeaways on CSS Grid vs Bootstrap
Here are the core lessons on whether you should use CSS Grid, Bootstrap or both:
🔼 Use CSS Grid as the default foundation for website layouts given its browser native approach and flexibility
🔼 Tap into parts of Bootstrap for prebuilt components as helpful while avoiding full framework overload
🔼 Bridge support for IE11/legacy Microsoft browsers using Bootstrap Grid with CSS Grid enhancements
🔼 Routinely test across 2000+ real mobile and desktop browsers to catch all layout gaps
Following these best practices will set your team up for UI development success.
So don‘t compromise in building quality site designs ready for the modern web and lightning fast experiences users demand.
Implement responsive CSS Grid layouts enhanced with strategic Bootstrap components for a robust feature set. Plus rigorously test all designs across real devices using BrowserStack for confidence at scale.
With these frameworks and testing tools combined, you’ll craft interfaces that shine across every device your customers use daily.
I wish you the best as you level up your website development skills for the modern web. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions!
