Comparing Bootstrap vs Tailwind UI. Which one is better in 2025?

Bootstrap Tailwind UI

Looking for a Bootstrap alternative? This page compares Bootstrap and Tailwind UI, two popular UI component libraries. We are comparing features, size, efficiency and usage data to help you choose which component library is better for your next project.

Bootstrap
Tailwind UI
MIT
License
Open source MIT License
Paid license
License
Closed source paid license
ALL
Frameworks
Bootstrap is framework agnostic and works everywhere
Only React and Vue*
Frameworks
Some components are only available for React and Vue only, some don't need JS and can be used with any framework
28
Unique components
Bootstrap has 32 Components, 28 of them are unique – for example pagination and button group are considered as same.
31
Unique components
Tailwind UI has 93 Components, 31 of them are unique – for example pagination and button group are considered as same. However, Tailwind UI has many variations of the same component, and has Templates which are not included in the component count.
2
Built-in Themes
Bootstrap has light and dark themes
2
Built-in Themes
Tailwind UI has light and dark themes
No
Supports more than two themes
Does not support more than 2 themes at the same time
No
Supports more than two themes
Does not support more than 2 themes at the same time
24.6KB
JavaScript size
JavaScript bundle size (minified)
143kB to 201KB
JavaScript size
Imported JavaScript bundle size (minified) for Headless UI which is required for Tailwind UI
0
Dependencies
Bootstrap has no dependencies.
21 to 25
Dependencies
Tailwind UI requires Headless UI which has 21 third-party dependencies for Vue version and 25 third-party dependencies for React version. Using more third-party dependencies increases the risk of security vulnerabilities, compatibility problems, and long-term maintenance headaches from deprecated packages.
0
Dependency size
11MB to 16MB
Dependency size
Tailwind UI requires Headless UI which has 11MB to 16MB of dependencies for Vue version and React version respectively.
172000
GitHub stars
?
GitHub stars
Can't measure. Closed source project
6300000
Used by open source projects
Based on GitHub's public repositories
?
Used by open source projects
Can't measure. Closed source project
4700000
NPM downloads
Weekly downloads from NPM
?
NPM downloads
Can't measure.
Yes
CDN
Bootstrap CSS file is available on CDN
?
CDN
Can't measure.
Yes
Semantic class names
Bootstrap uses semantic CSS class names. Using semantic and descriptive CSS class names improves readability and maintainability of code independent of the current framework.
No
Semantic class names
Tailwind UI does not use semantic CSS class names. Using semantic and descriptive CSS class names improves readability and maintainability of code independent of the current framework.
Yes
Global customizations
Bootstrap provides component-level CSS variables that let you adjust colors, sizes, spacing, radius, and other styles to match your design.
No
Global customizations
Tailwind UI requires changing class names one by one at build time to do any customization
Yes
works without Node.js
Bootstrap does not require a Node.js environment
No
works without Node.js
Many components require React or Vue, which requires a Node.js environment
No
No-build version
Bootstrap does not provide micro CSS files for each component
No
No-build version
Tailwind UI does not provide micro CSS files for each component
No
P3 colors
Bootstrap does not use wide-gamut P3 colors by default
Yes
P3 colors
Tailwind UI uses wide-gamut P3 colors by default
Yes
RTL support
Bootstrap supports right-to-left (RTL) layouts
No
RTL support
Tailwind UI does not support right-to-left (RTL) layouts
Yes
Runtime CSS customization
Bootstrap uses CSS variables for design customization at runtime
No
Runtime CSS customization
Tailwind UI customizations requires changing Tailwind CSS class names at build time
No
Native CSS nesting
Bootstrap doesn not use native CSS nesting
No
Native CSS nesting
Tailwind UI doesn not use native CSS nesting
479
Open GitHub issues
As of April 2025
?
Open GitHub issues
Can't measure. Closed source project

Install daisyUI

1. Install daisyUI as a Node package:

npm i -D daisyui@latest
pnpm add -D daisyui@latest
yarn add -D daisyui@latest
bun add -D daisyui@latest
deno i -D npm:daisyui@latest

2. Add daisyUI to app.css:

@import "tailwindcss";
@plugin "daisyui";

This comparison page is for informational purposes only and does not mean to criticize libraries or projects. Information is based on GitHub public data, NPM registry data and official documentation websites of the libraries. If you found any outdated information, please open a PR to update it. All trademarks, logos and brand names are the property of their respective owners.