Bulma vs. Chota CSS

By SW Habitation

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Table of contents

What is Bulma?

Key Features of Bulma

Advantages of Bulma

Disadvantages of Bulma

What is Chota CSS?

Key Features of Chota CSS

Advantages of Chota CSS

Disadvantages of Chota CSS

Comparison Between Bulma vs Chota CSS

Use Cases of Bulma

Use Cases of Chota CSS

Other Resources

Conclusion

Frequently asked questions

Bulma

Chota CSS

You know how building a website can feel like a lot, especially when you’re trying to style every little thing yourself? Buttons, forms, layouts… it adds up fast. That’s where UI frameworks really save the day. They give you a bunch of premade design elements that you can just drop in and go. It’s like having a design starter pack that helps your site look clean and professional, without spending forever tweaking the details.

What is Bulma?

Bulma is a modern, open-source CSS framework based entirely on Flexbox. Unlike Bootstrap or Foundation, Bulma is a pure CSS framework, it doesn’t come with JavaScript components, which makes it lightweight, simple, and easy to use.

Bulma is especially loved by developers who want a minimalist yet responsive framework for quickly building prototypes, small projects, and clean modern websites.

Key Features of Bulma

Lightweight: Small file size and fast performance.
Clean Syntax: Readable, intuitive class naming convention.
Customizable with Sass: Use Sass variables to easily adjust themes and styles.
Flexbox-based Grid: Fully powered by Flexbox for responsive and modern layouts.
Responsive Modifiers: Easy-to-use breakpoints for mobile, tablet, desktop, and widescreen.
Pure CSS: No JavaScript dependencies — works with any JS framework or vanilla JS.
Utility Classes: Includes helper classes for spacing, colors, display, typography, and more.

Advantages of Bulma

Responsive by Default: Built-in responsive utilities.
Fast Prototyping: Perfect for quick MVPs and small apps.
Lightweight: No extra JavaScript, only CSS.
Modern Layouts: Built entirely on Flexbox.
Cross-Browser Consistency: Works well across modern browsers.
Beginner-Friendly: Super easy to learn and use.

Disadvantages of Bulma

Not Ideal for Enterprises: May not scale as well for very large applications.
No JavaScript Plugins: Requires manual integration for modals, dropdowns, or carousels.
Smaller Ecosystem: Fewer themes, templates, and community add-ons compared to Bootstrap.
Limited Components: Doesn’t have as many prebuilt components as Bootstrap or Foundation.

What is Chota CSS?

Chota CSS is a micro like ~3 KB ultra-lightweight CSS framework built on the idea of "less is more." It’s designed to give you just the essentials a simple grid system, clean typography, forms, and utility classes without the extra bulk that slows projects down. With its minimal size and no need for preprocessing, Chota is one of the easiest frameworks to pick up and use.

Unlike heavy frameworks that come packed with complex components, Chota focuses on speed, simplicity, and performance. You can drop it into your project and instantly have a clean, responsive base to build on, making it perfect for prototypes, small apps, or any project where minimal bloat and faster load times matter most.

Key Features of Chota CSS

Super Lightweight: Only about 3 KB (minified + gzipped) — blazing fast load times.
No Preprocessor Needed: Pure CSS—just include the file and start coding.
12-Column Responsive Grid: Flexible and fluid layout system.
CSS Variable–Easy Customization: Tweak theme colors, fonts, grid size with CSS variables.
Core Components & Utilities: Includes basic components—buttons, navs, tags—and utilities for tables, input groups, icon support, and more.
Semantic & Accessible: Styles follow semantic HTML, making markup clean and accessible.
Built-in Dark Mode: Supports customizable dark mode via CSS variables.
Icon Support Out-of-the-Box: Easy integration with icon libraries like Icongram.

Advantages of Chota CSS

Ultra Lightweight: Minimal file size like ~3 KB, ideal for performance-critical projects.
Zero Setup: Plug-and-play—just link the CSS file, and you're ready.
Simple Customization: Modify theme with only CSS variables.
Good Semantics & Accessibility: Designed to use semantic tags with built-in accessibility.
Responsive Grid System: Handy 12-column grid without the fuss.
Dark Mode Ready: Easily theme to dark mode via CSS variables.

Disadvantages of Chota CSS

Limited Components – Compared to larger frameworks, Chota offers only basic UI elements.
No JS Included – Lacks interactivity out-of-the-box; you will need to add your own JavaScript.
Small Ecosystem – Fewer themes, templates, or community resources available.
Not Ideal for Complex UIs – Lacks advanced patterns needed for enterprise-level apps.
Requires Manual Dark Mode Setup – Needs custom CSS variable overrides for theming.

Comparison Between Bulma vs Chota CSS

Features	Bulma	Chota CSS
Philosophy	Modern, lightweight, utility-first CSS framework	Super lightweight, minimal CSS micro-framework
Ease of Use	Very easy, just add classes	Extremely simple just a few classes to remember
Customization	Sass variables, modular imports	Limited, but can be extended with custom CSS
Design System	Basic — typography, grid, components	Very minimal – provides just essentials
Responsiveness	Mobile-first flexbox grid	Flexbox-based grid & utilities
File Size	Small to medium	Ultra-small (~3KB gzipped)
Learning Curve	Low	Very low – almost zero setup
Pricing	Free and open-source	Free & open-source
Best For	Quick landing pages, prototypes, small apps	Tiny projects, quick prototypes, minimal UIs
Styling Method	Sass, CSS classes	Predefined minimal classes, extend via CSS
Accessibility	Decent, but not as strong as Foundation	Very basic – developer must handle
Dark Mode	Manual implementation	Manual implementation (no built-in support)
Framework	Any (HTML/CSS/JS)	Works with any (HTML/CSS/JS)
Bundle Size	Small	Extremely small (~3KB)

Use Cases of Bulma

Prototyping: Developers can spin up layouts rapidly.
Projects with JS Frameworks: Works seamlessly with React, Vue, Angular, or vanilla JS since it’s pure CSS.
Portfolios & Blogs: Great for personal projects with minimal setup.
Startups & MVPs: Perfect for small projects that need quick, clean UI.

Use Cases of Chota CSS

Learning Projects: Perfect for beginners experimenting with CSS frameworks.
Embedded UIs: Admin panels inside tools, browser extensions, or IoT dashboards.
Quick Prototypes: Great for hackathons, MVPs, and wireframes where speed matters.
Minimalist Design: When you want clean, simple UIs without bloat.
Tiny Websites: Personal blogs, documentation sites, small landing pages.

Other Resources

Conclusion

UI frameworks make building a polished website way easier. Whether you're working on something simple or a big project, they help you get things looking just right without having to stress over every little design decision. With ready-to-use components, responsive layouts, and modern styles, you can build faster and smarter.

So, pick one that works for you, and start creating a site that looks amazing from the get-go.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Bulma better than Bootstrap?

Bulma is simpler and lighter, great for small projects. Bootstrap is more feature-rich, with JavaScript plugins and a larger ecosystem, making it better for complex apps.

Does Bulma use Flexbox?

Yes, Bulma is 100% built with Flexbox, which makes it modern and responsive out of the box.

Can I use Bulma with React or Vue?

Absolutely! Since Bulma is pure CSS, it integrates easily with any JavaScript framework.

Does Bulma support dark mode?

Not natively, but you can customize Bulma with Sass or community add-ons to implement dark mode.

Is Bulma good for beginners?

Yes, Bulma is one of the most beginner-friendly CSS frameworks due to its clean syntax and simple utility classes.

Is Chota free?

Yes, Chota is open-source under the MIT license.

How do I include Chota?

Just include the CSS file via CDN:

Or install via npm/yarn and import it.

Can I customize themes?

Absolutely, just override CSS variables within your :root to change colors, fonts, spacing, grid settings, etc.

Is Chota good for dark mode?

Yes. You can switch to dark mode by overriding variables (e.g., --bg-color, --font-color) in your CSS.

Does Chota include JavaScript?

No, it's a CSS-only toolkit. For interactive elements (like modals), you'll need to add JavaScript separately.