Fomantic-UI vs. Bulma
By SW Habitation
Fomantic-UI
Bulma
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 Fomantic-UI?
Fomantic-UI is a modern version of the popular Semantic UI, made and improved by the community. It is a tool for building websites that are responsive, easy to style, and user-friendly, fast.
It focuses on semantic class names that read like natural language, making code more intuitive and easier to understand. Since it’s a fork, it has continued where Semantic UI left off, with new features, updates, and active maintenance by the community.
Key Features of Fomantic-UI
- Human-Friendly Classes: Semantic class names like ui button, ui card, ui grid.
- Rich Components: Buttons, forms, modals, dropdowns, cards, tabs, and more.
- JavaScript Behaviors: Built-in behaviors for modals, accordions, dropdowns, sliders, etc.
- Responsive Grid: Powerful 16-column responsive grid system.
- Theming System: Fully themable with LESS variables and customization options.
- Extensible: Modular build — include only what you need.
- Community-Powered: Active development and updates compared to the abandoned Semantic UI.
Advantages of Fomantic-UI
- Full-Featured: Includes both CSS components and JavaScript behaviors.
- Rich UI Library: Over 50 components for quick UI building.
- Readable Code: Natural-language style class names make HTML easier to read.
- All-in-One Framework: No need to rely on external JS for basic UI behaviors.
- Strong Theming Support: Easily customizable with LESS variables.
- Community Driven: Regularly updated and maintained by the community.
Disadvantages of Fomantic-UI
- Requires jQuery: JavaScript behaviors still depend on jQuery.
- Learning Curve: Semantic-style class names may feel unusual for new developers.
- LESS Dependency: Built on LESS, which is less popular today compared to Sass or CSS-in-JS.
- Not as Popular: Smaller ecosystem compared to Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS.
- Heavy File Size: Larger compared to lightweight frameworks like Bulma or Milligram.
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.
Comparison Between Fomantic-UI vs Bulma
Use Cases of Fomantic-UI
- Teams migrating from Semantic UI: Seamless replacement with updates and support.
- Enterprise Web Apps: Strong theming and responsive layout capabilities.
- Prototypes: Quickly build UI with semantic classes.
- Admin Dashboards: Ready-to-use components and JS behaviors.
- Apps Requiring Complex UI: Dropdowns, modals, tabs, accordions built in.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Semantic UI and Fomantic-UI?
Fomantic-UI is a community-driven fork of Semantic UI. While Semantic UI is no longer actively maintained, Fomantic continues development with updates and improvements.
Does Fomantic-UI need JavaScript?
Yes, for interactive components like modals, accordions, dropdowns, and tabs. It relies on jQuery for JavaScript behaviors.
Is Fomantic-UI beginner-friendly?
Yes, especially for developers who like readable class names for example, ui button. But it may take some time to adjust if you’re coming from Bootstrap or Tailwind.
Can I use Fomantic-UI with React or Vue?
Yes, but since it depends on jQuery, you may need extra configuration or wrappers like Semantic UI React though it’s not fully tied to Fomantic updates.
Is Fomantic-UI still maintained?
Yes, the community is actively maintaining it with frequent updates and bug fixes, unlike the original Semantic UI.
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.