Open Props vs. Mantine

By SW Habitation

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Table of contents

What is Open Props?

Key Features of Open Props

Advantages of Open Props

Disadvantages of Open Props

What is Mantine?

Key Features of Mantine

Advantages of Mantine

Disadvantages of Mantine

Comparison Between Open Props vs Mantine

Use Cases of Open Props

Use Cases of Mantine

Other Resources

Conclusion

Frequently asked questions

Open Props

Mantine

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 Open Props?

Open Props is a modern CSS framework built entirely around CSS custom properties (variables). Instead of sending prebuilt UI components or heavy utility classes, it provides a set of reusable design tokens that you can apply anywhere. Think of it as a toolbox of modern CSS features rather than a ready-made UI kit.

It’s not a traditional framework like Bootstrap or Tailwind. Instead, it’s closer to a design system foundation—a library of variables for colors, typography, shadows, gradients, animations, spacing, and sizes. Developers can use these variables in raw CSS, Sass, or even combine them with other frameworks.

Because it’s framework-agnostic, Open Props works well with plain HTML, React, Vue, Angular, or even with utility-first libraries like Tailwind.

Key Features of Open Props

Design Tokens Out-of-the-Box: Colors, gradients, fonts, shadows, borders, animations, spacing.
Framework-Agnostic: Works with vanilla CSS, SCSS, PostCSS, Tailwind, or any frontend setup.
Utility Classes (Optional): Comes with optional helpers like margin: var(--size-3).
Theming Made Simple: Supports dark/light mode with just a few variable overrides.
Modern CSS-Only: No JavaScript, only pure CSS properties.
Lightweight by Design: Extremely small bundle size compared to component-heavy frameworks.
CDN Ready: Drop in via a <link> or import with NPM.

Advantages of Open Props

Flexible: Can be used standalone or alongside other CSS frameworks.
Theming Support: Switch to dark mode or brand colors by redefining tokens.
Beginner-Friendly: Easy for anyone who already knows CSS variables.
Ultra Lightweight: Just variables, no unnecessary bloat.
Encourages Best Practices: Pushes developers towards scalable, token-based design systems.
Easy to Customize: Override props once to apply across your project.

Disadvantages of Open Props

Small Community: Limited templates, examples, and resources compared to Bootstrap/Tailwind.
Not Plug-and-Play: Great for design systems, but not ideal if you want instant UI.
No Prebuilt Components: You’ll need to design buttons, modals, navbars yourself.
Challenging Learning Curve for Beginners: Requires understanding of CSS variables and design tokens.

What is Mantine?

Mantine is a React component library with over 100 UI components and 50+ custom hooks, designed to help developers build modern, accessible, and performant UIs. It supports RTL layouts, dark mode, and complete theme customization, all while staying lightweight.

Mantine doesn’t force you into a predefined design system. You build your own style while enjoying great developer experience, full TypeScript support, and zero CSS-in-JS lock-in.

Key Features of Mantine

100+ Modular Components: Buttons, modals, tabs, date pickers, accordions, and more.
50+ Built-in Hooks: Clipboard, notifications, form validation, hotkeys, modals, etc.
Full Theming System: Custom colors, fonts, spacing, radii, shadows, etc. with MantineProvider.
Dark Mode & RTL Support: Native dark mode toggle and right-to-left support out of the box.
Flexible Styling Options: Use Emotion, CSS Modules, or inline styles — your choice.
Responsive Design: Built-in Grid and responsive props.

Advantages of Mantine

Fast Development: Prebuilt components + hooks mean fewer extra dependencies.
Design Freedom: No locked-in theme or design system — perfect for building your own brand UI.
Dark Mode + RTL: Native support with easy toggles — no extra setup.
Hook-Powered: Includes handy hooks like useClipboard, useHotkeys, useForm, etc.
Lightweight: Optimized and tree-shakable — loads faster with a smaller bundle size.
Fully Typed: Built with and for TypeScript — no need for custom typings.

Disadvantages of Mantine

Smaller Community: Limited plugins, templates, and community resources compared to MUI or Bootstrap.
No Predefined Design System: Offers full freedom but requires extra design effort for polished UIs.
Still Evolving: Newer framework; some components may lack long-term maturity.
Lacks Pro-Level Components: No built-in advanced elements like data grids or calendars.
Low Enterprise Adoption Not yet common in large-scale corporate environments.

Comparison Between Open Props vs Mantine

Features	Open Props	Mantine
Philosophy	Design tokens library (CSS custom properties)	Modern UI components + utility hooks for flexible development
Ease of Use	Very easy, just import & use variables	Very beginner-friendly with simple API and built-in docs
Customization	Override or extend variables easily	Fully customizable via theme overrides, component-level props
Design System	Provides ready-to-use tokens (colors, spacing, shadows)	No predefined system; freedom to create your own
Responsiveness	Works with CSS media queries, tokens available	Responsive components and props + built-in Grid
File Size	Very small (import only what you need)	Lightweight and tree-shakable
Learning Curve	Very low (use CSS vars directly)	Low to moderate (faster with React/TypeScript knowledge)
Pricing	Free & open-source	Free and open-source (MIT licensed)
Best For	Adding design tokens quickly to any project	Custom UIs, modern dashboards, fast MVPs, RTL/dark mode projects
Styling Method	Plain CSS, custom properties	Emotion (default), also supports inline styles and CSS Modules
Accessibility	No built-in a11y (depends on your CSS usage)	Fully accessible components with ARIA, keyboard nav
Dark Mode	Token overrides or prefers-color-scheme media query	Built-in toggle support via theme
Framework	Any (works with plain CSS, React, Vue, etc.)	React only
Bundle Size	Very small (selective imports reduce size further)	Small to medium; optimized with tree-shaking

Use Cases of Open Props

Developers who want flexibility without being tied to Tailwind/Bootstrap.
Building custom design systems from scratch.
Lightweight personal projects or portfolios.
Teams that want theming and scalability at the token level.
Adding modern CSS tokens to legacy projects.

Use Cases of Mantine

Custom UIs with full design freedom
Modern dashboards, admin panels
Lightweight SaaS apps
RTL and dark-mode web apps
Startups and solo developers

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 Open Props a CSS framework like Bootstrap or Tailwind?

No, Open Props is not a framework. It’s a collection of CSS custom properties (design tokens).

Can I customize the values in Open Props?

Yes, Open Props variables can be overridden to fit your own design system.

Does Open Props make my CSS heavy?

No, Open Props is lightweight and you can import only the modules you need.

Does Open Props work with React, Vue, Next.js, etc.?

Yes, Open Props is framework-agnostic and works anywhere CSS works.

Is Open Props safe to use in production?

Yes, Open Props is stable, actively maintained, and widely used in real projects.

Is Mantine production-ready?

Yes. Mantine is stable, actively maintained, and used in real-world production apps across various industries.

Does Mantine support dark mode and RTL?

Absolutely. Dark mode and right-to-left (RTL) layout support are built-in and easy to toggle with the theme.

Can I use Mantine without Emotion?

Mantine uses Emotion by default, but you can also style components using inline styles, CSS Modules, or even external CSS.

Does Mantine work with TypeScript?

Yes, Mantine is built with full TypeScript support, including auto-complete, prop types, and IDE hints.

How does Mantine compare to MUI or Chakra UI?

Mantine is more flexible with fewer design constraints. It offers built-in hooks and modern developer experience, while MUI and Chakra follow stricter design systems.