Open Props vs. Milligram CSS
By SW Habitation
Open Props
Milligram 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 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 Milligram CSS?
Milligram CSS is a minimalist CSS framework that weighs in at just 2KB gzipped, making it one of the lightest options available for developers who value speed and efficiency. It follows a clean, modern design approach with sensible defaults, so you can get started quickly without having to overwrite a ton of styles. Milligram uses the flexible grid system powered by Flexbox, making layouts intuitive and responsive right out of the box.
What makes Milligram stand out is its balance between simplicity and usability. Unlike heavier frameworks, it doesn’t come bundled with unnecessary UI components, which keeps your project lean and fast.
Key Features of Milligram CSS
- Easy to Use: Available via npm, Yarn, Bower, CDN, or CLI starter projects for quick setup.
- Roboto Typography: Uses Google’s Roboto font for clean text styling; easy to override if needed.
- Minimal Reset + Base Styles: Comes with normalization and essential styles for clean coding.
- Super Lightweight: Just ~2 KB when gzipped, making it lightning-fast.
- Essential UI Elements: Includes styles for typography, buttons, lists, forms, tables, blockquotes, grids, and utilities.
- Flexbox Grid System: Responsive, flexible layout using modern Flexbox, with customizable max width.
Advantages of Milligram CSS
- Ultra Lightweight: Minimal file size ensures speedy load times.
- Quick Setup: Plug-and-play means just include the CSS and you're good to go.
- Clean Base Style: Neutral, design-agnostic foundation for custom styling.
- Modern Layouts: Flexbox grid offers flexibility and responsiveness.
- Ideal for Prototypes: Great when you need a fast, clean UI baseline.
- No Build Required: Works without any preprocessing or configuration.
Disadvantages of Milligram CSS
- Not for Complex UIs: Best suited for simple layouts, not rich interactive interfaces.
- Limited Components: Does not include advanced UI like modals, dropdowns, or navbars.
- Smaller Ecosystem: Fewer templates, plugins, or community resources available.
- No JavaScript Support: Pure CSS, interactivity must be built separately.
- Typography Dependency: Defaults to Roboto, adds an external request unless changed.
Comparison Between Open Props vs Milligram CSS
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 Milligram CSS
- Landing Pages: Fast, mobile-friendly, and performance-focused.
- Educational Projects: Beginner-friendly for learning CSS.
- Minimalist Web Apps: For simple, fast, and lightweight projects.
- Quick Prototyping: Build clean UI prototypes quickly.
- Performance-First Sites: Perfect for JAMstack/static sites.
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
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 Milligram completely free?
Yes, Milligram is open-source and distributed under the MIT license.
How do I include Milligram in my project?
Install via npm/yarn/bower, use the CDN link, or leverage the Milligram CLI to generate a simple boilerplate.
Do I need any build tools to use Milligram?
Nope, just include the CSS file in your project’s <head> and you're set.
What is Milligram best suited for?
It’s ideal for quick prototypes, clean documentation pages, landing pages, and any performance-sensitive project looking for a minimal styling foundation.