Software Alternatives & Startups

98.css VS FirstVersion

Compare 98.css VS FirstVersion and see what are their differences

98.css

A design system for building faithful recreations of old UIs

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
FirstVersion

Rebuilding the first versions of great products with AI.

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, 98.css seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 24 times since March 2021.

social mentions
24 vs 0
Design Tools popularity
84% vs 16%
alternatives listed
58 vs 11

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

98.css
FirstVersion
Website jdan.github.io firstversion.trickle.host
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

98.css 4 features
FirstVersion 5 features
  • Nostalgic Appeal
    98.css provides a nostalgic Windows 98 aesthetic, appealing to users who have an affinity for retro computing and creating a unique visual experience.
  • Lightweight
    The framework is lightweight, making it easy to integrate without significantly increasing page load times.
  • Minimalist Design
    It offers a minimalist and straightforward design, which can be beneficial for projects that require simplicity and less visual clutter.
  • Easy Customization
    While it adheres to a specific retro theme, the CSS can be customized to suit the needs of the developer, allowing for flexible design applications.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Modern Features
    98.css focuses on replicating the Windows 98 look and feel, which means it lacks support for more modern web design trends and features.
  • Niche Audience
    The retro aesthetic may not appeal to all users and could be inappropriate for certain professional or modern applications.
  • Style Constraints
    The framework’s dedication to the Windows 98 aesthetic can limit creativity, making it difficult to diverge from the retro style if project requirements change.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    While lightweight, integrating 98.css with other modern frameworks or libraries may cause compatibility issues or require additional workarounds.
  • Quick to access
    The site is hosted on a simple trickle.host subdomain, suggesting it's a lightweight, fast-loading page or prototype that users can access without complex setup.
  • Likely simple interface
    Being labeled as a 'first version,' the product may prioritize a minimal, straightforward user experience focused on core functionality rather than feature bloat.
  • Potential for rapid iteration
    As an early-stage product, the developers may be actively iterating based on user feedback, meaning improvements could come quickly.
  • Low overhead hosting
    Trickle.host suggests a lightweight hosting solution, which may translate to faster page loads and fewer technical issues for early users.
  • Early adopter access
    Users get the chance to try a new tool or service early, potentially influencing its development direction and gaining familiarity before it scales.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited information available
    Without more context or documentation, it's difficult to verify what specific features, use cases, or value this product offers to users.
  • Possible instability
    As a 'first version' product, it may be prone to bugs, incomplete features, or downtime typical of early-stage releases.
  • Uncertain long-term support
    Early-stage or prototype products hosted on generic subdomains may not have guaranteed long-term maintenance or updates.
  • Minimal branding or trust signals
    The generic trickle.host domain may reduce user trust compared to a fully established custom domain with clear company branding.
  • Feature limitations
    Being an initial version, it likely lacks the full feature set that more mature competitors or later versions of the product might offer.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
98.css
FirstVersion
84% 84%
16% 16%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%

User comments

Share your experience with using 98.css and FirstVersion. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

98.css 24 mentions
FirstVersion 0 mentions
  • Mine Rogue. Vibe-coded balatro-inspired minesweeper roguelike game
    Hey folks! First time sharing something here. I've been vibe-coding a browser game inspired in Balatro. It's a minesweeper game where you play rounds of increasing difficulty. At the end of each round you can buy different bonuses that... - Source: Hacker News / 2 days ago
  • A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE
    I've been using 98.css [0] as a foundation for building many of my personal projects lately -- I think it's pretty great, and a really refreshing return to some older paradigms. [0] - https://jdan.github.io/98.css/. - Source: Hacker News / 19 days ago
  • A browser-native classic Visual Basic VB6 IDE
    > border-color: var(--vb-light) var(--vb-dark) var(--vb-dark) var(--vb-light); This creates 45 degree corners. Feel free to lift any CSS you need from https://jdan.github.io/98.css/, it's MIT licensed. I used a box-shadow hack to get the... - Source: Hacker News / 19 days ago

View more

Tracking FirstVersion since Jul 2026.

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