Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BEM VS Skeleton CSS

Compare BEM VS Skeleton CSS and see what are their differences

BEM logo BEM

BEM — Block Element Modifier is a methodology, that helps you to achieve reusable components and code sharing in the front-end.

Skeleton CSS logo Skeleton CSS

A Beautiful Boilerplate for Responsive, Mobile-Friendly Development
  • BEM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-21
  • Skeleton CSS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30

BEM features and specs

  • Consistency
    BEM enforces a structured way of naming and organizing CSS classes, which promotes consistency across the codebase.
  • Scalability
    The methodology is designed to handle large and complex projects by keeping styles modular and reusable, which helps in maintaining scalability.
  • Maintainability
    By using a clear naming convention, BEM makes it easier for developers to understand and maintain code, even if they weren't the original authors.
  • Flexibility
    BEM allows for flexible and modular component development, making modifications easier without affecting unrelated parts of the codebase.

Possible disadvantages of BEM

  • Verbose Naming
    The class names in BEM can become quite long and verbose, which might make the HTML markup harder to read.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers unfamiliar with BEM may need some time to adapt to its conventions and understand the methodology well.
  • No Enforced Hierarchy
    BEM does not inherently enforce any specific hierarchy or structure among elements, which might lead to inconsistencies if not carefully managed.
  • Increased Initial Setup
    Implementing BEM from scratch can involve significant upfront planning and setup, which might be seen as an overhead for smaller projects.

Skeleton CSS features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Skeleton CSS is extremely lightweight, with a file size of just about 400 lines of code, making it quick to load and easy to manage compared to bulkier frameworks.
  • Simplicity
    Its simplicity makes it easy to learn and implement, which is ideal for beginners or for small projects that don't require complex styling.
  • Responsive Grid
    Skeleton CSS includes a responsive grid system, which helps in creating responsive layouts that easily adjust to various screen sizes.
  • Clean Design
    Skeleton offers a clean and minimal design by default, providing a good starting point for further customization without unnecessary bloat.

Possible disadvantages of Skeleton CSS

  • Limited Components
    Skeleton CSS lacks the range of components available in larger frameworks like Bootstrap or Foundation, making it less flexible for larger or more complex projects.
  • Customization
    While its simplicity is an advantage, it also means less out-of-the-box customization options compared to more comprehensive frameworks.
  • Community and Support
    Skeleton CSS has a smaller community and fewer resources or plugins available, meaning less peer and developer support is accessible compared to more popular frameworks.
  • Scalability
    It is less suited for large-scale applications where a more feature-rich and modular framework might be necessary to manage complex requirements.

Analysis of Skeleton CSS

Overall verdict

  • Skeleton CSS is a good choice for developers seeking a minimalist framework that provides essential styling without unnecessary complexity. It's particularly beneficial for small projects or when you need to rapidly prototype designs. However, for larger projects with extensive UI component requirements, a more comprehensive framework might be more suitable.

Why this product is good

  • Skeleton CSS is a lightweight CSS framework designed for simplicity and ease of use. It provides a flexible grid system and basic styles for common HTML elements, making it ideal for starting projects quickly without the overhead of more complex frameworks. Its minimalistic approach ensures that developers have a clean slate to work from, without being overwhelmed by pre-designed components or themes. Additionally, its simplicity makes it easy to learn and modify, which is great for developers who prefer more control over their project's appearance.

Recommended for

    Skeleton CSS is recommended for developers who appreciate a minimalist approach, those working on small to medium-sized projects, designers who want a lightweight starting point without a steep learning curve, and anyone looking to quickly prototype ideas without being bogged down by extensive styling rules or pre-existing themes.

BEM videos

BEM REVIEW! is Bem worth watching?

More videos:

  • Review - BEM - First Impressions
  • Review - Bem Episode 1 Discussion/ Review BEM HAS THE MUSIC!!!!!

Skeleton CSS videos

Skeleton Anatomy and Physiology Review Bones 01

More videos:

  • Review - skeleton anatomy easy review for practical exam bones and structures
  • Review - Unboxing and Review Head Unit Skeleton SKT 8197 Universal

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to BEM and Skeleton CSS)
Developer Tools
43 43%
57% 57
CSS Framework
23 23%
77% 77
Design Tools
32 32%
68% 68
Development Tools
31 31%
69% 69

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare BEM and Skeleton CSS

BEM Reviews

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Skeleton CSS Reviews

22 Best Bootstrap Alternatives & What Each Is Best For
Balance Functionality and Performance: High functionality might come with the cost of performance. For example, MUI is exceptional for material design, but it might be heavier compared to lighter frameworks like Skeleton. Strive for a balance between the functionality you need and the performance you can afford to sacrifice.
Source: thectoclub.com
15 Top Bootstrap Alternatives For Frontend Developers in 2024
However, it's important to note that Skeleton lacks active maintenance, posing a significant drawback. Additionally, the security of the Skeleton website is currently questionable. Furthermore, its use of outdated markup for layout, such as floats and clear fixes, may present compatibility issues in modern web development environments.
Source: coursesity.com
9 Best Bootstrap Alternatives | Best Frontend Frameworks [2024]
Skeleton is a lightweight CSS framework, majorly popular for its 12-column fluid grid, which consists of rows and columns, similar to other CSS grids. The newer version of Skeleton adopts a mobile-first approach, which enables the layout to be the center of attraction, irrespective of the screen size. Being lightweight, Skeleton can speed up the front-end development process.
Source: hackr.io
Top 10 Best CSS Frameworks for Front-End Developers in 2022
As the name suggests, the Skeleton is a light framework. If your website is small and straightforward, Skeleton provides a necessary collection of CSS elements to speed up your development. It provides lightly styled forms, tabs, buttons, etc. You get a responsive grid, Vanilla CSS, and media queries for your project without the larger frameworks' complexities. It is a great...
Source: hackr.io
15 Best CSS Frameworks: Professional Bootstrap and Foundation Alternatives
As a two-in-one solution, Skeleton quickly made it on our list. This is both a boilerplate and a comprehensive CSS framework. We enjoyed customizing its 12-column grid during our testing, and we found out that it has virtually no learning curve.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, BEM should be more popular than Skeleton CSS. It has been mentiond 47 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

BEM mentions (47)

  • The CSS Odyssey: Why I Turned back to CSS After Trying Everything Else
    Style conflicts is one. Although CSS class definitions are placed in reverse import order, problems still occur in Next.js when some pieces only appear in page but not layout CSS bundles. Following BEM (Block Element Modifier) and "Composition over Extension" patterns to separate concerns helps avoid styling collisions significantly. - Source: dev.to / about 7 hours ago
  • :where() :is() my mind?
    BEM encourages a flat structure with minimal nesting and specificity, making styles easier to read and maintain. It significantly reduces the risk of unintended style overrides and enhances modularity. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • SASS, CSS, or Tailwind: Which One Should You Choose?
    Keep in mind you also have to use BEM. If you use just SASS, there are little to no advantages compared with CSS. I am going to cover BEM in a separate article, but for your understanding, BEM is a methodology for writing good CSS. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Darling, I converted our perfectly fine SPA application into SSR: Part 2
    Most of our headaches stemmed from styled-components. Despite the merits of this CSS-in-JS library, it doesn’t mesh as seamlessly with server components. Traditional CSS methodologies, such as BEM (Block, Element, Modifier), CSS modules, or even utility-first frameworks like Tailwind, would have alleviated many of our difficulties. This lesson is a key takeaway that we plan to carry forward into our future projects. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Earth rescue - A CSS only game
    After I had created space, the code was as spaghetti as it can get. I decided to switch to SCSS and finally read into the BEM Pattern for CSS and after wasting another 4 hours, I decided that I could not decide wether the HUD is an element of the game and the button is an element of the HUD and the text is an element of the button and someone else also thought about this and called it the BEM grandchildren... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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Skeleton CSS mentions (17)

  • Concrete.css
    I had been using similar projects such as skeleton[0] and milligram[1] for small experiments such as repfl[2], and wanted to create something similar that I would find aesthetically pleasing and that would fit in as little space as possible. The current version of concrete.css is less than 1kb minzipped! [0] http://getskeleton.com/ [1] https://milligram.io/ [2] https://repfl.ch/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: How to build online calculator website?
    Here's my personal goto: Find some minimal CSS framework. My preference is Skeleton [0] or Bootstrap [1]. The key is just finding something minimal that works without too much fuss. Personally, I rather have a minimal framework provide 'responsiveness' so I don't have to worry about it but I also want it to get out of the way of anything I do. Use JQuery [2]. Don't rely on CSS for animations or interactivity. In... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Suggest minimal CSS framework
    I've used http://getskeleton.com/ in the past. I think it's probably just what you're looking for. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Pdf generated from form
    I use an older css library called skeleton. It’s a utility framework that came out before css grid. It has a really nice and easy to use grid system built without css-grid. I had to get rid of the media queries to get it work but it’s been great otherwise! Source: over 2 years ago
  • what do you do when coding for responsive?
    I use a minified and customised simple boilerplate / grid system based in skeleton (http://getskeleton.com/). It has no mediaqueries predefined, but the rules for each screen resolution are stated. I start making the website for computer screen formats (large resolutions) and end adapting up the design to phone screens. Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing BEM and Skeleton CSS, you can also consider the following products

Sass - Syntatically Awesome Style Sheets

Bootstrap - Simple and flexible HTML, CSS, and JS for popular UI components and interactions

styled-components - styled-components is a visual primitive for the component age that also helps the user to use the ES6 and CSS to style apps.

Materialize CSS - A modern responsive front-end framework based on Material Design

Tailwind CSS - A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom user interfaces.

Foundation - The most advanced responsive front-end framework in the world