Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

pttrns VS CSS Scan

Compare pttrns VS CSS Scan and see what are their differences

pttrns logo pttrns

iPhone and iPad user interface patterns

CSS Scan logo CSS Scan

Instantly check or copy computed CSS from any element for only ~95$
  • pttrns Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-23
  • CSS Scan Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-14

pttrns features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Pttrns offers a user-friendly interface allowing designers to quickly search and find design patterns for mobile and web apps.
  • High-Quality Examples
    The platform provides high-quality, curated design examples from well-known apps, helping designers implement industry standards.
  • Inspiration
    Pttrns serves as a source of inspiration for designers, showcasing a variety of design styles and approaches.
  • Categorization
    Design patterns are well-categorized, making it easy for users to find specific UI patterns based on their needs.
  • Up-to-date
    The platform regularly updates its library with new and trending design patterns, ensuring users have access to the latest designs.

Possible disadvantages of pttrns

  • Subscription Cost
    While some content is free, full access to Pttrns requires a subscription, which might not be suitable for all budgets.
  • Limited Interactivity
    The examples are typically static images or screenshots, lacking interactive elements that could better demonstrate the user experience.
  • Over-Reliance on Examples
    Designers might become overly reliant on the provided examples and may neglect creating original and innovative designs.
  • Lack of Detailed Explanations
    The platform focuses more on showcasing finished designs and might not provide in-depth explanations behind design choices.
  • Mobile-Centric
    Pttrns primarily focuses on mobile app design patterns, which might be a limitation for designers looking for web or other platform-specific patterns.

CSS Scan features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    CSS Scan offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for developers of all skill levels to inspect and copy CSS styles directly from the browser.
  • Time-Saving
    It significantly reduces the time needed to debug and replicate styles by allowing quick copying of well-structured CSS rules from any element on the page.
  • Accuracy
    The tool ensures that the copied CSS maintains the exact styling, including computed styles and vendor prefixes, providing high accuracy in replication.
  • Live Edits
    CSS Scan enables live editing of styles, allowing developers to make real-time changes and see the results instantly, which is beneficial for testing and adjustments.
  • Visual Representation
    The extension visually displays how CSS rules are applied, making it easier to understand complex styling hierarchies and cascades.

Possible disadvantages of CSS Scan

  • Cost
    CSS Scan is a paid tool, so there is a financial investment required, which might not be feasible for all developers, especially those working on personal or non-commercial projects.
  • Browser Compatibility
    As a browser extension, its functionality may be limited to supported browsers, potentially excluding users of less common or unsupported browsers.
  • Limited Scope
    While CSS Scan is powerful for copying and analyzing CSS, it does not offer features for editing or managing CSS files directly, requiring another tool or manual intervention for those tasks.
  • Dependency
    Relying on a third-party tool can be a downside if the tool experiences downtime, changes its pricing, or ceases development, leaving users in a difficult position.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Using browser extensions can raise privacy concerns, as they typically have access to the pages you visit; ensuring the trustworthiness of the extension is crucial.

Analysis of pttrns

Overall verdict

  • Yes, pttrns is considered good by many designers and developers.

Why this product is good

  • Pttrns is a popular resource for mobile and web app design inspiration, offering a vast collection of user interface patterns. It is valued for its comprehensive and well-categorized collections, which help designers find specific design patterns efficiently. The site showcases real-world UI examples that help designers understand current design trends and enhance their creative workflow.

Recommended for

  • UI/UX designers seeking design inspiration
  • Developers looking for design pattern references
  • Product managers who want to understand current design trends
  • Design students aiming to learn about UI/UX patterns

Analysis of CSS Scan

Overall verdict

  • CSS Scan is considered a valuable tool for web developers, particularly for those who frequently work with CSS. Its user-friendly interface and time-saving features make it highly effective for both learning and practical development needs.

Why this product is good

  • CSS Scan is popular among developers because it provides a fast and easy way to inspect and copy CSS styles from any website. It enhances productivity by simplifying the process of understanding and replicating complex styles without manually digging through source code.

Recommended for

  • Front-end developers seeking to understand and replicate existing styles.
  • Web designers aiming to improve their CSS skills through real-world examples.
  • Developers needing to quickly prototype or analyze website designs.
  • Teams looking for an efficient tool to streamline CSS workflows.

pttrns videos

Pttrns: Mobile Design Patterns

CSS Scan videos

Chrome CSS Viewer CSS Scan 2.0 - All Your CSS Secrets Revealed

More videos:

  • Review - CSS Scan and Microthemer are buddies

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pttrns and CSS Scan)
Design Tools
41 41%
59% 59
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Design Inspiration
100 100%
0% 0
Web App
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using pttrns and CSS Scan. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, CSS Scan should be more popular than pttrns. It has been mentiond 13 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.

pttrns mentions (3)

  • App or Software to organise a UI Pattern Library
    While I'm aware that there are current resources out there such as Mobbin or Pttrns, I have been taking my own screenshots for a while now and it would be great to be able to set up tags to categorise and organise these. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Does anyone else find Behance and Dribbble absolutely useless?
    Https://pttrns.com/ is a similar site but the quality went down a bit. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • UX gallery, similar to component.gallery
    Maybe try mobbin.design or https://pttrns.com/. Source: about 4 years ago

CSS Scan mentions (13)

View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing pttrns and CSS Scan, you can also consider the following products

Mobbin - Latest mobile design patterns & elements library

CSS Scan Pro - The easiest way to get and edit the CSS of any website, live

Page Flows - User flow design inspiration for mobile & desktop

Hoverify - All-in-one browser extension to improve your web dev experience.

UI Patterns - Level up with interactive mobile design patterns

CSS Peeper - Smart CSS viewer tailored for Designers.