CSS Custom Properties vs CSS-in-JS

Developers should learn CSS Custom Properties to build scalable and themeable web applications, as they simplify style management and enable dynamic theming without recompiling CSS meets developers should use css-in-js when building modern web applications with frameworks like react, vue, or angular, as it provides scoped styling that prevents global css conflicts and supports dynamic theming. Here's our take.

CSS Custom Properties

Nice Pick

Developers should learn CSS Custom Properties to build scalable and themeable web applications, as they simplify style management and enable dynamic theming without recompiling CSS

Pros

• They are particularly useful for design systems, dark mode implementations, and responsive adjustments where values need to change based on user interactions or viewport sizes
• Related to: css, javascript

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

CSS-in-JS

Developers should use CSS-in-JS when building modern web applications with frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular, as it provides scoped styling that prevents global CSS conflicts and supports dynamic theming

Pros

• It's particularly useful for large-scale projects where maintainability and component isolation are priorities, and when leveraging JavaScript's power for conditional or runtime styling
• Related to: react, javascript

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. CSS Custom Properties is a concept while CSS-in-JS is a library. We picked CSS Custom Properties based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

CSS Custom Properties wins

Based on overall popularity. CSS Custom Properties is more widely used, but CSS-in-JS excels in its own space.