Vanilla Extract vs CSS Modules

Developers should use Vanilla Extract when building performance-critical web applications that require type-safe, maintainable styling without runtime CSS injection meets developers should use css modules when building component-based applications where style isolation is critical to avoid naming collisions and improve code maintainability. Here's our take.

Vanilla Extract

Nice Pick

Developers should use Vanilla Extract when building performance-critical web applications that require type-safe, maintainable styling without runtime CSS injection

Pros

• It's ideal for TypeScript projects where type safety is a priority, and for teams wanting to avoid the performance penalties of traditional CSS-in-JS solutions
• Related to: typescript, react

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

CSS Modules

Developers should use CSS Modules when building component-based applications where style isolation is critical to avoid naming collisions and improve code maintainability

Pros

• It is particularly useful in large-scale projects with multiple developers, as it allows for local scoping without relying on naming conventions like BEM
• Related to: react, vue-js

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Vanilla Extract is a library while CSS Modules is a methodology. We picked Vanilla Extract based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Vanilla Extract wins

Based on overall popularity. Vanilla Extract is more widely used, but CSS Modules excels in its own space.