In the 2020s, there was a real battle between Tailwind CSS and CSS-in-JS. Both approaches promised developers convenience, scalability, and happiness in layout 😅
But did 2025 put an end to it? Or, on the contrary, did it make the choice more difficult?
We'll figure out what happened to Tailwind and CSS-in-JS, who wins where, and how not to make a mistake with the choice 🔍
🏆 Quick comparison
Parameter | Tailwind CSS | CSS-in-JS (Styled Components, Emotion) |
|---|---|---|
📦 Bundle size | Small (with tree-shaking) | Often more, requires runtime |
⚡️ Performance | Very high (utility classes at the exit) | Depends on implementation, may be slower |
💡 DX (convenience) | Cool for components, takes some getting used to | Intuitive, but a lot of boilerplate |
🧩 Componentry | Via className | Built into the syntax |
📚 Documentation | Huge, great community | Depends on the library |
🧠 Training | Quickly, if you understand the concept | Easy to start, but harder to scale |
💼 Where it is used | SaaS, UI libraries, startups | Design systems, complex React applications |
📈 What changed in 2025?
🟦 Tailwind has become the de facto standard
A huge number of UI libraries, templates and components on Tailwind
Easier to integrate into any framework: React, Vue, Svelte, Angular
Accelerates development without custom CSS
🟣 CSS-in-JS has not disappeared, but has become a niche
Used in large React projects with high customization
Popular where themes, animations, and isolation are important
Works well with SSR and Next.js
🤔 What do developers choose?
According to the State of CSS 2025 survey:
Tailwind CSS — 62% use it, 80% are satisfied
Styled Components — 24%, the number is decreasing
Emotion — 11%, mainly in old projects
📉 CSS-in-JS loses in mass application, but remains in complex architectures.
🧭 What should you choose?
Your situation | Selection |
|---|---|
Do you want to quickly build a UI | Tailwind CSS |
You like minimalism and structure | Tailwind CSS |
You're doing a complex topic with dynamics | CSS-in-JS |
You work in a large team with a system | CSS-in-JS |
Project on Next.js | Tailwind + a little CSS-in-JS |
More and more often we see Tailwind + custom styles: components on Tailwind, customization — through CSS variables or light CSS-in-JS. Wins pragmatism, not just one approach.
In Codice you can go through projects with both Tailwind and CSS-in-JS. We will show you how to choose an approach for the task, not because of fashion. Learn in the editor, ask chat questions, experiment.