CSS framework

CSS frameworks are pre-prepared software frameworks that are meant to allow for easier, more standards-compliant web design using the Cascading Style Sheets language. Most of these frameworks contain at least a grid. More functional frameworks also come with more features and additional JavaScript based functions, but mostly design orientated and unobtrusive. This differentiates these from functional and full JavaScript frameworks.

Some notable and widely used examples are Bootstrap or Foundation .

CSS frameworks offer different modules and tools:

• Reset-Stylesheet
• grid especially for responsive web design
• web typography
• set of icons in sprites or iconfonts
• styling for tooltips, buttons, elements of forms
• parts of graphical user interfaces like Accordion, tabs, slideshow or Modal windows (Lightbox)
• Equalizer to create equal height content
• often used css helper classes (left, hide)

Bigger frameworks use CSS interpreter like LESS or SASS.

List of CSS frameworks

• Maxmertkit
• Cascade Framework
• Concise
• Emastic
• Ink
• inuitcss
• Kube
• Kule CSS Lazy
• Malo
• Responsive Grid System
• Schema UI / Built with LESS
• Semantic UI
• StackLayout
• Thao Framework
• uikit
• Unsemantic

Grid systems

Name	Latest release/Date	License	Fixed, fluid or elastic	Units (px, em, %)	Features	# of columns
960 grid system	October 21, 2011	GPL, MIT License	fixed	px	source ordering	12, 16, 24
Blueprint	1.0.1 (May 14, 2011)	MIT License			typography, forms, print. plugins for buttons, tabs and sprites.
Bluesky grid system	April 17, 2013	Openpassorn license v1.0	responsive	px, %	responsive grid system	12
Maxmertkit	1.0.4 (June 1st 2014)	MIT License (CC BY 3.0)	responsive	px, %	Layout, typography, tables, forms, buttons, navigation, spinners, avatars, comments, media queries and more + .sass files + js libraries (parallax, skyline, scrollspy and others)	Any
Bootstrap	3.2.0 (June 26, 2014)	MIT License (Apache License v2.0 prior to 3.1.0)	fixed, fluid, responsive	px, %	Layout, typography, forms, buttons, navigation, media queries + more, + .less files + js libraries	12
Cardinal Framework	1.4 (November 8, 2013)	MIT	fluid/responsive		fluid typography, responsive grid system. Style agnostic
Cascade Framework Light	1.1 (July 23, 2013)	MIT	hybrid	px, %	Grid, layout, typography, forms, buttons, media queries + more	Any
Chopstick	Continuous	MIT	hybrid	px, %	Sass (SCSS), semantic (if you want to), responsive, nesting, source ordering, configurable with variables	Any
Columnal CSS grid system	0.85	CC BY-SA 3.0	fluid	max width 1140px, columns in %	responsive, sub-columns, pre- and suffix classes, media queries, responsive image sizing	12
Creatix-CSS	1.0.2 (April 6,2014)	CC BY-SA 4.0	responsive	em, %	Easy to use,Layout, typography, forms, responsive grid system	12
Dismantle	0.4 (December 9, 2013)	MIT License	fixed and fluid	%, px	Easy to use, responsive grid system, nesting, media queries,	12
Floatz	1.1.2 (July 17, 2012)	Apache License v2.0	fixed and fluid	%	Robust. Easy to use. For content based websites as well as web based / rich applications. Complex forms layout. Optional integration with GWT.	Any
Fluidable	1.1.0 (September 08, 2013)	CC0 1.0	fluid	%	Lightweight responsive grid system, mobile first, fixed gutters, any number of columns	Any
Foundation	5.x (2014)	MIT License	fluid	px, %	Responsive Layout, source ordering, typography, forms, buttons, navigation, media queries, js libraries	Any
Gumby Framework	(2.5) October 2013	MIT License	fluid	%, px	responsive, media queries, hybrid grid PSD templates, UI kit, typography forms, buttons, navigation, js libraries, vertical alignment	12, 16 + any
Jaidee Framework	(3.8) April, 2014	Openpassorn license v1.0	fluid	px, %	A lightweight CSS Framework with Responsive CSS Layout, grid system, typography, forms, buttons, navigation, media queries, js librarie, slideshow, js tab, Responsive modal popup	4,6,12
Jeet Grid System	5	GPL3 License	fluid	%, px, em	A light, semantic, responsive, Stylus/SCSS framework built from the best parts. IE8+, fractional columns, consistently sized/infinitely nestable gutters.	Any, on the fly
Pure		BSD License
RÖCSSTI	August 15, 2013	CC-BY	fixed, elastic, fluid, responsive	px, em, %	Layout, typography, forms, media queries, + .less file + .scss file	Any
Semantic	1.2 (January 11, 2012)	Apache License v2.0		px, %	responsive
Ink	V2 (June 2013)	MIT license	elastic	px, em, %	Responsive, percentage based grid (for three screens, expandable to more), Typography, Forms, Tables, FontAwesome, Navigation, Alerts. Includes own JS library with several ready to use UI componets.	Any, percentage based
skeleton	V1.2 (6/20/2012)	MIT license	responsive		Responsive Grid Down To Mobile, Fast to Start, Style Agnostic. Base grid is a variation of the 960 grid system.	12
YAML	4.0.1 (March 12, 2012)	CC-BY 2.0	fixed, elastic, fluid	px, em, %	Layout, grids, columns, forms, buttons, progressive linearization for responsive layouts, float handling, navigation, typography, accessibility, add-ons (accessible tabs, rtl-support, microformats)	any
Yet Another CSS Grid System	1.0	public domain	fluid, responsive		a very small easy to use responsive css grid system. Javascript is not required.	6
YUI CSS grids	3.5.1	BSD-3	fixed and fluid
Zass	1.0 (January 24, 2012)	LGPL License	fluid	%	semantic (doesn't pollute HTML with classes), clean (no CSS hacks neither negative margins), any number of columns, infinite nesting of columns	Any
KNACSS	2.6 (July 2013)	CC-BY	fixed, elastic, fluid, responsive	px, em, rem, %	CSS reset, reusable classes, best practices and conventions, CSS snippets, positioning models, advanced positioning (FlexBox), high browser support, grids and gutters, responsive webdesign, table classes, forms classes, LESS version, Sass version	Any

Grid generators

Name	Supported grid systems
gridsystemgenerator.com	960.gs, golden grid, 1kb grid, simple grid

See also

• Comparison of layout engines (Cascading Style Sheets)

Weblinks

• CSS Front-end Frameworks with comparison
• CSS Frameworks