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Css-modules vs Tailwindcss

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Css-modules

46.1 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Tailwindcss

80.8M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Tailwindcss

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Css-modules

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Tailwindcss

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

Version 0.3.0

0
49
Fair
Weekly Downloads
3.4K
40%
Bundle (gzip)
46.1 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
20
Popularity
40
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
tailwindcss icon

tailwindcss

Extremely Popular

Version 4.2.2

0
85
Excellent

A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom user interfaces.

Weekly Downloads
80.8M
18%
Bundle (gzip)
227.9 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Css-modules and Tailwindcss? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Tailwindcss leads with 80.8M weekly downloads — roughly 23922.9x more. Css-modules has 3.4K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Css-modules has the smallest gzipped bundle at 46.1 KB. Tailwindcss comes in at 227.9 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Tailwindcss has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Css-modules has an overall health score of 49/100 (moderate), with strong security scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Css-modules if you value strong security track record. Choose Tailwindcss if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Css-modules and Tailwindcss are solid choices for JavaScript development. Tailwindcss has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is css-modules better than tailwindcss?
It depends on your needs. Css-modules has a health score of 49/100 while Tailwindcss scores 85/100. Tailwindcss has more weekly downloads (80.8M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, css-modules or tailwindcss?
Css-modules has the smaller gzipped bundle at 46.1 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use css-modules vs tailwindcss?
Based on npm download statistics, Css-modules has approximately 3.4K weekly downloads and Tailwindcss has approximately 80.8M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, css-modules or tailwindcss?
Tailwindcss currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Css-modules has a maintenance score of 20/100 and Tailwindcss scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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