The New CSSA Bootstrap alternative for modern, lightweight styling
If you need classic components, Bootstrap is great. If you want a modern baseline with minimal footprint, ship The New CSS.
When Bootstrap works well
- +
Projects that need pre-built components (modals, carousels, tooltips)
- +
Teams familiar with Bootstrap's class naming conventions
When The New CSS is a better fit
- ✓
You want a modern baseline, not a full component library
- ✓
You want a smaller CSS footprint
- ✓
You prefer modern CSS features (oklch, @layer, container queries)
Comparison
| Bootstrap | The New CSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Build step | No | No |
| Approach | Component-heavy | Baseline + utilities |
| Bundle size | Moderate (~23KB gzipped) | Small (~5KB gzipped) |
| CSS features | Traditional | oklch, @layer, container queries |
| Customization | Sass / CSS variables | CSS variables only |
| JavaScript required | Yes (for interactive components) | No |
Getting started
Replace Bootstrap with The New CSS in one line. Your semantic HTML will look great out of the box.
<!-- Remove Bootstrap -->
<!-- <link href="bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> -->
<!-- Add The New CSS -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://unpkg.com/the-new-css/dist/the-new-css.min.css">