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Comparison guide

Css-modules vs Tailwindcss

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Css-modules

195.0 B gzipped

Most Popular

Tailwindcss

137.3M 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

  1. css-modules

    380 weekly downloads · 195.0 B gzip · Health 45/100

    0
  2. tailwindcss

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

    137.3M weekly downloads · 69.1 KB gzip · Health 85/100

    0

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 137.3M weekly downloads — roughly 361262.6x more. Css-modules has 380 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 195.0 B. Tailwindcss comes in at 69.1 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 45/100 (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 minimal bundle footprint, 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 45/100 while Tailwindcss scores 85/100. Tailwindcss has more recorded weekly downloads (137.3M). 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 195.0 B. 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?
Tailwindcss has more recorded weekly downloads (137.3M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, css-modules or tailwindcss?
Tailwindcss has a maintenance score of 100/100. Css-modules scores 20/100 and Tailwindcss scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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