Modern CSS: Tailwind CSS vs Styled Components vs CSS Modules

I remember the days of one giant `style.css` file. We've come a long way.

Tailwind CSS: Speed Demon I'll admit, I hated Tailwind when I first saw it. "Classes in my HTML? Gross." But after using it for a week, I couldn't go back. The speed at which you can build UI is insane. And you never have to worry about naming a class `wrapper-inner-container-left`.

Styled Components / CSS-in-JS I used to love Styled Components. Keeping style and logic together in the component file feels nice. But they have a runtime performance cost. In the new world of Server Components (RSC), they are becoming a bit trickier to use.

CSS Modules: The Safe Bet If you want standard CSS but don't want conflicts, CSS Modules are solid. They scope your classes automatically. It's a very safe, standard choice, but it feels a bit slower to write than Tailwind.

The Verdict? For me, in 2024, it's Tailwind. Paired with libraries like Shadcn UI, it gives you incredible power and flexibility without the bloat.