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Bulma vs NES.css

Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.

Bulma

Open source · MIT

A CSS framework built on Flexbox that gives you styled layout and UI classes.

Full review Website
NES.css

Open source · MIT

A CSS library that styles buttons, boxes and forms to look like retro NES-era games.

Full review Website

The short answer

Choose Bulma if you need…

  • Developers who want a quick, consistent styling baseline for a web page
  • Projects that already have their own JavaScript and only need a style layer
  • Teams that want to customize styles through Sass variables
  • Developers working with Vue, React, or other frameworks who want Bulma-based component libraries

Choose NES.css if you need…

  • Developers building a retro or game-themed web page or demo
  • Designers prototyping pixel-style interfaces quickly
  • Developers who want styled components without writing CSS from scratch
  • Projects that need Japanese or other non-English text with a pixel font

Side-by-side

BulmaNES.css
TypeLibraryLibrary
PriceFree and open sourceFree and open source
LicenceMITMIT
GitHub stars50k21.9k
Setup difficultyBeginnerBeginner
How you get itInstall with a package managerInstall with a package manager
Main languageCSSSCSS
Last code update46 days ago3 years ago

What each one is

Bulma

Bulma is a CSS framework based on Flexbox. It ships as a single CSS file with ready-made classes for layout and common interface elements, so you can style a web page without writing much custom CSS. It contains no JavaScript, so you add your own scripts for any interactive behavior.

NES.css

NES.css is a CSS framework that gives web pages a retro 8-bit look inspired by Nintendo Entertainment System games. It provides ready-made components such as buttons, containers and forms, but the README says it only supplies components and you define your own layout. It needs no JavaScript.

Best for

Bulma

  • Developers who want a quick, consistent styling baseline for a web page
  • Projects that already have their own JavaScript and only need a style layer
  • Teams that want to customize styles through Sass variables
  • Developers working with Vue, React, or other frameworks who want Bulma-based component libraries

NES.css

  • Developers building a retro or game-themed web page or demo
  • Designers prototyping pixel-style interfaces quickly
  • Developers who want styled components without writing CSS from scratch
  • Projects that need Japanese or other non-English text with a pixel font

Strengths

Bulma

  • Based on Flexbox, with a single CSS file as its output
  • No JavaScript included, so it does not force a particular JS environment
  • Customizable through Sass source files and variables

NES.css

  • Installs with npm or Yarn, or loads from a CDN with one link tag
  • Requires only CSS and no JavaScript
  • MIT licensed and actively starred on GitHub

Not ideal for

Bulma

  • People who need interactive components like modals or dropdowns out of the box, since Bulma has no JavaScript and you must supply it
  • Projects that must support Internet Explorer fully, since the README says IE 10+ is only partially supported
  • Teams that want a heavily opinionated design system with a fixed look, since much of the appearance is meant to be customized

NES.css

  • Projects needing a full layout system, since the README says NES.css only provides components
  • Corporate or minimal interfaces, because the retro style is its defining look
  • Users who need Internet Explorer or Edge support, which the README lists as untested

Trade-offs

Bulma

  • Browser support is limited to recent versions of major browsers, with only partial support for IE 10+
  • Interactive behavior must be written or added separately
  • The README notes the project is in constant development, so details may change between releases

NES.css

  • The README says it provides no fonts; you must pick and load a pixel font yourself, and Press Start 2P only covers English
  • Browser support is listed for Chrome, Firefox and Safari; IE/Edge is untested
  • The README does not describe the full component list, and the last push shown is January 2024

Getting started

Bulma

Install with npm

npm install bulma

Install with Yarn

yarn add bulma
Step-by-step guide: how to use Bulma

NES.css

Install via npm

npm install nes.css

Install via Yarn

yarn add nes.css
Step-by-step guide: how to use NES.css

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Bulma and NES.css?

Bulma: A CSS framework built on Flexbox that gives you styled layout and UI classes. NES.css: A CSS library that styles buttons, boxes and forms to look like retro NES-era games. Bulma suits developers who want a quick, consistent styling baseline for a web page, while NES.css suits developers building a retro or game-themed web page or demo.

Are Bulma and NES.css free?

Bulma: Free and open source. NES.css: Free and open source.

Is Bulma or NES.css more popular?

Bulma has more GitHub stars (50k) than NES.css (21.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.

What are other alternatives to Bulma and NES.css?

Other options people compare them with include Bootstrap, Tailwind CSS, Milligram, Spectre.css, Materialize.

Keep comparing

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Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.