Simplefolio vs Tabler
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.
Open source · MIT
A minimal one-page portfolio template for developers, built with Parcel and SCSS.
Open source · MIT
Free, open source Bootstrap 5 admin dashboard UI kit with dark mode and RTL support.
The short answer
Choose Simplefolio if you need…
- Developers who want a simple one-page personal website without designing from scratch
- Students or job seekers who need a portfolio to share with employers
- People comfortable editing HTML files and running a couple of terminal commands
- Anyone who wants a starting point they can restyle with SCSS
Choose Tabler if you need…
- Developers building internal admin panels or dashboards quickly
- Teams already comfortable with Bootstrap who want ready-made components
- Projects that need dark mode or right-to-left (RTL) layouts
- Developers using a framework such as React, Vue or Laravel who want a styled UI base
Side-by-side
| Simplefolio | Tabler | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 14.2k | 42k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | SCSS | Astro |
| Last code update | 10 months ago | 8 days ago |
What each one is
Simplefolio
Simplefolio is a free, one-page portfolio website template for developers. You edit its HTML files to add your name, photo, projects, resume and contact links, then run a local development server to preview it. It is styled with Bootstrap v4.3 and custom SCSS and is built with the Parcel bundler.
Tabler
Tabler is a set of ready-made layouts, components and demo pages for building admin panels, dashboards and web apps. It is built on Bootstrap 5 and ships as CSS and JavaScript you can load from a CDN or install with npm. It is useful for people who want a polished interface without designing every screen from scratch.
Best for
Simplefolio
- Developers who want a simple one-page personal website without designing from scratch
- Students or job seekers who need a portfolio to share with employers
- People comfortable editing HTML files and running a couple of terminal commands
- Anyone who wants a starting point they can restyle with SCSS
Tabler
- Developers building internal admin panels or dashboards quickly
- Teams already comfortable with Bootstrap who want ready-made components
- Projects that need dark mode or right-to-left (RTL) layouts
- Developers using a framework such as React, Vue or Laravel who want a styled UI base
Strengths
Simplefolio
- Simple, one-page layout that is easy to understand and edit
- Responsive design with reveal animations, according to the README
- MIT licensed, so you can use and modify it freely
Tabler
- Free and MIT-licensed, with a large set of demo pages and components listed in the README
- Includes dark mode and RTL versions of its stylesheets
- Works with plain HTML and with many common frameworks, with setup guides in the docs
Not ideal for
Simplefolio
- Non-technical users who want a drag-and-drop site builder, since setup requires Git, Node.js and the command line
- People who need a multi-page site or a built-in blog, because the README describes only a single page layout
- Teams needing a maintained, versioned release, since the repository has no published releases
Tabler
- People who want a finished app with no coding, since it is a UI kit rather than a ready-to-use product
- Projects that do not use Bootstrap and do not want to adopt its styling system
- Teams that need a design system built from scratch rather than a pre-styled one
Trade-offs
Simplefolio
- Setup depends on Node.js, npm or Yarn and Git, which can be a hurdle for beginners; the README includes a dependency workaround for npm issues
- The README contains a 2022 fix step and no release is tagged, so some instructions may be out of date
- Content is edited directly in HTML, so there is no content management interface
Tabler
- Depends on Bootstrap 5, so you inherit its structure and conventions
- The README is truncated, so details about the full feature list and browser support are not confirmed here
- Bundled plugins add to the package and you must choose which stylesheets to load
Getting started
Simplefolio
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/cobiwave/simplefolioMove into the repository
cd simplefolioTabler
Install the package with npm
npm install @tabler/coreAdd the Tabler skill for a coding agent
npx skills add tabler/tablerFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Simplefolio and Tabler?
Simplefolio: A minimal one-page portfolio template for developers, built with Parcel and SCSS. Tabler: Free, open source Bootstrap 5 admin dashboard UI kit with dark mode and RTL support. Simplefolio suits developers who want a simple one-page personal website without designing from scratch, while Tabler suits developers building internal admin panels or dashboards quickly.
Are Simplefolio and Tabler free?
Simplefolio: Free and open source. Tabler: Free and open source.
Is Simplefolio or Tabler more popular?
Tabler has more GitHub stars (42k) than Simplefolio (14.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Simplefolio and Tabler?
Other options people compare them with include Bootstrap, NES.css, ColorUI, Bulma, Layui.
Keep comparing
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.