What is bulma?

Bulma is a free, open‑source CSS framework that helps you build responsive, modern websites quickly. It provides ready‑made style rules (called “components”) for things like buttons, navigation bars, grids, and forms, so you don’t have to write all the CSS from scratch.

Let's break it down

  • Pure CSS: Bulma is written only in CSS, no JavaScript is included. You add its stylesheet to your HTML and start using its classes.
  • Flexbox‑based grid: The layout system relies on CSS Flexbox, making columns and rows easy to align and reorder.
  • Modular classes: Every visual element has a descriptive class name (e.g., button, navbar, card). You combine them to get the look you want.
  • Responsive helpers: Built‑in breakpoints let you show or hide elements on different screen sizes (is-hidden-mobile, is-desktop, etc.).
  • Customization: You can override variables (colors, fonts, spacing) using Sass, so the design can match your brand.

Why does it matter?

Bulma speeds up front‑end development by handling the heavy lifting of CSS design patterns. Beginners can create clean, professional‑looking pages without deep knowledge of CSS, while experienced developers appreciate the predictable, class‑based approach that reduces bugs and inconsistencies.

Where is it used?

  • Personal blogs and portfolios that need a quick, attractive layout.
  • Startup landing pages and product sites that want a modern look without hiring a designer.
  • Internal dashboards or admin panels where a consistent UI is important.
  • Open‑source projects that provide a simple UI kit for contributors.
  • Educational tutorials that teach HTML/CSS fundamentals.

Good things about it

  • Easy to learn: Class names are intuitive and well‑documented.
  • No JavaScript conflicts: Since it’s pure CSS, it works alongside any JS library or framework.
  • Responsive by default: Layouts adapt automatically to mobile, tablet, and desktop.
  • Lightweight: The core file is small (≈ 150 KB gzipped) and you can import only the parts you need.
  • Active community: Plenty of examples, extensions, and third‑party themes are available.

Not-so-good things

  • Limited components: Compared to larger frameworks like Bootstrap, Bulma has fewer built‑in UI widgets (e.g., no modal or carousel out of the box).
  • No JavaScript: You must add your own scripts or use third‑party plugins for interactive features.
  • Learning curve for customization: To change default colors or breakpoints you need to work with Sass, which may be new to some beginners.
  • Potential class overload: Complex pages can end up with many utility classes, making HTML markup look crowded.