In 2025, CSS architecture remains a critical topic for frontend developers, with Tailwind CSS continuing to dominate discussions. Its utility-first approach has revolutionized styling for many, but is it the ultimate solution for large-scale projects, or is it overhyped? This article explores the pros and cons of Tailwind CSS in large projects and how it can be effectively combined with CSS Modules for a robust styling architecture.

Tailwind CSS: the basics

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first framework that provides low-level, composable classes to style elements directly in markup. Instead of writing custom CSS, developers apply classes like bg-blue-500, p-4, or flex to achieve desired styles. Its popularity stems from rapid prototyping, consistency, and a reduced need for custom CSS files. However, its suitability for large-scale applications requires careful consideration.

Pros of Tailwind CSS in large projects

1. Consistency and standardization
Tailwind enforces a standardized design system through its predefined utility classes. In large teams, this reduces discrepancies in styling, as developers adhere to a unified set of design tokens (e.g., colors, spacing, typography). This is particularly valuable in projects with multiple contributors, ensuring a cohesive look without extensive custom CSS.

2. Rapid development
Tailwind accelerates development by allowing developers to style components directly in the markup. For large projects with tight deadlines, this can significantly reduce the time spent writing and debugging CSS, enabling faster iteration and delivery.

3. Reduced CSS bloat
Unlike traditional frameworks like Bootstrap, Tailwind generates only the CSS needed for the classes used, thanks to its purging mechanism (e.g., via PostCSS). In large projects, this minimizes the final CSS bundle size, improving performance.

4. Customizability
Tailwind’s configuration file (tailwind.config.js) allows teams to tailor the framework to their design system. For large projects, this ensures alignment with brand guidelines while maintaining the benefits of utility classes.

5. Ecosystem and community
By 2025, Tailwind has a robust ecosystem with tools like Tailwind UI and a strong community contributing plugins and extensions. This support is invaluable for large projects requiring scalable, maintainable solutions.

Cons of Tailwind CSS in large projects

1. Verbose markup
Tailwind’s utility-first approach often results in long class lists in HTML, which can reduce readability. In large projects with complex components, this verbosity can make templates harder to maintain, especially for developers unfamiliar with the framework.

2. Learning curve for teams
While Tailwind is intuitive for some, its paradigm shift from traditional CSS can be challenging for developers accustomed to semantic class names or BEM methodology. In large teams, onboarding new members may require additional training.

3. Potential over-reliance
Tailwind’s ease of use can lead developers to bypass custom CSS entirely, even when it’s more appropriate for complex or reusable styles. In large projects, this can result in inconsistent patterns or difficulty implementing unique designs that fall outside Tailwind’s utility scope.

4. Refactoring challenges
As projects scale, refactoring Tailwind-heavy codebases can be cumbersome. Changing a design system (e.g., updating color schemes) requires updating the tailwind.config.js file and potentially modifying numerous class references across the codebase.

5. Performance concerns without proper optimization
While Tailwind’s purging mechanism mitigates CSS bloat, improper configuration or excessive use of utilities can still lead to larger-than-necessary CSS files, impacting performance in large-scale applications.

Combining Tailwind with CSS modules

CSS Modules offer a modular, scoped approach to CSS, ensuring styles are encapsulated and reducing the risk of naming conflicts. Combining Tailwind with CSS Modules can leverage the strengths of both, creating a balanced CSS architecture for large projects. Here’s how to do it effectively:

Why combine them?

• Tailwind for rapid styling: Use Tailwind for layout, spacing, and basic styling to accelerate development and maintain consistency.

• CSS modules for component-specific styles: Apply CSS Modules for complex or reusable component styles that require custom logic or pseudo-elements not easily achievable with Tailwind utilities.

• Scoped styles: CSS Modules ensure styles are scoped to components, reducing the risk of unintended side effects in large codebases.

• Improved readability: By offloading complex styles to CSS Modules, you can reduce the verbosity of Tailwind class lists in your markup.

Implementation strategy

1. Project setup:

• Configure Tailwind in your project using npm install tailwindcss and set up tailwind.config.js.

• Ensure your build tool (e.g., Webpack, Vite) supports CSS Modules, typically via a .module.css file extension.

2. Component structure:

• Use Tailwind for global or layout-related styles (e.g., flex, grid, p-4, bg-gray-100).

• Reserve CSS Modules for component-specific styles, such as animations, pseudo-elements, or complex state-based styling.

3. Example Integration: Consider a React component for a card with a hover effect:

jsx import React from 'react'; import styles from './Card.module.css';

const Card = () => { return ( <div className={p-6 bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md ${styles.card}}>

Card title

.card:hover {
  transform: translateY(-5px);
  transition: transform 0.3s ease;
}

In this example, Tailwind handles the card’s layout and basic styling, while CSS Modules manage the hover effect, which is more complex and better suited to custom CSS.

4. Best practices:

• Define clear boundaries: Decide which styles belong in Tailwind (e.g., layout, typography) and which require CSS Modules (e.g., animations, complex selectors)

• Use Tailwind’s @apply Directive: For reusable styles, apply Tailwind utilities in CSS Modules to maintain consistency:
  

.button {
  @apply bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded;
}

• Optimize builds: Ensure Tailwind’s purge option is configured to remove unused styles, and use CSS Modules’ scope to avoid conflicts.

• Document conventions:
  In large teams, document when to use Tailwind versus CSS Modules to ensure consistency.

Is Tailwind just hype?

Tailwind CSS is not merely hype—it’s a powerful tool that excels in rapid development, consistency, and scalability when used thoughtfully. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. For large projects, its verbosity and potential over-reliance can pose challenges, particularly without proper optimization or team training. Combining Tailwind with CSS Modules offers a balanced approach, leveraging Tailwind’s speed and consistency while using CSS Modules for complex, component-specific styles.

Conclusion

In 2025, CSS architecture requires a strategic approach tailored to project needs. Tailwind CSS is a valuable asset for large-scale projects, but its success depends on disciplined usage, optimization, and integration with complementary tools like CSS Modules. By understanding its strengths and limitations, teams can build maintainable, performant, and visually consistent applications. Evaluate your project’s requirements, team expertise, and scalability needs to determine if Tailwind is a must-have or if a hybrid approach is the way forward.