CSS Grid vs Flexbox: When and How to Use Each

CSS has evolved tremendously over the years, and with it, web layouts have become more powerful and flexible. Two of the most widely used layout systems today are CSS Grid and Flexbox. While both offer robust solutions for arranging elements on a page, they serve different purposes and excel in different scenarios.

In this tutorial, we’ll break down the differences between Grid and Flexbox, demonstrate how each works with real-world examples, and help you understand when to use one over the other.

1. Introduction to Layout Systems

Before CSS Grid and Flexbox, developers relied on floats, tables, and positioning hacks to create layouts. With the introduction of Flexbox (2012) and Grid (2017), creating responsive, adaptive, and clean layouts became much easier.

These two layout systems are not competitors, but rather complementary tools in the CSS toolbox.

2. What is Flexbox?

Flexbox (Flexible Box Layout) is a one-dimensional layout model, meaning it works best when laying out items in a row or a column.

Key Properties:

• display: flex

• flex-direction (row, column)

• justify-content (main axis)

• align-items (cross axis)

• flex-wrap (wrapping items)

Example:

<div class="flex-container">
  <div>Item 1</div>
  <div>Item 2</div>
  <div>Item 3</div>
</div>

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: space-between;
  align-items: center;
}

Flexbox is ideal for aligning, distributing, and spacing items in one direction.

3. What is CSS Grid?

CSS Grid Layout is a two-dimensional system that allows you to control rows and columns simultaneously.

Key Properties:

• display: grid

• grid-template-columns / rows

• grid-gap

• grid-column / row (for child positioning)

Example:

<div class="grid-container">
  <div>1</div>
  <div>2</div>
  <div>3</div>
  <div>4</div>
</div>

CSS Grid is excellent for full-page layouts, dashboard UIs, and spatial placement of items.

4. Key Differences Between Grid and Flexbox

Feature	Flexbox	CSS Grid
Layout Type	One-dimensional (row OR column)	Two-dimensional (rows AND columns)
Direction	Main/cross axis	Grid tracks and areas
Content vs Layout	Content-driven	Layout-driven
Alignment	Per item	Whole grid or per item
Overlap Support	No	Yes
Best Use	Navbars, menus, components	Page layouts, grids, cards

5. When to Use Flexbox

Use Flexbox when:

• Aligning items in a single row or column

• Creating navbars or horizontal menus

• Designing small components like buttons, badges, or lists

• You need auto-resizing and flexible sizing based on content

✅ Flexbox is great for distributing space dynamically among elements.

6. When to Use CSS Grid

Use Grid when:

• Building overall page layouts

• Creating grid-based components like photo galleries or dashboards

• You need to place items in both rows and columns

• Positioning elements in non-linear sequences

✅ Grid shines when your layout requires rows and columns to work together.

7. Real-World Examples

Flexbox: Horizontal Navbar

nav {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: space-around;
  align-items: center;
}

Grid: Responsive Card Layout

.cards {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(250px, 1fr));
  gap: 20px;
}

8. Browser Support

Both Flexbox and CSS Grid are well supported in all modern browsers.

Feature	Chrome	Firefox	Safari	Edge	Mobile
Flexbox	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
CSS Grid	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

🔒 IE11 supports an older Grid spec, but modern development rarely targets it.

9. Conclusion

CSS Grid and Flexbox are not rivals — they are teammates. Use Flexbox when your layout flows in one direction and you need dynamic alignment. Use Grid when your layout is structured in two dimensions and needs full spatial control.

Mastering both will give you the power to build modern, responsive, and elegant user interfaces with less code and more flexibility.

You can get the full source code on our GitHub.

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Thanks!