What Is Bootstrap and Who Uses It?

Key takeaways

Bootstrap is a front-end framework used to build mobile-friendly development projects using responsive design, among other tools. 

• Bootstrap originated in 2011 as the “Twitter Blueprint” and was eventually open-sourced on GitHub as the framework now known as “Bootstrap.”

• Bootstrap makes responsive web design simple through pre-defined elements that automatically respond to a user’s screen size. 

• You can use Bootstrap as a web developer to help you design responsive, mobile-first websites and use their framework for free. 

Explore Bootstrap examples, the benefits and limitations of this framework, who uses it, and what you need to begin a career in Bootstrap design. If you’re ready to start building in-demand skills in full-stack software development, consider enrolling in the IBM Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate to learn front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and Bootstrap in as little as five months. By the end, you’ll have earned a career credential to showcase on your resume.

What is Bootstrap framework?

Bootstrap is an open-source front-end framework that web developers use to build mobile-friendly sites and applications. It provides a collection of pre-designed templates, CSS styles, and JavaScript components to help developers efficiently and effectively create visually appealing and consistent web interfaces. 

First designed for internal use at Twitter, Bootstrap took off quickly. Today, Bootstrap is used globally and across industries.

Read more: What Is Computer Science? Meaning, Jobs, and Degrees

History of Bootstrap

Mark Otto and Jacob Thornton released Bootstrap 2011 as “Twitter Blueprint.” They intended their tool for internal use by Twitter employees who wanted to leverage the templated designs for buttons, forms, navigation bars, and fonts. Realizing the toolkit could have value for developers outside their company, the developers renamed Bootstrap and made it available on GitHub.

Since then, Bootstrap has evolved over 20 releases to help enhance usability and improve responsive design. Today, Bootstrap describes itself as “the most popular HTML, CSS, and JavaScript framework for developing responsive, mobile-first projects on the web” [1]. Bootstrap 4 supports development in Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera. 

What is responsive design?

Responsive design ensures your websites adapt and provide a consistent user experience across all devices. This front-end programming philosophy sees developers using Bootstrap (among others) to enable smooth, automatic browsing on desktops, tablets, and mobile phones. You could think of it as your web page responding to the size of the device used. The design changes design elements' content order or width for a user-friendly experience. 

Responsive design also serves programmers. This approach means their websites or apps will work seamlessly with new devices on the market. Using Bootstrap’s grid-based layouts, for instance, the content and design elements will automatically accommodate a device’s resolution and display capabilities. You can imagine how useful this is when a company like Apple regularly releases new iPhones, typically in several screen sizes.

How is Bootstrap important for responsive design?

To facilitate mobile-first design, Bootstrap simplifies the process of creating responsive layouts and handling typography, forms, navigation, and other common web elements. This concept is so central to what Bootstrap does that the company’s first high-level guiding principle is that its “components should be responsive and mobile-first” [2]. 

Bootstrap provides a reusable set of pre-designed HTML, CSS, and JavaScript components focused on responsive design. It also includes a grid system and styling rules, which you can easily customize to suit the needs of a specific project.

Is Bootstrap CSS or HTML?

Bootstrap is not CSS or HTML on its own, but it is a framework built on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that allows developers to create websites faster than basic HTML and CSS. Bootstrap makes responsive web design easier, as the framework’s pre-built templates adapt based on a user’s screen size. 

Bootstrap pros and cons

Bootstrap offers many benefits, but you’ll also want to consider the framework's challenges. This section outlines both sides for you to consider. 

Benefits

In use since 2011, Bootstrap has claimed a top spot for developing responsive, mobile-first sites and applications.

• Efficiency: Bootstrap helps developers save time. Bootstrap supports efficient programming by offering access to a wide library of reusable elements pre-designed in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You can select from many pre-built components. Plus, you can quickly resize images with Bootstrap doing it for you.

• Accessibility. Find Bootstrap available for free online. Plus, the popularity of this framework means you can easily find tools to support your learning and others using Bootstrap.

• Ease of use: Developers can customize Bootstrap’s baseline structure to suit their design preferences. Plus, once you incorporate the platform, it establishes cohesion across all your HTML code.

• Documentation: Bootstrap describes and explains its code in easily accessible documentation, which can help beginners learn faster.

Limitations

The many benefits help describe why Bootstrap has such a hold on front-end development. Nevertheless, the framework has some potential cons, too.

• Requires coding skills: You’ll need to learn some programming languages first. Some developers also find the syntax confusing to learn at first.

• Bulky for simple projects: Functionality comes at the cost of lean files. Bootstrap’s files can increase load times as they do so much. This may prove overwhelming for a smaller project.

Who should learn Bootstrap?

Web and application developers should learn Bootstrap to design mobile-friendly applications and websites. If you aspire to have a career in any of the following fields, plan on adding Bootstrap to your curriculum:

• Application developer: Bootstrap can help you speed up the development of your application.

• Front-end developer: Knowing Bootstrap helps you build out the front-facing elements of websites and web applications.

• Full-stack developer: You could use Bootstrap to help build and maintain a website's front and back end.

What skills do you need before you learn Bootstrap?

Before learning Bootstrap, you’ll want to first learn the programming languages needed to work with the framework. You can advance in this type of front-end programming if you learn the following first:

• HTML: In hypertext markup language, tags dictate the web page structure, content, and layout.

• CSS: Cascading style sheets allow programmers to add style and consistency.

• JavaScript: Use this core language to add dynamic features to your development of forms, buttons, and basic animations.

Another good way to build your understanding of Bootstrap is to follow its official community blog. 

Explore our free resources for web developers

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