Bootstrap Vue vs Buefy: What are the differences?

Key differences between Bootstrap Vue and Buefy

1. Different Frameworks: Bootstrap Vue is a toolset for building responsive web components using Bootstrap and Vue.js, while Buefy is a lightweight Vue.js component library that utilizes the Bulma CSS framework. This difference in frameworks leads to variations in the overall design and available components.

2. Dependency on CSS Framework: Bootstrap Vue heavily relies on the Bootstrap CSS framework for its styles and components, which means it provides out-of-the-box Bootstrap components with Vue integration. On the other hand, Buefy is built on top of Bulma CSS, enabling developers to leverage Bulma's extensive CSS utility classes and components while creating Vue applications.

3. Customizability: Both Bootstrap Vue and Buefy offer customization options, but the extent and ease of customization differ. Bootstrap Vue provides a wide array of themes and customization options, allowing developers to modify color schemes, typography, layout, and more through Sass variables and mixins. Buefy, however, is known for its simplicity and minimalistic approach, providing limited customization options out-of-the-box.

4. Community and Active Development: Bootstrap Vue has a larger and more established community due to its integration with the widely popular Bootstrap framework. This means that developers using Bootstrap Vue have access to a vast pool of resources, tutorials, and community support. Buefy, while not as widely recognized, still has an active community, but with a smaller user base.

5. Component Availability: Both frameworks offer a wide array of components, but the specific components available and their implementation might differ. Bootstrap Vue provides a comprehensive set of Bootstrap components, including navigation bars, modals, forms, cards, and more. Buefy, focusing on the Bulma CSS framework, offers a different set of components, emphasizing simplicity, such as buttons, badges, dropdowns, and tabs.

6. Footprint and Performance: Bootstrap Vue, being a more feature-rich library with integration with the Bootstrap framework, might have a larger file size and footprint compared to Buefy. As Buefy is built on top of Bulma, which is known for its lightweight nature, it generally has a smaller file size and better performance. However, the exact impact on performance and file size may vary depending on the specific components used and project requirements.

In Summary, Bootstrap Vue and Buefy differ in the frameworks they are built upon, the customization options available, community support and component offerings, as well as the overall file size and performance characteristics.