CSS Grid vs Flexbox: When to Use Which?

In modern web development, CSS Grid and Flexbox are two essential layout systems. While they might seem similar at first glance, they serve different purposes and excel in different scenarios.

The Main Difference

The fundamental difference lies in the dimensions they control:

• Flexbox is one-dimensional. It deals with layout in a single dimension at a time—either as a row or as a column.
• CSS Grid is two-dimensional. It handles both columns and rows simultaneously.

When to Use Flexbox

Flexbox is perfect for:

1. Alignment: Centering elements or distributing space between items.
2. Small Components: Navigation bars, card contents, or form elements.
3. Linear Layouts: When you just need items to flow in a single direction.

Example use case: A navigation menu where items are spaced evenly across the header.

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

When to Use CSS Grid

CSS Grid shines when:

1. Complex Layouts: Creating full page layouts with headers, sidebars, and footers.
2. Overlapping Items: Placing items on top of each other intentionally.
3. 2D Control: When you need strict control over both rows and columns.

Example use case: A photo gallery or a dashboard layout.

.gallery {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr));
  gap: 1rem;
}

Using Them Together

The best part is you don't have to choose one over the other. They work beautifully together. You might use Grid for the overall page structure and Flexbox for the individual components inside the grid cells.

Conclusion

• Use Flexbox for content-first layouts and 1D alignment.
• Use Grid for layout-first designs and complex 2D structures.

Mastering both will give you complete control over your web layouts.