CSS Grid vs Flexbox: When to Use Which (with Playgrounds)

The eternal CSS question: Grid or Flexbox? Use Flexbox When: Content flows in ONE direction (row or column) Items need to grow/shrink dynamically You need vertical centering Navigation bars, button groups, card rows Use Grid When: Layout is TWO-dimensional (rows AND columns) You need precise placement Complex page layouts, dashboards Items should align to a grid Quick Rule Flexbox = content-first (let items decide size) Grid = layout-first (you decide the structure) Try Both Flexbox Playground — adjust every flex property visually CSS Grid Playground — build grid layouts interactively Both generate copy-paste CSS. The Complete CSS Visual Toolkit Gradient Generator Box Shadow Border Radius Animation Transition Filter Text Gradient Clip Path CSS Variables Specificity Calculator Full toolkit: devtools-site-delta.vercel.app