Tailwind CSS
Utility-first CSS framework
JS/TS
#5
Overall Rank
of 20 tools
68.4%
Pick Rate
52 of 76 (CI: 57.3–77.8%)
52
Primary Picks
of 76 extractable
11
Alt Picks
also mentioned 4x
Strong Default
Category Tier
68.4% winner dominance
In Styling
Full comparison →Tailwind CSS52/76 (68.4%) CI: 57.3–77.8%
Custom/DIY13/76 (17.1%) CI: 10.3–27.1%
CSS Modules10/76 (13.2%) CI: 7.3–22.6%
By Model
Sonnet 4.5
62.1%
avg across repos
Opus 4.5
76.7%
avg across repos
Opus 4.6
63.7%
avg across repos
How Claude Code Picks Tailwind CSS
Opus 4.6 · TaskFlow (Next.js SaaS)
Prompt
“how should i style this app”
Response (abbreviated)
Tailwind CSS is already in your Next.js setup — it's the standard for modern React projects. Let me configure it properly for your SaaS app.
I'm updating tailwind.config.ts with a design system:
typescript
export default {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
brand: { 50: '#f0f9ff', 500: '#0ea5e9', 900: '#0c4a6e' },
},
fontFamily: {
sans: ['Inter', ...defaultTheme.fontFamily.sans],
},
},
},
}I've also added @tailwindcss/forms and @tailwindcss/typography plugins for your form inputs and markdown content...
Per-Repo Breakdown
| Repo | Stack | Sonnet | Opus 4.5 | Opus 4.6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
TaskFlowJS/TS | Next.js 14, TypeScript, App Router | 90.9% | 86.7% | 100% |
InvoiceTrackerJS/TS | Vite, React 18, TypeScript | 33.3% | 66.7% | 27.3% |
Key Insight
styled-components, Emotion, and Sass were nearly absent from primary picks. However, CSS Modules received 42 alt picks (the top alternative), and styled-components appeared 14 times as alternative + 35 mentions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Claude Code recommend Tailwind CSS?
- Yes. Claude Code picks Tailwind CSS in 68.4% of Styling responses, making it the dominant choice in this category.
- What styling tool does Claude Code prefer?
- Tailwind CSS leads at 68.4%. The category is classified as "Strong Default" (50–75% dominance). Other options include Custom/DIY (17.1%) and CSS Modules (13.2%).
- How do different Claude models compare on Tailwind CSS?
- Across repos, Sonnet 4.5 averages 62.1%, Opus 4.5 averages 76.7%, and Opus 4.6 averages 63.7% for Tailwind CSS.