What is the difference between Reset and Normalize CSS?

Reset VS Normalize CSS

CSS Reset

CSS resets take an aggressive approach by removing all built-in browser styling. They strip elements down to their bare form, eliminating margins, paddings, font sizes, and other default properties. This creates a blank canvas where you define every style from scratch. For example, the popular Eric Meyer reset removes all default styling, requiring developers to explicitly style even basic elements like headings and paragraphs.

CSS Normalization

CSS normalizations, on the other hand, take a more measured approach. Instead of removing all default styles, they standardize them across different browsers while preserving useful defaults. Normalize.css, the most widely used normalization solution, ensures that elements render consistently across browsers while maintaining beneficial default styles. For instance, it might preserve the relative sizing of headings but ensure they display uniformly across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

When to use Reset vs Normalize CSS

When choosing between the two approaches, consider your project's needs. Resets provide complete control but require more initial styling work. Normalizations offer consistency while maintaining helpful defaults, making them particularly suitable for projects that benefit from standard HTML elements' appearance.

From a maintenance perspective, normalizations often lead to cleaner stylesheets since you're not required to define every basic style. However, resets can be advantageous in highly customized designs where you plan to override most default styles anyway.