Twitter Bootstrap vs jQuery UI? [closed]

Question

I have on several projects.

The biggest difference in my opinion

• jQuery UI is fallback safe, it works correctly and looks good in old browsers, where Bootstrap is based on CSS3 which basically means GREAT in new browsers, not so great in old

• Update frequency: Bootstrap is getting some great big updates with awesome new features, but sadly they might break previous code, so you can't just install bootstrap and update when there is a new major release, it basically requires a lot of new coding

• jQuery UI is based on good html structure with transformations from JavaScript, while Bootstrap is based on visually and customizable inline structure. (calling a widget in JQUERY UI, defining it in Bootstrap)

So what to choose?

That always depends on the type of project you are working on. Is cool and fast looking widgets better, or are your users often using old browsers?

I always end up using both, so I can use the best of both worlds.

Here are the links to both frameworks, if you decide to use them.

1. jQuery UI
2. Bootstrap

Having used both, Twitter's Bootstrap is a superior technology set. Here are some differences,

• Widgets: jQuery UI wins here. The date widget it provides is immensely useful, and Twitter Bootstrap provides nothing of the sort.
• Scaffolding: Bootstrap wins here. Twitter's grid both fluid and fixed are top notch. jQuery UI doesn't even provide this direction leaving page layout up to the end user.
• Out of the box professionalism: Bootstrap using CSS3 is leagues ahead, jQuery UI looks dated by comparison.
• Icons: I'll go tie on this one. Bootstrap has nicer icons imho than jQuery UI, but I don't like the terms one bit, Glyphicons Halflings are normally not available for free, but an arrangement between Bootstrap and the Glyphicons creators have made this possible at no cost to you as developers. As a thank you, we ask you to include an optional link back to Glyphicons whenever practical.
• Images & Thumbnails: goes to Bootstrap, jQuery UI doesn't even help here.

Other notes,

• It's important to understand how these two technologies compete in the spheres too. There is a lot of overlap, but if you want simple scaffolding and fixed/fluid creation Bootstrap isn't another technology, it's the best technology. If you want any single widget, jQuery UI probably isn't even in the top three. Today, jQuery UI is mainly just a toy for consistency and proof of concept for a client-side widget creation using a unified framework.

You can use both with relatively few issues. Twitter Bootstrap uses jQuery 1.7.1 (as of this writing), and I can't think of any reasons why you cannot integrate additional Jquery UI components into your HTML templates.

I've been using a combination of HTML5 Boilerplate & Twitter Bootstrap built at Initializr.com. This combines two awesome starter templates into one great starter project. Check out the details at http://html5boilerplate.com/ and http://www.initializr.com/ Or to get started right away, go to http://www.initializr.com/, click the "Bootstrap 2" button, and click "Download It". This will give you all the js and css you need to get started.

And don't be scared off by HTML5 and CSS3. Initializr and HTML5 Boilerplate include polyfills and IE specific code that will allow all features to work in IE 6, 7 8, and 9.

The use of LESS in Twitter Bootstrap is also optional. They use LESS to compile all the CSS that is used by Bootstrap, but if you just want to override or add your own styles, they provide an empty css file for that purpose.

There is also a blank js file (script.js) for you to add custom code. This is where you would add your handlers or selectors for additional jQueryUI components.

We have used both and we like Bootstrap for its simplicity and the pace at which it's being developed and enhanced. The problem with jQuery UI is that it's moving at a snail's pace. It's taking years to roll out common features like Menubar, Tree control and DataGrid which are in planning/development stage for ever. We waited waited waited and finally given up and used other libraries like ExtJS for our product http://dblite.com.

Bootstrap has come up with quite a comprehensive set of features in a very short period of time and I am sure it will outpace jQuery UI pretty soon.

So I see no point in using something that will eventually be outdated...