Flexbox versus grid versus Rapid Stack

When it comes to crafting websites, there are numerous choices available for structuring your site’s layout — through the utilization of Webflow elements and CSS display features. Flexbox and grid are commonly employed display features, while Rapid Stack is a Webflow element that integrates both. In this guide, we will explore the optimal scenarios for utilizing flexbox, grid, and Rapid Stack in your design projects.

Throughout this instructional session, you will gain insights into:

1. Strengths of Flexbox
2. Strengths of Grid
3. Strengths of Rapid Stack
4. Determining whether to use flexbox, grid, or Rapid Stack

Strengths of Flexbox

1. Provides layout control in 1 dimension — either vertically or horizontally
2. Enables adjustment of alignment, spacing, and wrapping
3. Supplies alignment tools for efficiently aligning flex children
4. Allows child elements to supersede their layout configurations (e.g., size, alignment, order)
5. Applicable to Collection lists or form blocks

Discover more about flexbox.

Strengths of Grid

1. Provides layout control in 2 dimensions — both vertically and horizontally
2. Facilitates the arrangement of elements anywhere within the grid boundaries
3. Supplies alignment tools for efficiently aligning grid children
4. Permits manual positioning of grid children
5. Allows child elements to supersede their layout settings (i.e., position, spans, alignment, justification, order)
6. Applicable to Collection lists or form blocks

Discover more about grid.

Strengths of Rapid Stack

1. Offers an effective approach to setting up a layout
2. Comprises 8 preset Rapid Stack layouts that are customizable
3. Cells provide predefined div blocks for content placement
4. Combines grid and flexbox for accelerated development

Discover more about Rapid Stack.

Determining whether to use flexbox, grid, or Rapid Stack

Our recommendation is to start with the Rapid Stack element for the majority of layouts. This element is versatile and preconfigured, encompassing some of the most prevalent display features (i.e., flexbox and grid). However, there are certain limitations. Rapid Stack does not enable you to reposition or overlay cells as grid does, and you cannot apply Rapid Stack to another element due to its prebuilt nature with existing layout styles.

For intricate 2-dimensional designs where you wish to establish positional settings on child elements — particularly for overlapping elements — grid stands out as the preferred choice. Unlike Rapid Stack, grid provides more flexibility and permits the movement of cells within the grid layout. Additionally, grid functions as a display feature rather than an element, allowing you to assign grid to other elements such as containers, divs, form blocks, or Collection lists.

Flexbox proves to be a valuable display feature when you seek to manage your layout in a single dimension. Similar to grid, flexbox can be applied to other elements such as containers or divs. Flexbox offers numerous alternative layout configurations — including direction and alignment — and facilitates the wrapping of child elements so that they seamlessly transition to the next line upon reaching the parent element’s boundary.

Key Insights

• For 2-dimensional designs, grid serves as a more versatile option while Rapid Stack excels in efficiency
• You can apply grid as a display setting to other elements, whereas Rapid Stack is a prebuilt element with preexisting display settings
• Flexbox is ideally suited for single-dimensional designs