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Use Flexbox when a component’s items need to flow and align along one axis. Use CSS Grid when the relationship between rows and columns matters together. They are complementary: a page can use Grid for its overall structure and Flexbox inside a navigation bar or other component.
How to choose between Grid and Flexbox
Start with the relationship you need between items in a container—not with a rule that an entire page must use one layout system.
- Choose Flexbox when items should be arranged and spaced along a row or a column, such as controls in a toolbar.
- Choose Grid when both rows and columns form a shared structure, such as a card layout whose items should line up in common tracks.
MDN summarizes the distinction this way: Flexbox was designed for layout in one dimension—either a row or a column—while Grid was designed for two-dimensional layout, controlling rows and columns at the same time. MDN: Relationship of grid layout to other layout methods.
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Flexbox: content helps shape the layout
Flexbox is content-out: the contents of items influence how much space they take. It is useful when the items themselves help determine how available space is distributed along the chosen axis. For example, a row of navigation links can use Flexbox to align items and distribute free space; it can also center content or let children share available width or height. MDN: Relationship of flexbox to other layout methods.
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Grid: tracks define the layout
Grid is layout-in: define rows and columns as tracks, then place items into that structure or let auto-placement fill it. This makes Grid a natural fit when the layout itself should establish shared row and column relationships. MDN: Relationship of grid layout to other layout methods.
What happens when Flexbox wraps
Flexbox can wrap items onto multiple lines, but wrapping does not create one shared two-dimensional grid. Each flex line distributes its items independently, so items on different lines do not align across shared columns in the way Grid tracks can. If card alignment across rows matters, Grid is often the more direct choice. MDN: Relationship of grid layout to other layout methods.
Use the two methods together
A page can use Grid for its main rows-and-columns structure and Flexbox within a navigation area, toolbar, or card. The same is true in reverse when a larger one-axis arrangement contains a component whose own layout needs rows and columns. Choose the method for each container according to how its items relate; the two methods also share box-alignment features. MDN: Relationship of flexbox to other layout methods.
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A practical signal to switch to Grid
If you are using Flexbox and find yourself disabling some of its flexibility to force items into a two-dimensional structure, consider Grid instead. MDN offers that as a useful sign that Grid may better match the layout you are trying to create. MDN: Relationship of grid layout to other layout methods.
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Check feature compatibility for your project
Compatibility depends on the specific CSS features you plan to use. Check the exact features—including advanced capabilities such as subgrid—against the browser versions your project supports rather than assuming every newer Grid feature is available everywhere.
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MDN’s learning guides provide practical introductions to both layout methods: CSS grid layout and Flexbox.
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