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Use Flexbox when you need to arrange items along one axis—a row or a column. Use CSS Grid when rows and columns need to work together, such as a card listing whose items should share aligned columns. A common pattern is to use Grid for the overall layout and Flexbox inside each component.
What is the difference between Flexbox and CSS Grid?
Flexbox lays out items in one dimension at a time: across a row or down a column. CSS Grid controls rows and columns together, using tracks to define the layout and placing items into that structure.
The distinction is also about what drives the arrangement. Flexbox is useful when content and available space should influence how items share room along an axis. Grid is useful when the track structure should establish where items go and how they align.
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Choose Flexbox when the main relationship among items is along a single row or column. It can distribute available space and align items without requiring you to define a two-dimensional structure.
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- A navigation row whose links should share or distribute space.
- A toolbar or row of controls.
- Content within one component that needs alignment along a row or column.
These are common patterns, not restrictions: Flexbox can be used for larger arrangements too. MDN’s guide to typical Flexbox use cases includes navigation and one-dimensional space distribution.
When should you use CSS Grid?
Choose Grid when items need coordinated sizing or alignment across both rows and columns. Its shared tracks are especially helpful when an item in one row should line up with items in another.
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- A responsive listing of cards or products.
- Page regions arranged in rows and columns.
- An interface where items across separate rows need shared column alignment.
For a responsive listing, this rule creates as many columns as fit, with each column at least 200 pixels wide and otherwise sharing available space:
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display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(200px, 1fr));
}The 200-pixel minimum is a value in this example, not a universal requirement; adjust it to suit the content and available space. MDN demonstrates this responsive pattern in its guide to realizing common layouts using Grid.
Why wrapping Flexbox items does not make a grid
A flex container can wrap items onto multiple lines, but those lines do not share column tracks. Each line distributes its items independently. If the final line contains fewer items, those items can end up a different width or position from items above them.
Use wrapping Flexbox when independent lines are acceptable. If items across lines must align in shared columns, use Grid. MDN explains this behavior in its guide to mastering the wrapping of flex items.
Can you use Flexbox and Grid together?
Yes. Use Grid to define the structure of a card listing, then Flexbox to arrange content inside each card. For example, a card can use a column direction to stack its title, description, and action; an auto margin can push the action toward the bottom when the card has extra vertical space.
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.card {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
}
.card a {
margin-top: auto;
}This combination gives the listing shared columns while letting each card manage its own internal alignment. MDN’s guide to the relationship between Grid layouts and other layout methods shows this kind of mixed approach.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose by layout behavior, not component size
There is no fixed rule that Flexbox belongs to small components and Grid to large layouts. Either can work at either scale. Ask instead whether you need to control one axis or coordinate both rows and columns. MDN makes the same point in its guide to the relationship of Flexbox to other layout methods.
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