Autoprefixer vs Stylelint
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A PostCSS plugin that adds vendor prefixes to CSS rules automatically, using Can I Use data.
Open source · MIT
A CSS linter that catches errors and enforces style conventions in your stylesheets.
The short answer
Choose Autoprefixer if you need…
- Front-end developers who write plain CSS and want to stop managing prefixes by hand
- Projects already using a build pipeline with PostCSS, Gulp, or Webpack
- Teams that want one shared browser-target config across several tools
Choose Stylelint if you need…
- Front-end teams that want consistent CSS across a shared codebase
- Developers who want to catch typos and invalid CSS before it ships
- Projects that write SCSS, Sass, or Less and want linting for those syntaxes
- Teams that already use Prettier and want a linter alongside it
Side-by-side
| Autoprefixer | Stylelint | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 22.2k | 11.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 10 days ago | 8 days ago |
What each one is
Autoprefixer
Autoprefixer is a plugin for PostCSS, a tool that processes CSS. You write normal CSS without browser-specific prefixes, and it adds the prefixes that your target browsers need, based on data from Can I Use and current browser popularity. Which browsers it targets is set through Browserslist config files.
Stylelint
Stylelint checks CSS and CSS-like code for mistakes, such as malformed grid areas, misspelled property names, or duplicate selectors, and for style rules your team chooses, such as disallowed units or naming patterns. It can also automatically fix some problems. The README says it has over 150 built-in rules and supports plugins and shareable configs.
Best for
Autoprefixer
- Front-end developers who write plain CSS and want to stop managing prefixes by hand
- Projects already using a build pipeline with PostCSS, Gulp, or Webpack
- Teams that want one shared browser-target config across several tools
Stylelint
- Front-end teams that want consistent CSS across a shared codebase
- Developers who want to catch typos and invalid CSS before it ships
- Projects that write SCSS, Sass, or Less and want linting for those syntaxes
- Teams that already use Prettier and want a linter alongside it
Strengths
Autoprefixer
- Uses Can I Use data, so prefixes track real browser support
- Works with a shared Browserslist config that other tools like Babel and Stylelint can also read
- Widely used, with 22k+ GitHub stars and an MIT license
Stylelint
- Large built-in rule set, described as over 150 rules in the README
- Can automatically fix some problems where possible
- Supports plugins and shareable configs so teams can customize or extend it
Not ideal for
Autoprefixer
- Projects that only need to support very old, prefix-only code: the README says it needs unprefixed properties to add prefixes, so legacy -webkit- only code needs a separate tool like postcss-unprefix first
- Anyone needing polyfills for missing JavaScript behavior: the README states it only adds prefixes and does not add polyfills
Stylelint
- People who only need to write a few static CSS rules and do not want a Node.js toolchain (the project is distributed as a JavaScript package, per its JavaScript language and npm badges)
- Anyone looking for a visual editor or a CSS preprocessor; Stylelint only checks code
Trade-offs
Autoprefixer
- Grid-to-IE translation is disabled by default and the README says it does not work in every case
- Only handles prefixes; it does not add polyfills or fix other browser bugs
- Output depends on the browser targets you set, so the config needs to be maintained
Stylelint
- Setup and rule configuration require some familiarity with Node.js tooling and config files
- The README does not detail configuration specifics here, so teams will need to read the linked docs to tune rules
Getting started
Autoprefixer
Install the package
git clone https://github.com/postcss/autoprefixerStylelint
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/stylelint/stylelintFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Autoprefixer and Stylelint?
Autoprefixer: A PostCSS plugin that adds vendor prefixes to CSS rules automatically, using Can I Use data. Stylelint: A CSS linter that catches errors and enforces style conventions in your stylesheets. Autoprefixer suits front-end developers who write plain css and want to stop managing prefixes by hand, while Stylelint suits front-end teams that want consistent css across a shared codebase.
Are Autoprefixer and Stylelint free?
Autoprefixer: Free and open source. Stylelint: Free and open source.
Is Autoprefixer or Stylelint more popular?
Autoprefixer has more GitHub stars (22.2k) than Stylelint (11.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Autoprefixer and Stylelint?
Other options people compare them with include Prettier, commitlint.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.