Prefixfree
A JavaScript library that automatically adds vendor prefixes to CSS properties, eliminating the need to write prefixed CSS manually.
What is Prefixfree?
Prefixfree is a JavaScript library that automatically adds necessary vendor prefixes to CSS properties at runtime, allowing developers to write clean, unprefixed CSS code. It solves the problem of cross-browser compatibility by handling prefixing dynamically based on the user's browser, eliminating manual prefix management.
Frontend developers and web designers who want to write modern, standards-compliant CSS without worrying about vendor prefixes for different browsers.
Developers choose Prefixfree because it simplifies CSS development by automating vendor prefixing, reducing code bloat, and ensuring compatibility without requiring build tools or preprocessors.
Overview
Break free from CSS prefix hell!
Use Cases
Best For
- Simplifying CSS codebases by removing manual vendor prefixes
- Ensuring cross-browser compatibility for experimental CSS features
- Prototyping or small projects where build tools are overkill
- Learning CSS without dealing with prefix syntax
- Legacy projects needing automatic prefix updates
- Frontend developers prioritizing clean, future-proof CSS
Not Ideal For
- Projects using server-side rendering or static site generators where CSS must be pre-processed without JavaScript
- Performance-critical applications where minimizing runtime overhead and ensuring fastest paint times is a priority
- Teams already integrated with build tools like Webpack or PostCSS that handle prefixing at compile time
- Websites requiring robust fallbacks for users with JavaScript disabled or blocked
Pros & Cons
Pros
Simply include the script in HTML with no JavaScript coding required for basic use, as emphasized in the README's setup instructions.
Accurately adds prefixes based on the current browser's needs at runtime, ensuring compatibility without manual updates.
Provides the StyleFix API for building custom CSS fixers or extending functionality, as documented in the API section for plugin authors.
Allows developers to write only unprefixed CSS code, reducing bloat and future-proofing stylesheets against vendor changes.
Cons
Fails entirely if JavaScript is disabled, breaking styles in browsers that require prefixes, which limits accessibility and fallback support.
Adds client-side JavaScript execution to apply prefixes, potentially delaying CSS rendering and impacting page load performance.
Cannot prefix CSS in server-rendered or static contexts, making it unsuitable for pre-rendered websites or build-time optimization.
As admitted in the README, style attributes may not work correctly in IE and Firefox < 3.6 due to browser bugs with getAttribute('style').
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
PIEA behavior for Internet Explorer allowing it to recognize and render various CSS3 box decoration properties
Selectivizrselectivizr is a JavaScript utility that emulates CSS3 pseudo-classes and attribute selectors in Internet Explorer 6-8.
Fixed-stickyDEPRECATED: A position: sticky polyfill that works with filamentgroup/fixed-fixed for a safer position:fixed fallback.
Polyfill.jsA library to make creating CSS polyfills much easier.
Found a gem we're missing?
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.