CSS Reset vs Normalize: What is the Difference?

When starting layout from scratch, it's important to ensure cross-browser element behavior. Different browsers display headings, lists, form fields, etc. differently. To bring everything to a uniform look, Reset or Normalize styles are used.

What is CSS Reset?

Reset CSS is an approach where all default styles are reset to zero.

/* Example CSS Reset */
* {
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

Main Goal:

• Remove all differences between browsers
• Complete zeroing of margins, borders, fonts and other properties

Drawbacks:

• Even useful browser styles are removed (e.g., heading styles, list markers)
• Requires more custom configuration afterward

What is Normalize.css?

Normalize.css is a library that doesn't reset styles but makes them uniform across all browsers while preserving useful default values.

import "normalize.css";

Features:

• Preserves useful default styles
• Fixes browser inconsistencies
• Improves element usability
• Well documented and maintained