Tailwind CSS 4.0 beta released with improved performance, CSS-first config, and much more

The widely-used utility-first CSS framework, Tailwind CSS, has announced the release of the first beta for its 4.0 version. This update brings significant performance enhancements, with full builds in the new engine up to 5x faster and incremental builds over 100x faster, now measured in microseconds.

Tailwind CSS 4.0 introduces built-in import handling, vendor prefixing, and syntax transforms, eliminating the need for additional tooling. A notable change in this version is the shift to a CSS-first configuration, allowing developers to customize and extend the framework directly in CSS rather than through a JavaScript configuration file.

The update is built on native cascade layers and wide-gamut colors, offering first-class support for modern CSS features such as container queries, @starting-style, and popovers. Additionally, this version includes numerous bug fixes, backward compatibility improvements, and more, enhancing the overall developer experience.