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Glossary

What Is Bootstrap 5?

Bootstrap 5 is a free, open-source CSS and JavaScript framework used to build responsive, mobile-first websites. Released in 2021, it provides a comprehensive library of pre-built components, a 12-column grid system, and utility classes that help developers create professional web layouts quickly and consistently.

What Bootstrap 5 includes

Bootstrap 5 ships with a 12-column grid system for responsive layouts, over 30 UI components (navbars, modals, cards, forms, carousels), a suite of JavaScript plugins (no jQuery dependency in v5), and hundreds of utility classes for spacing, typography, colour, and flexbox. It also includes Sass source files for deep customisation.

Bootstrap 5 vs Bootstrap 4

Bootstrap 5 dropped jQuery as a dependency, moving to vanilla JavaScript for all plugins. It introduced an improved grid system with a new 'xxl' breakpoint, RTL (right-to-left) language support, an updated form styling system, and the new Offcanvas component. The utility API was also greatly expanded, allowing custom utility class generation.

Bootstrap 5 grid system explained

The Bootstrap 5 grid uses a 12-column flexbox layout. Pages are divided into rows, and each row contains column classes (e.g. col-md-6 gives a column half the width on medium screens and above). Six breakpoints are available: xs (<576px), sm (≥576px), md (≥768px), lg (≥992px), xl (≥1200px), and xxl (≥1400px). Columns collapse to full-width on mobile by default.

When to use Bootstrap 5

Bootstrap 5 is ideal when you need a consistent, responsive UI quickly without designing from scratch. It's the best choice for marketing pages, landing pages, admin dashboards, documentation sites, and client projects where maintainability and cross-browser support matter. It's less ideal for highly custom, pixel-perfect designs where the framework's defaults may be limiting.

Bootstrap 5 and the Canvas template

The Canvas Template — the #1 Bootstrap 5 template on ThemeForest with 75,000+ sales — is built entirely on Bootstrap 5. Canvas extends Bootstrap with its own component library of 1,658+ UI elements, giving developers an extraordinary range of pre-built options. Canvas Builder uses AI to generate production-ready HTML using Canvas components, making Bootstrap 5 layout creation faster than ever.

Bootstrap 5 & Canvas Builder

Canvas Builder generates production-ready Bootstrap 5 HTML using the Canvas framework. Describe any page — landing page, portfolio, restaurant site — and get clean Bootstrap 5 code in ~3 minutes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bootstrap 5 free to use?
Yes — Bootstrap 5 is open-source and released under the MIT licence. You can use it in any project, commercial or personal, for free.
Does Bootstrap 5 require jQuery?
No. Bootstrap 5 removed the jQuery dependency. All JavaScript plugins are written in vanilla JS.
What are Bootstrap 5 breakpoints?
Bootstrap 5 has six breakpoints: xs (<576px), sm (≥576px), md (≥768px), lg (≥992px), xl (≥1200px), and xxl (≥1400px). These control when your responsive grid columns change layout.
How is Canvas Builder related to Bootstrap 5?
Canvas Builder generates Bootstrap 5 HTML using the Canvas framework. You describe a page in plain English, and within 3 minutes you receive a complete, Bootstrap 5 compliant HTML file ready to deploy.