---
{"title": "prettier-plugin-tailwindcss vs Stylelint in 2026", "description": "prettier-plugin-tailwindcss, Stylelint and NormWind compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before picking one.", "url": "https://saydeploy.com/prettier-plugin-tailwindcss-vs-stylelint/", "date": "2026-10-24"}
---
prettier-plugin-tailwindcss, Stylelint and NormWind compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before picking one.

prettier-plugin-tailwindcss is a Prettier plugin for Tailwind CSS that sorts classes in a consistent order, while Stylelint is a linter that checks CSS for mistakes and style rules. [^1] [^2] NormWind checks Tailwind classes for class pairs that can become a shorthand and arbitrary values that match a named Tailwind utility, and can report or fix findings. [^3] [^3] [^3]

| Option | Price | Setup | Main use |
|---|---|---|---|
| prettier-plugin-tailwindcss | Price not published [^1] | The plugin needs Prettier version 3 or later and works only with ES modules as of version 0.5.x. [^1] | Sorts Tailwind class names into a consistent order using a Prettier code formatting plugin. [^1] |
| Stylelint | Price not published [^2] | The supplied sources do not publish a setup cost or fee for Stylelint. [^2] | Reads CSS files and flags mistakes and style rules the team has set. [^2] |
| NormWind | Free, with no paid tier stated. [^3] | Install from npm, the JavaScript package registry, as a development dependency, or run with npx without a full install. [^3] | Checks for class pairs that can become a shorthand. [^3] Rewrites findings in several file types. [^3] Prints results as text, JSON or a code scanning format. [^3] |

## The short answer

prettier-plugin-tailwindcss is a Prettier v3+ plugin for Tailwind CSS that automatically sorts classes according to its recommended class order. [^1] Stylelint is a CSS linter that helps avoid errors and enforce conventions. [^2] NormWind checks Tailwind classes for findings such as class pairs that can become a shorthand and arbitrary values that match named utilities. [^3] [^3]

prettier-plugin-tailwindcss's source says it sorts Tailwind CSS class names into a consistent order automatically. [^1] Stylelint's source says it helps avoid errors and enforce conventions in CSS, and it ships with over 100 ready made checks for modern CSS and lets a developer write custom checks of their own. [^2] [^2] [^2] NormWind's claims describe checks for class pairs that can become a shorthand, a fix that rewrites findings, output in text, JSON or a format for code scanning, and a GitHub Action that adds notes to pull requests. [^3] [^3] [^3] [^3]

## What prettier-plugin-tailwindcss and Stylelint do

prettier-plugin-tailwindcss is a plugin for Prettier, a code formatting tool, and it is made for Tailwind CSS version 3.0 and later. [^1] It sorts class names into a consistent order, so the same classes always appear in the same position in the file. [^1] By default, it sorts classes in HTML class attributes, in the equivalent attributes used by frameworks like React or Vue, and inside Tailwind apply rules in CSS files. [^1]

The plugin's page says that, as of version 0.5.x, it needs Prettier version 3 or later and works only with ES modules, which are the modern JavaScript module format. [^1] For Tailwind CSS version 4, its page says the developer must point the plugin to the main CSS file the project uses for its Tailwind styles. [^1] The page also says the plugin can sort classes in other attributes the developer names, and in function calls the developer lists. [^1] [^1]

Stylelint is a linter that reads CSS files and flags mistakes and rules the team has set. [^2] It ships with over 100 ready made checks for modern CSS syntax and features. [^2] It also lets a developer add custom checks of their own, and share groups of settings between projects so the same rules apply everywhere. [^2] [^2]

## What NormWind does for Tailwind projects

NormWind is made by the team that publishes this site.

NormWind finds pairs of Tailwind classes, such as px-4 and py-4, that can be replaced by a single shorter class like p-4, so the developer writes less and keeps the same result. [^3] It also flags custom values like rounded-[24px] when they match a named Tailwind class like rounded-3xl, so the developer can use the shorter named class instead. [^3]

NormWind can rewrite findings in Vue, Svelte, Astro and HTML files, and a broader fix also covers JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX and TSX files. [^3] The developer can preview which files would change before anything is written, so nothing is altered without a check first. [^3]

Before replacing two classes with one, NormWind checks the CSS output before and after the change and skips the replacement if the result would differ, so the visible styling stays the same. [^3] It prints results as plain text, as JSON, or in a format that code scanning tools on GitHub can read and show inline. [^3]

## Pricing and fees

The supplied sources do not publish a price for prettier-plugin-tailwindcss or for Stylelint, so their prices are not published here. [^1] [^2]

NormWind is free with no paid tier. [^3] It is available under the MIT licence, which lets a developer use, copy and change the code freely. [^3] The supplied sources for prettier-plugin-tailwindcss and Stylelint do not state subscription fees, paid plans or account fees. [^1] [^2]

## Setting it up and daily use

prettier-plugin-tailwindcss needs Prettier version 3 or later, a code formatting tool, and works only with ES modules, the modern JavaScript module format, as of version 0.5.x. [^1] For Tailwind CSS version 4, the developer must point the plugin to the main CSS file the project uses for its Tailwind styles. [^1]

Stylelint can check CSS files and similar stylesheet formats that add features on top of CSS, such as SCSS, Sass, Less and SugarSS. [^2] Its page says Stylelint can fix some of the problems it finds on its own, so the developer does not have to correct every issue by hand. [^2]

NormWind can be installed from npm, the JavaScript package registry, as a development dependency, or run directly with npx without a full install. [^3] It works with Tailwind CSS version 4 projects, and the build checks that run automatically on a shared server can run on Ubuntu, Windows and macOS. [^3] NormWind can print findings as plain text, as JSON, or in a format that code scanning tools on GitHub can read. [^3]

## Things to check before you choose

Decide whether the need is sorting Tailwind class names, checking CSS for mistakes and style rules, or finding Tailwind classes that can be replaced with shorter ones.

Check the project's Prettier version and whether it uses ES modules, the modern JavaScript module format, since prettier-plugin-tailwindcss needs Prettier version 3 or later and works only with that module format. [^1] For Stylelint, check whether the over 100 ready made checks for CSS cover what the team needs, whether custom checks are wanted, and whether settings should be shared between projects. [^2] [^2] [^2]

Check whether the tool needs to run on a shared server for build checks, annotate pull requests inline, or print results in a format other tools can read. NormWind can fail a build check when it finds anything, ships as a GitHub Action that adds notes to pull requests, and prints results as plain text, JSON or a format code scanning tools can read. [^3] [^3] [^3]

## How to choose

If the need is sorting Tailwind class names into a consistent order using a code formatting tool, prettier-plugin-tailwindcss's source describes that use. [^1]

If the need is checking CSS files for mistakes and style rules the team has set, Stylelint's source describes that purpose. [^2]

If the need is finding pairs of Tailwind classes, such as px-4 and py-4, that can be replaced by a single shorter class like p-4, NormWind's claims describe that check. [^3] If the need is rewriting findings in Vue, Svelte, Astro, HTML, JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX or TSX files, NormWind's claims describe its fix options. [^3]

If the need is printing results in a format code scanning tools can read, NormWind's claims describe output in text, JSON or a code scanning format. [^3] If the need is adding notes to pull requests, NormWind ships as a GitHub Action that annotates pull requests inline. [^3]

## Frequently asked questions

### Is prettier-plugin-tailwindcss free?

The supplied sources do not publish a price, subscription fee or paid plan for prettier-plugin-tailwindcss. [^1] The plugin is a Prettier code formatting plugin for Tailwind CSS that sorts class names into a consistent order. [^1] Check the project source for current licensing and distribution details.

### What does Stylelint check?

Stylelint is a linter that reads CSS files and flags mistakes and style rules the team has set. [^2] Its page says it ships with over 100 ready made checks for modern CSS, and lets a developer add custom checks of their own. [^2] [^2]

### What does NormWind do for Tailwind projects?

NormWind finds pairs of Tailwind classes, such as px-4 and py-4, that can be replaced by a single shorter class like p-4, so the developer writes less and keeps the same result. [^3] It also flags custom values like rounded-[24px] when they match a named Tailwind class like rounded-3xl, so the developer can use the shorter named class instead. [^3] NormWind can then rewrite those findings in Vue, Svelte, Astro, HTML, JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX and TSX files. [^3]

### How do you install NormWind?

NormWind can be installed from npm, the JavaScript package registry, as a development dependency, or run with npx without a full install. [^3] It works with Tailwind CSS version 4 projects, and build checks that run automatically on a shared server can run on Ubuntu, Windows and macOS. [^3] NormWind also ships as a GitHub Action that adds notes to pull requests inline, so a reviewer sees the findings without leaving the pull request. [^3]

### Which tool should a developer choose for Tailwind CSS checks?

Start with the task the developer needs done. prettier-plugin-tailwindcss sorts Tailwind class names into a consistent order using a Prettier code formatting plugin. [^1] Stylelint reads CSS files and flags mistakes and style rules the team has set. [^2] NormWind checks for class pairs that can become a shorthand. [^3] NormWind rewrites findings in several file types. [^3] NormWind prints results as text, JSON or a format code scanning tools can read. [^3]

NormWind is free with no paid tier. [^3] - [Visit NormWind](/go/start-normwind)

## Sources

[^1]: prettier-plugin-tailwindcss, github.com/tailwindlabs/prettier-plugin-tailwindcss, read 2026-10-07 (https://github.com/tailwindlabs/prettier-plugin-tailwindcss)
[^2]: Stylelint, stylelint.io, read 2026-10-09 (https://stylelint.io)
[^3]: NormWind's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-normwind)