ExtractCSS vs CSS Scan
CSS Scan shows CSS properties on hover. ExtractCSS extracts full components and converts to Tailwind. One costs $39–69, the other is free. Here is how they compare.
Inspection vs. extraction
CSS Scan is a CSS inspection tool. You hover over an element, and a floating panel shows its CSS properties. You can copy individual properties or the full set with a click. The interface is polished and faster than opening DevTools for quick lookups.
ExtractCSS is a CSS extraction tool. You click an element, and it pulls out the complete component: the HTML structure, all nested child elements, and every computed style. Then it resolves the CSS cascade, freezes CSS variables, captures media queries and pseudo-states, and converts everything to Tailwind utility classes with token snapping.
These are fundamentally different workflows. CSS Scan answers “what CSS does this element have?” ExtractCSS answers “how do I reproduce this component in my Tailwind project?”
What CSS Scan gives you
CSS Scan is good at what it does. Here is a fair look at its strengths:
- •Fast hover inspection. Move your cursor over any element and immediately see its CSS. No right-clicking, no DevTools panels.
- •Clean interface. The floating panel is well-designed and shows properties in a readable format.
- •One-click copy. Copy all CSS properties for the hovered element with a single click.
Where it stops: CSS Scan does not extract HTML structure, does not handle nested child elements, does not convert to Tailwind, does not capture responsive or hover styles, and does not collect assets. It is an inspection tool, not an extraction tool.
What ExtractCSS adds
ExtractCSS covers the inspection use case and goes further. Here is what it does that CSS Scan does not:
Full component extraction
Click a card, a navbar, or a pricing section, and ExtractCSS extracts the complete HTML tree with all nested elements and their styles. CSS Scan shows CSS for the single element you hover over. To get a full component from CSS Scan, you would need to hover and copy each element individually, then reconstruct the HTML by hand.
Tailwind conversion with token snapping
CSS Scan gives you raw CSS like padding: 0.875rem. ExtractCSS converts that to p-3.5 by finding the nearest match on the Tailwind spacing scale. You can adjust how aggressively values snap with tolerance sliders for colors, spacing, fonts, and box shadows.
Responsive and state styles
ExtractCSS detects media queries from the page's stylesheets and converts them to Tailwind breakpoint variants. It captures hover, focus, active, and dark mode styles from the live DOM. CSS Scan shows CSS for the element's current state only.
Asset collection and framework export
Images, fonts, and SVGs referenced by the component are collected automatically. Export the result as React JSX, Vue SFC, Svelte, plain HTML, or open it directly in CodePen.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | ExtractCSS | CSS Scan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $39 personal / $69 teams |
| What it does | Extracts full components, converts to Tailwind | Shows CSS properties on hover |
| Output format | Tailwind utility classes + HTML | Raw CSS declarations |
| Component extraction | Full nested HTML + all child elements | Single element CSS only |
| HTML structure | Preserved with semantic markup | Not extracted |
| Tailwind conversion | Yes — cascade resolution, variable freezing, and adjustable token snapping | Not available |
| Media queries | Auto-detected, converted to breakpoint variants | Not captured |
| Pseudo-states | hover, focus, active, dark mode captured automatically | Hover display only |
| CSS variables | Resolved to final computed values | Partial (shows some computed values) |
| Token snapping | Colors, spacing, fonts with adjustable tolerance | Not available |
| Asset collection | Images, fonts, SVGs collected automatically | Not available |
| Export formats | React, Vue, Svelte, HTML, CodePen | Copy individual CSS rules |
| Extraction history | Saved locally, searchable, bookmarkable | Not available |
The price question
CSS Scan costs $39 for personal use or $69 for teams (one-time payment). ExtractCSS is free with no account required, no usage limits, and no premium tier.
If you only need to quickly peek at individual CSS properties while browsing, CSS Scan does that well, though DevTools does it for free too. If you need component extraction, Tailwind conversion, or any of the deeper features, ExtractCSS provides them at no cost.
For a broader look at CSS inspection alternatives, see the full list of CSS Scan alternatives.
When to use each
CSS Scan works well when…
- •You want to quickly check a single element's CSS without opening DevTools
- •You are browsing and want to note a specific color, font size, or spacing value
- •You prefer hover-based inspection over click-based extraction
ExtractCSS works well when…
- •You want to extract a full component and use it in your project
- •You need Tailwind classes, not raw CSS declarations
- •You need responsive, hover, focus, or dark mode styles captured
- •You want to export as React, Vue, Svelte, or share via CodePen
- •You want a free tool with no purchase required
CSS Scan is a solid inspection tool. For full component extraction with Tailwind conversion, ExtractCSS does more and costs nothing.
Extract your first component in the next 60 seconds
Install the extension. Navigate to any website. Click the component you want. Get clean Tailwind code. It really is that simple.