min-width vs max-width prefixes is one of the most common decision points we see. Here is the honest breakdown.

The short version#

Add-up vs cut-down responsive grammars.

Point by point#

AspectAnalysis
Mental modelmin (md:): mobile-first additions; max (max-md:): desktop exceptions
Duplicationmin chains without gaps; max ranges can overlap
ConventionPick one per element; mixing breeds confusion
NakshoraBoth exist; min-first is the documented default

Bottom line#

Pick based on your constraint, not ideology — and remember the comparison pages link to hands-on recipes so you can verify the claim in your own project within minutes.

comparisons/index|All comparisons