5 Best WYSIWYG HTML Editor for 2023
WYSIWYG editor is a popular choice for creating and editing rich text content on the web. This type of editor allows users to create and format text directly within a web page or application, with ease as well as providing convenience and flexibility in editing the content.
Many WYSIWYG editors are available, each with its own features and capabilities. This article will take a closer look at several popular WYSIWYG editors. We will explore the key features and capabilities of each editor, as well as their pros and cons.
Whether you’re a developer looking to integrate a WYSIWYG editor into your web application, or a user looking for a simple and powerful way to create and edit rich text content, this article will provide valuable insights and help you make an informed decision.
Froala
Froala is a user-friendly rich-text editor that is visually appealing and easy to integrate into any project, regardless of the developer’s preferred technology stack and coding knowledge. It supports more than 15 native integrations and over 35 plugins, including React.js, Vue.js, Angular, CraftCMS, and WordPress.
On top of that, it is used in over 100 countries and supports many languages, including East Asian languages. The editor is also compatible with various browsers, including Safari and Edge, making it accessible for users regardless of their preferred platform.
Price:
It has a starting price (free trial) of $0, making it an ideal choice for testing the tool. For commercial apps, CMS, and SaaS applications, subscription plans starting at $199/year is available and include dedicated support and more features.
PROS
- User-friendly interface.
- Wide range of integrations and plugins available.
- Supports a variety of languages, including East Asian languages.
- Compatible with a variety of browsers and mobile-optimized.
CONS
- Subscription cost for commercial use may be too expensive for some users and businesses.
- Features provided can be overwhelming. It might not be suitable if you prefer a more lightweight editor with fewer features.
- Customer support may not be as responsive or effective as some users would like.
TinyMCE
A popular WYSIWYG HTML editor that allows users to create and edit HTML content directly in their web browser. It is open-source and easy to integrate into web-based applications. Some key features of TinyMCE include support for text and media formatting, the ability to add and edit images and links, and the option to customize the editor with plugins and themes. It is widely used in content management systems and other web-based applications, and it is available in a number of different languages.
It can be easily integrated into a range of technology stacks, including React.js, Vue.js, and Svelte. It offers native Web Component integration and provides numerous APIs to simplify development. It is also compatible with popular frameworks such as Rails and Laravel and is already integrated with some popular CMS like WordPress.
Price:
TinyMCE is open-source and free. The core features are suitable for most common use cases. But if you need a commercial license and support with additional advanced features like the Enhanced Tables, Enhanced Media Embed, and Checklist, a subscription is available starting at $45/month.
PROS
- Familiar user-friendly interface that is easy to integrate into web applications.
- A wide range of customization options, including the ability to add custom plugins and themes.
- Works across different web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
- Provides examples of use cases and documentation.
- Great community supports. You can easily find answers via the forums.
CONS
- Premium plugins that are not available in the open-source version only available through the TinyMCE commercial subscription.
- The “Editor load” based pricing in the commercial subscription can be confusing.
- Customizing some design elements can be challenging, especially in extreme cases.
Trix
A lightweight and flexible text editor that can be integrated into web applications. It is built using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS and is based on the contenteditable of a web standard feature, which allows users to edit the content of an HTML element directly within the browser.
Some of the features of Trix include support for rich text formatting, including bold, italic, and strikethrough text, as well as support for lists, blockquotes, and links. Trix also includes tools for inserting images and other media into the text, and it has support for undo and redo functionality.
Price:
Trix is maintained by the team at Basecamp, and it is released under the MIT license. It essentially means that it’s free and you can do whatever you like with the editor.
PROS
- Supports for most common content formatting.
- Built on web standard through
contenteditableand custom Web Component. - Designed to be a lightweight and flexible text editor that can be easily integrated into web applications. It’s as easy as using an old-fashion JavaScript library like jQuery.
CONS
- A relatively simple text editor, and it may not have all of the features that users would expect from a full-featured text editor.
- Does not provide out-of-the-box native integration with other Web frameworks like React.js and Vue.js.
- Relies on the contenteditable feature of web browsers, which may not be supported in all browsers or may not work consistently across different browsers.
EditorJS
An open-source rich-text editor that is designed to be lightweight and easy to use. Its simple and intuitive interface allows users to quickly create and edit content with a variety of formatting options, including text formatting, lists, and links. This editor also includes tools for inserting and editing images and videos.
It is highly customizable and extensible, with a variety of plugins and integrations available to enhance its functionality.
Price:
Editor.js is free to use for both personal and commercial purposes. It is maintained by a community of developers and released under the MIT license.
PROS
- Lightweight and mobile friendly.
- Provides an extensive API to customize or extend the editor, including an API for i18n for localizing all the UI texts of the editor’s core and the plugins.
- Returns clean structured data that allows the data to be easily portable and rendered in various forms, including the Web, native mobile app, Facebook Instant Article, etc.
CONS
- Does not provide first-party seamless integration for popular frameworks like React.js and Vue.js.
- Support is only provided through the Github repository. It you need a more advanced implementation or a plugin beyond what’s provided out of the box, you will need to hire an experienced JavaScript developer.
ProseMirror
An open-source JavaScript library for building rich-text editors and structured document editors. It is designed to produce clean and semantically meaningful documents that are easy for users to understand while still allowing for customization or adding some extensions.
It includes built-in support for collaborative editing, where multiple people can work on the same document in real-time. It also has a modular architecture, a plugin system, and an immutable, functional architecture that makes it easy to integrate into modern web apps and confidently implement complex behavior.
Price:
ProseMirror is maintained by a community of developers and is released under the MIT license. It is suitable for building CMS or used as a base to create a more complex WYSIWYG editor. It’s open-source and will be forever free.
PROS
- Modular architecture and a plugin system that allows users to easily enable additional functionality and package their own extensions. This makes it particularly suitable for developers who want to create a more customized and extensible editor.
CONS
- It does not provide a UMD file, so setting up and integrating it into a web application may require additional development effort.
- Given its focus on customization and extensibility, ProseMirror may not be suitable for casual users unfamiliar with web development.
Conclusion
WYSIWYG editors offer a convenient and user-friendly interface for creating and editing rich text content for users on your applications. In this article, we’ve examined some popular choices and compared their key features and their cons.
Ultimately, however, the right WYSIWYG editor for your applications will depend on your specific needs and requirements. We encourage you to evaluate each of these editors to determine which one best meets your needs, and we hope this article has provided valuable insights and helped you make the decision.