Top 7 React Rich Text Editors (WYSIWYG) 2025: TinyMCE, CKEditor, Quill, Lexical & More

Table of Contents

1. Glossary: WYSIWYG, HTML Editor, and Rich Text Editor Terms
2. Introduction to React Rich Text Editors and WYSIWYG Tools
3. Performance Comparison of Top WYSIWYG Editors
4. Integration Ease for Rich Text Editor React Libraries
5. Pricing Models for HTML Editors and WYSIWYG Tools
6. Companies Using React WYSIWYG Text Editors
7. Developer Ecosystem for Rich Text Editors
8. Conclusion: Choosing the Best HTML to Text Editor

Glossary: WYSIWYG, HTML Editor, and Rich Text Editor Terms

1. WYSIWYG Editor: Stands for what you see is what you get. It's an editor that allows users to create and edit text in a form that resembles its final appearance. They eliminate the need to write HTML and other code, (2024-12-28). WYSIWYG.
2. Markdown: A lightweight language used to format text into HTML using plain text syntax, (2025-01-04). Markdown.
3. Accessibility: The craft of building web applications to be usable by people with disabilities.

Introduction to React Rich Text Editors and WYSIWYG Tools

Rich text editors have become the backbone of modern web applications. They enable users to create and edit data without using code. Whether you need a WYSIWYG text editor, a rich text editor, or a more complex text editor, options like TinyMCE, CKEditor, and Quill provide powerful solutions, Maddy Osman (2024-09-18). Hubspot..

In this article, we will explore the top 7 React Rich Text Editors—TinyMCE, CKEditor, Quill, Lexical, Tiptap, ProseMirror, and Slate. We will focus on their comparisons to help you choose the one that best fits you.

Background and Context: The Role of Rich Text Editors

Managing textual content is a main theme in websites. A good rich text editor or WYSIWYG HTML editor allows users to create, format, and manage textual content efficiently.

Main application areas for Rich Text Editors

• Email Campaign sites: Used in sites dealing with creating email templates to give the user more flexibility.
• Administration: Used in systems that support office-related work.
• Note-taking apps: Embedded in personal apps for note-taking.
• Data Management: Used to manage structured data using JSON or CSV.

Modern Trends in Rich Text Editors

Since the world is quickly becoming data-driven, rich text editors must embrace new trends:

• High Performance: Maintain high performance while handling large-scale applications, Carl Cruz (2025-01-09). Carl Cruz.
• Global Accessibility Standards: Editors have to meet the global accessibility standards.
• Integration with Modern Technology: Editors need to offer seamless integration with ever-evolving technologies, such as frameworks, headless CMS, and API-driven environments.
• Artificial Intelligence: Many editors are incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) features, such as auto-correction, language translation, and content optimization.

In the following sections, we will explore the top 7 editors and compare their performance, accessibility, real-world use cases, pricing, features and extensibility, and integration ease. These comparisons will be helpful to someone trying to decide which editor to use.

Performance Comparison of Top WYSIWYG Editors

As a developer, I decided to conduct my test to understand how the different editors fared in terms of load time, memory usage, and responsiveness. These factors are important for apps that require a fast, seamless editing experience. A sluggish editor can be frustrating for users.

Why Performance Matters

Performance is key when choosing a React WYSIWYG text editor. Slow editors cause delays in editing and formatting and might be a demotivating factor for employees who use them. For example, when users are typing quickly or formatting text, any delay can disrupt their workflow. Therefore, assessing performance based on load time, memory usage, and responsiveness is essential.

Performance Metrics

To paint a clear picture of the performance of each editor, I analyzed the following metrics:

• Load Time: The time the editor takes to get into a usable, stable state.
• Memory Usage: The amount of memory consumed during active use.
• Responsiveness: The speed at which the editor responds to user interactions (e.g., typing, formatting, and insertion of content).

I ran each editor on a standard web application, using the same environment to ensure a fair comparison. I measured load time and memory usage using browser developer tools, while responsiveness was gauged based on how quickly I could type and format text.

Test Results

Key Takeaway

Lexical and Quill excelled in performance, with Quill being a standout react writing option due to its low memory usage and high responsiveness. On the other hand, TinyMCE and CKEditor tend to consume more resources. Slate showed moderate performance, with a bit of lag in responsiveness, especially when the tasks were heavier.

Integration Ease for Rich Text Editor React Libraries

Integration ease is the simplicity and speed at which a package can be made to work together with other software without problems.

Why Integration Ease Matters

Integration ease is important because it impacts developer experience and productivity. A rich text editor with low integration complexity and comprehensive documentation would be the ideal candidate for this metric. Such an editor would reduce the learning curve, enabling developers to complete their tasks quickly. NPM downloads are an indication of the package's popularity and support. Generally, highly downloaded packages have good trust and support.

Integration Ease Metrics

Here is a table created according to to show the integration ease of different editors.

The above data was as at the time of writing this article

Key Takeaway

Quill offers simple integration with basic features for a react-rich text editor. TinyMCE, CKEditor 5, Tiptap, and Lexical provide a balance between setup complexity and capability. ProseMirror and Slate offer high customization but at the cost of more development effort.

Pricing Models for HTML Editors and WYSIWYG Tools

Knowing the prices for the editors is key to having a good budget. The pricing model is important to avoid unforeseen charges. The following table displays the market prices for the seven editors at the time of writing this article.

Key Takeaway

Quill, Lexical, ProseMirror, and Slate are excellent choices when it comes to WYSIWYG HTML editor pricing due to their free and open-source nature. TinyMCE and CKEditor offer extensive features but at a high cost

Companies Using React WYSIWYG Text Editors

Why it matters

It is important to understand which companies use a certain rich text editor. Adoption by reputable organizations indicates a mature and dependable editor capable of handling diverse and demanding use cases.

Key Takeaway

Based on the data from the above table on the adoption of the editors in companies, TinyMCE and CKEditor outrank the others due to acceptance in enterprise solutions (e.g., Atlassian and SAP). Quill, Lexical, and Tiptap follow.

Developer Ecosystem for Rich Text Editors

Why Developer Ecosystem Ease Matters

Having a good developer ecosystem means that help is available when you get stuck,The Contentstack Team (2024-08-19). The Contentstack Team.. Third-party libraries with active communities and support systems save time by offering pre-answered solutions and extensive resources. Choosing a rich text editor with a good developer ecosystem can save you great frustrations in the development phase.

Community and Support

• TinyMCE: Offers an extensive plugin marketplace, an active GitHub repository, and robust forums for developer discussions.
• CKEditor: Known for its strong documentation, a wide plugin ecosystem, and enterprise-grade support.
• Quill: Features an active GitHub community but has limited plugin options compared to others.
• Lexical: A modern editor with a growing community of developers providing ongoing support.
• Tiptap: Boasts a strong open-source presence and a versatile plugin ecosystem, making it a favorite for modern applications.
• ProseMirror: An active open-source community and reliable support make it a dependable choice for developers.
• Slate: Offers moderate community activity and a limited range of plugins, making it suitable for simpler use cases.

Key Takeaway

TinyMCE, CKEditor, and Tiptap lead in developer ecosystem support.

Conclusion: Choosing the Best HTML to Text Editor

Choosing the right WYSIWYG editor depends on your needs. To make it easier:

• For enterprise features and accessibility: TinyMCE or CKEditor.
• For lightweight and free solutions: Quill, Lexical, ProseMirror, or Slate.
• For modern and extensible design: Tiptap.

Evaluate your requirements and select the best React WYSIWYG editor for your project.

Happy Editing!

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