It’s almost 2026. Still no perfect rich text editor.
But here’s the truth: only a few are worth your time.
1. Lexical: Fast & Flexible 🏎️
Meta’s editor. Blazing fast, React-first, made for custom apps.
Feels like LEGO blocks — build anything.
Pros: Super fast, open source, flexible.
Cons: Setup is tricky. Docs are meh.
👉 Best choice for speed + control.
2. Lexkit: Lexical Made Easy 😍
I built Lexkit on top of Lexical. Same power, less pain.
DX-friendly, 25+ extensions, Super Type Safe, Modern Docs.
👉 Best choice if you want *Lexical performance + DX Friendly + Plug & Play *.
3. Tiptap: For Collaboration 🤝
Based on ProseMirror. Strong for real-time collab (Google Docs style).
Big ecosystem, polished UI.
Cons: Paid add-ons, heavier bundle, weaker TS.
👉 Best choice if you need multi-user editing.
4. Slate.js: The Builder’s Kit 🔧
Very flexible. Plugin-based. You build from scratch.
But: steep learning curve, slower, feels older.
👉 Good for custom niche editors.
5. Quill: The Beginner Pick ✍️
Old but simple. Easy setup, WYSIWYG style.
Not very customizable. Struggles with big docs.
👉 Good for small apps or blogs.
6. Rich Text Editors for Rich People :D
CKEditor 5 and TinyMCE.
Polished, feature-packed, Word-like.
But big bundles + licenses for premium stuff.
👉 Best if you’re in enterprise land with budget.
7. Draft.js: Legacy 🕰️
Meta’s old editor. Once popular.
Now slow, dated, barely maintained.
👉 Only for legacy projects.
Quick Comparison 📊
| Editor | Performance | Features | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexical | 💨 Fastest | 🛠️ High | Free | Speed & custom editors |
| Lexkit | 💨 Fastest | 🛠️ High | Free | DX-friendly, modern projects |
| Tiptap | 👍 Solid | 🛠️ High | Free/Paid | Real-time collaboration |
| Slate.js | 😐 Okay | 🛠️ Mid | Free | Niche, custom cases |
| Quill | 😐 Okay | 🛠️ Low | Free | Small/simple projects |
| Rich People (CKEditor/TinyMCE) | 👍 Solid | 🌟 High | Paid | Enterprise projects |
| Draft.js | 💤 Old | 🛠️ Low | Free | Legacy codebases |
Final Word 🎯
- Want speed + control? → Go Lexical.
- Want faster dev experience? → Go Lexkit.
- Want real-time collab? → Go Tiptap.
- Everything else? Use only if you have legacy code or enterprise budget.
👉 Try lexkit.dev if you want the easiest way to ship modern editors in React.
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