Best Rich Text Editor for react in 2025
Itβs almost 2026. Still no perfect rich text editor.
But hereβs the truth: only a few are worth your time.
1. Lexical: Fast & Flexible ποΈ
Metaβs editor. Blazing fast, React-first, made for custom apps.
Feels like LEGO blocks β build anything.
Pros: Super fast, open source, flexible.
Cons: Setup is tricky. Docs are meh.
π Best choice for speed + control.
2. Lexkit: Lexical Made Easy π
I built Lexkit on top of Lexical. Same power, less pain.
DX-friendly, 25+ extensions, Super Type Safe, Modern Docs.
π Best choice if you want *Lexical performance + DX Friendly + Plug & Play *.
3. Tiptap: For Collaboration π€
Based on ProseMirror. Strong for real-time collab (Google Docs style).
Big ecosystem, polished UI.
Cons: Paid add-ons, heavier bundle, weaker TS.
π Best choice if you need multi-user editing.
4. Slate.js: The Builderβs Kit π§
Very flexible. Plugin-based. You build from scratch.
But: steep learning curve, slower, feels older.
π Good for custom niche editors.
5. Quill: The Beginner Pick βοΈ
Old but simple. Easy setup, WYSIWYG style.
Not very customizable. Struggles with big docs.
π Good for small apps or blogs.
6. Rich Text Editors for Rich People π
CKEditor 5 and TinyMCE.
Polished, feature-packed, Word-like.
But big bundles + licenses for premium stuff.
π Best if youβre in enterprise land with budget.
7. Draft.js: Legacy π°οΈ
Metaβs old editor. Once popular.
Now slow, dated, barely maintained.
π Only for legacy projects.
Quick Comparison π
Editor | Performance | Features | Pricing | Best For |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lexical | π¨ Fastest | π οΈ High | Free | Speed & custom editors |
Lexkit | π¨ Fastest | π οΈ High | Free | DX-friendly, modern projects |
Tiptap | π Solid | π οΈ High | Free/Paid | Real-time collaboration |
Slate.js | π Okay | π οΈ Mid | Free | Niche, custom cases |
Quill | π Okay | π οΈ Low | Free | Small/simple projects |
Rich People (CKEditor/TinyMCE) | π Solid | π High | Paid | Enterprise projects |
Draft.js | π€ Old | π οΈ Low | Free | Legacy codebases |
Final Word π―
- Want speed + control? β Go Lexical.
- Want faster dev experience? β Go Lexkit.
- Want real-time collab? β Go Tiptap.
- Everything else? Use only if you have legacy code or enterprise budget.
π Try lexkit.dev if you want the easiest way to ship modern editors in React.