@tiptap/core vs quill vs slate | Rich Text Editors Comparison

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

@tiptap/core	2,486,993	32,508	1.74 MB	754	2 days ago	MIT
quill	2,292,742	46,096	3.04 MB	586	9 months ago	BSD-3-Clause
slate	1,408,257	31,134	2.16 MB	693	17 days ago	MIT

Package

Downloads

Stars

Size

Issues

Publish

License

@tiptap/core

2,486,993

32,508

1.74 MB

754

2 days ago

MIT

quill

2,292,742

46,096

3.04 MB

586

9 months ago

BSD-3-Clause

slate

1,408,257

31,134

2.16 MB

693

17 days ago

MIT

Customization

@tiptap/core:
@tiptap/core offers extensive customization through its plugin-based architecture. You can easily create custom nodes, marks, and commands, and integrate third-party plugins as needed. This flexibility allows for a highly tailored editing experience.
quill:
quill provides a good level of customization, especially for its toolbar and formatting options. You can create custom blot components and extend the editor's functionality, but it may not be as flexible as @tiptap/core or slate for deep customizations.
slate:
slate is the most customizable of the three, as it allows you to define the entire editor's behavior, structure, and rendering. You have complete control over how content is represented and edited, making it ideal for applications that require unique or complex editing features.

Architecture

@tiptap/core:
@tiptap/core is built on top of ProseMirror, leveraging its powerful editing capabilities while providing a more developer-friendly API. It follows a modular architecture, allowing you to include only the features you need, which helps keep the bundle size small.
quill:
quill has a well-defined architecture with a focus on performance and extensibility. It uses a delta-based approach for handling content, which makes it efficient for both editing and rendering. The editor is designed to be fast and responsive, even with large amounts of content.
slate:
slate is designed as a headless framework, meaning it provides the building blocks for creating an editor without imposing any specific UI or behavior. This allows developers to implement their own rendering logic and user interactions, resulting in a highly flexible and performant editing experience.

Community and Ecosystem

@tiptap/core:
@tiptap/core has a growing community and ecosystem, with a focus on modern web development practices. Its integration with ProseMirror and active development make it a popular choice for projects that require a customizable and feature-rich editor.
quill:
quill has a large and established community, with many resources, plugins, and themes available. It is widely used in various applications, which contributes to its stability and reliability as a rich text editor.
slate:
slate has a passionate community of developers, particularly those focused on building highly customized editing experiences. While it may not be as large as the communities for quill or @tiptap/core, it is active and supportive, with a growing number of plugins and resources.

Performance

@tiptap/core:
@tiptap/core offers good performance, especially for applications that use ProseMirror's efficient editing model. However, performance can vary depending on how many features and plugins are used, so it's important to optimize the editor for your specific use case.
quill:
quill is known for its performance, particularly with its delta-based approach to handling content. It performs well with large documents and provides smooth editing experiences, making it suitable for most web applications.
slate:
slate performance is highly dependent on how you implement the editor, as it gives you complete control over rendering and state management. With careful optimization, slate can handle complex editing tasks efficiently, but it may require more work to ensure performance compared to the other two editors.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

@tiptap/core:
@tiptap/core is designed to be developer-friendly, with clear documentation and examples. Its modular nature makes it easy to understand and integrate into projects, especially for developers familiar with ProseMirror. Example of @tiptap/core:
```
import { Editor } from '@tiptap/core';
import StarterKit from '@tiptap/starter-kit';

const editor = new Editor({
  content: '<p>Hello World!</p>',
  extensions: [StarterKit],
  onUpdate: ({ editor }) => {
    console.log(editor.getHTML());
  },
});
```

quill:

quill provides a straightforward API and good documentation, making it easy for developers to implement and customize the editor. Its built-in toolbar and formatting features are intuitive for users. Example of quill:

<div id="editor"></div>
<script src="https://cdn.quilljs.com/1.3.6/quill.js"></script>
<link href="https://cdn.quilljs.com/1.3.6/quill.snow.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script>
  const quill = new Quill('#editor', {
    theme: 'snow',
    modules: {
      toolbar: [['bold', 'italic', 'underline'], ['link', 'image']],
    },
  });
</script>

slate:
slate has a steeper learning curve due to its headless nature and the need for developers to implement their own rendering and editing logic. However, its flexibility allows for the creation of highly customized editing experiences. Example of slate:
```
import { Slate, Editable, useSlate } from 'slate-react';
import { createEditor } from 'slate';

const editor = createEditor();

const App = () => (
  <Slate editor={editor} value={initialValue} onChange={value => {}}>
    <Editable />
  </Slate>
);
```