Which is Better HTML and String Escaping Libraries?
escape-string-regexp vs escape-html vs he vs lodash.escape vs sanitize-html
1 Year
escape-string-regexpescape-htmlhelodash.escapesanitize-htmlSimilar Packages:
What's HTML and String Escaping Libraries?

These libraries provide various methods for escaping HTML and strings to prevent injection attacks and ensure safe rendering of user-generated content. They serve different purposes, from escaping HTML entities to sanitizing input to prevent XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) vulnerabilities, making them essential tools for web developers aiming to enhance security and maintain data integrity in web applications.

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escape-string-regexp139,315,558581-03 years agoMIT
escape-html32,646,633459-29 years agoMIT
he21,385,1783,437-236 years agoMIT
lodash.escape2,956,11759,732-1088 years agoMIT
sanitize-html2,829,3183,80364.7 kB179 days agoMIT
Feature Comparison: escape-string-regexp vs escape-html vs he vs lodash.escape vs sanitize-html

Purpose

  • escape-string-regexp: escape-string-regexp focuses on escaping special characters in strings for safe use in regular expressions, ensuring that user input does not break regex patterns.
  • escape-html: escape-html is designed solely for escaping HTML entities, making it a straightforward choice for preventing HTML injection in user-generated content.
  • he: he provides a robust solution for encoding and decoding HTML entities, supporting both named and numeric entities, making it versatile for various HTML content scenarios.
  • lodash.escape: lodash.escape offers a simple method for escaping HTML, integrated into the Lodash library, making it convenient for users already utilizing Lodash for other functionalities.
  • sanitize-html: sanitize-html is aimed at sanitizing HTML input, allowing developers to specify which tags and attributes are safe, thus preventing XSS vulnerabilities.

Complexity

  • escape-string-regexp: escape-string-regexp is straightforward and focused, providing a single function to escape strings for regex, making it easy to integrate into any project.
  • escape-html: escape-html is minimalistic and easy to use, with no dependencies, making it suitable for projects that require a lightweight solution.
  • he: he is more complex due to its extensive feature set, supporting a wide range of HTML entity encodings, which may require a deeper understanding for effective use.
  • lodash.escape: lodash.escape is simple to use, especially for those familiar with Lodash, but it may add unnecessary weight if Lodash is not already in use.
  • sanitize-html: sanitize-html can be more complex to configure due to its customizable options for allowed tags and attributes, requiring careful consideration to balance functionality and security.

Performance

  • escape-string-regexp: escape-string-regexp is also performant, as it performs a straightforward string replacement without complex operations.
  • escape-html: escape-html is highly performant due to its simplicity and lack of dependencies, making it an efficient choice for escaping HTML.
  • he: he may have slightly higher overhead due to its comprehensive handling of various HTML entities, but it is optimized for performance in most scenarios.
  • lodash.escape: lodash.escape performs well, but its performance may be impacted if used in conjunction with other Lodash functions that introduce additional overhead.
  • sanitize-html: sanitize-html can be less performant, especially with large inputs or complex configurations, as it processes and validates HTML content against specified rules.

Security

  • escape-string-regexp: escape-string-regexp enhances security by preventing regex injection attacks, ensuring that user input does not disrupt regex patterns.
  • escape-html: escape-html provides basic security by escaping HTML entities, but it does not sanitize input, so it should be used in conjunction with other security measures.
  • he: he enhances security by properly encoding HTML entities, making it difficult for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities related to HTML rendering.
  • lodash.escape: lodash.escape offers basic security by escaping HTML, but like escape-html, it should be used alongside other security practices for comprehensive protection.
  • sanitize-html: sanitize-html is focused on security, allowing developers to define safe HTML structures, effectively preventing XSS attacks and ensuring that only trusted content is rendered.

Use Cases

  • escape-string-regexp: escape-string-regexp is best suited for scenarios where user input needs to be incorporated into regex patterns, such as search functionalities.
  • escape-html: escape-html is ideal for applications that display user-generated content in a safe manner, such as comments or forum posts.
  • he: he is useful in applications that need to handle various forms of HTML content, such as content management systems or web applications that parse HTML.
  • lodash.escape: lodash.escape is appropriate for projects already using Lodash, where consistent utility functions are preferred for escaping HTML.
  • sanitize-html: sanitize-html is essential for any application that accepts user-generated HTML input, such as blog platforms or social media sites, where security is paramount.
How to Choose: escape-string-regexp vs escape-html vs he vs lodash.escape vs sanitize-html
  • escape-string-regexp: Select escape-string-regexp when you need to safely escape strings for use in regular expressions. This is particularly useful when dynamically constructing regex patterns from user input to avoid unintended behavior or errors.
  • escape-html: Choose escape-html when you need a simple and lightweight solution specifically for escaping HTML entities. It is ideal for scenarios where you want to prevent HTML injection without additional overhead.
  • he: Opt for he if you require comprehensive support for encoding and decoding HTML entities, including named entities and numeric character references. It is suitable for applications that need to handle a wide range of HTML content.
  • lodash.escape: Use lodash.escape if you are already utilizing the Lodash library and prefer a consistent API for escaping HTML. It is beneficial for projects that leverage Lodash for other utility functions, ensuring a cohesive codebase.
  • sanitize-html: Choose sanitize-html when you need to sanitize HTML input to allow only safe tags and attributes, effectively preventing XSS attacks. It is essential for applications that accept user-generated HTML content and need to enforce strict security measures.
README for escape-string-regexp

escape-string-regexp

Escape RegExp special characters

Install

$ npm install escape-string-regexp

Usage

import escapeStringRegexp from 'escape-string-regexp';

const escapedString = escapeStringRegexp('How much $ for a 🦄?');
//=> 'How much \\$ for a 🦄\\?'

new RegExp(escapedString);

You can also use this to escape a string that is inserted into the middle of a regex, for example, into a character class.


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