Tiptap vs wangEditor
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A headless rich text editor framework for JavaScript apps, with no built-in look.
Open source · MIT
Open-source web rich text editor that works out of the box, with JS, Vue and React support.
The short answer
Choose Tiptap if you need…
- Developers building a custom text editor into a web product
- Teams using Vue, React, or plain JavaScript who want one editor across frameworks
- Projects that need full control over the editor's design
- Developers who want to add their own custom blocks or nodes
Choose wangEditor if you need…
- Developers adding a rich text input to a website
- Teams using Vue or React who want an embeddable editor
- Projects that need a simple, quick-to-configure editor
Side-by-side
| Tiptap | wangEditor | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 38.9k | 18.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 2 years ago |
What each one is
Tiptap
Tiptap is an editor component you add to a web app so users can write formatted text, such as bold, lists, and headings. It is headless, meaning it ships without a ready-made user interface, so you design the look yourself. It is built on the ProseMirror library and extended through add-ons called extensions.
wangEditor
wangEditor is a rich text editor you can embed in a web page, so users can write formatted text (bold, lists, and similar) directly in the browser. The README describes it as ready to use with simple configuration, and says it supports plain JavaScript, Vue and React. It is aimed at developers who want an editing box inside their own website or app.
Best for
Tiptap
- Developers building a custom text editor into a web product
- Teams using Vue, React, or plain JavaScript who want one editor across frameworks
- Projects that need full control over the editor's design
- Developers who want to add their own custom blocks or nodes
wangEditor
- Developers adding a rich text input to a website
- Teams using Vue or React who want an embeddable editor
- Projects that need a simple, quick-to-configure editor
Strengths
Tiptap
- Headless design gives full control over appearance and behavior
- Built on the established ProseMirror library and works across frameworks
- Large extension ecosystem with over 100 extensions listed in the docs
wangEditor
- The README describes it as ready to use with simple configuration
- Supports plain JavaScript, Vue and React according to the README
- Open source under the MIT license, with a live demo and documentation linked from the README
Not ideal for
Tiptap
- Non-developers who want a ready-made editor with no coding, because it requires building the interface yourself
- Projects that need the advanced paid features, since Pro Extensions require a valid subscription
wangEditor
- People who want a finished end-user application rather than a component to embed (it is a library for developers)
- Projects needing features not described in the README, since the README gives little detail on feature scope
- Non-developers without any coding background, since integration requires writing code
Trade-offs
Tiptap
- Advanced features such as collaboration, commenting, and AI are in paid Pro Extensions that need a subscription
- Without a UI, you must write more code to get a finished editor
- Setup details beyond the README are only in the external documentation
wangEditor
- The README provided is truncated and gives little detail on specific features or APIs
- The latest release listed is v4.7.13 while the README describes wangEditor 5, so users should confirm which version fits their needs
- Last code push was 2024-10-11, so recent maintenance activity is uncertain
Getting started
Tiptap
Install the agent skill (optional, from README)
npx skills add ueberdosis/tiptap --skill tiptapwangEditor
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/wangeditor-team/wangEditorFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Tiptap and wangEditor?
Tiptap: A headless rich text editor framework for JavaScript apps, with no built-in look. wangEditor: Open-source web rich text editor that works out of the box, with JS, Vue and React support. Tiptap suits developers building a custom text editor into a web product, while wangEditor suits developers adding a rich text input to a website.
Are Tiptap and wangEditor free?
Tiptap: Free and open source. wangEditor: Free and open source.
Is Tiptap or wangEditor more popular?
Tiptap has more GitHub stars (38.9k) than wangEditor (18.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Tiptap and wangEditor?
Other options people compare them with include Lexical, Slate, Milkdown, Vditor, Trix.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.