Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Draft.js VS StackEdit

Compare Draft.js VS StackEdit and see what are their differences

Draft.js logo Draft.js

Rich Text Editor Framework for React

StackEdit logo StackEdit

Full-featured, open-source Markdown editor based on PageDown, the Markdown library used by Stack Overflow and the other Stack Exchange sites.
  • Draft.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-29
  • StackEdit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-12-08

Draft.js features and specs

  • Rich Text Editing
    Draft.js provides a powerful framework for building rich text editors with a high level of customization, allowing developers to implement various formatting and styling options with ease.
  • Immutable.js Integration
    Draft.js uses Immutable.js to manage editor state, which can lead to improved performance and easier state management, as it helps avoid unnecessary re-renders and mutations.
  • Extensibility
    The library offers the ability to create custom blocks, decorations, and plugins, enabling developers to extend and tailor the editor's behavior to their specific needs.
  • Facebook Support
    Draft.js is developed and maintained by Facebook, which suggests a certain level of reliability and indicates a strong backing in terms of updates and community support.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    The library is well-documented, with comprehensive guides and examples that help developers get started quickly and understand the full potential of the framework.

Possible disadvantages of Draft.js

  • Complexity
    Draft.js has a steep learning curve, especially for developers who are not familiar with React or Immutable.js, as it requires understanding its unique architecture and concepts.
  • Bundle Size
    The inclusion of Immutable.js can lead to a larger bundle size for web applications, which might be a concern for developers aiming for minimalistic and fast-loading applications.
  • Limited Built-in Features
    Draft.js provides a basic editor out of the box, which means developers often need to implement or find third-party plugins for advanced features like tables, embedded media, or collaborative editing.
  • Customizability Overhead
    While high customizability is a strength, it also means that basic implementations may involve more boilerplate code and setup compared to other, more out-of-the-box solutions.
  • Sparse Updates
    Draft.js does not receive updates as frequently as some other open-source projects, which can lead to uncertainty around the timeline for bug fixes or new feature implementations.

StackEdit features and specs

  • Markdown Support
    StackEdit offers robust support for Markdown, allowing for efficient and straightforward text formatting and editing.
  • Offline Access
    Users can work on their documents offline, making it convenient for use in areas with limited or no internet connectivity.
  • Synchronization
    StackEdit can be synchronized with various cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox, enabling easy access and backup.
  • Collaboration
    The platform supports real-time collaboration, which is useful for teams working on a document simultaneously.
  • Integrated Editor
    It includes a feature-rich Markdown editor with a live preview, which helps users see the formatted version of their text as they type.

Possible disadvantages of StackEdit

  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with Markdown may find it initially challenging to use all of StackEdit's features effectively.
  • Limited Export Options
    While it does support exporting to HTML, PDF, and a few other formats, the export options may be limited compared to other markdown editors.
  • Performance
    Some users might experience performance issues with large documents or when using the application for extended periods.
  • Requires Signup for Full Features
    To access all features, such as cloud synchronization and import/export options, users need to sign up for an account.
  • Dependency on Internet for Sync
    While offline editing is a plus, syncing documents still requires an internet connection, which may be inconvenient for some users.

Analysis of StackEdit

Overall verdict

  • StackEdit is generally considered a good tool for those who need a reliable markdown editor with advanced features, especially for users who value cloud integration and offline functionality.

Why this product is good

  • StackEdit is a versatile, in-browser markdown editor that offers a variety of features, such as real-time collaboration, seamless synchronization with cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox, and offline editing capabilities. It supports a wide range of markdown variations and extensions, making it suitable for different types of documentation and note-taking needs.

Recommended for

    StackEdit is highly recommended for writers, bloggers, developers, and students who frequently work with markdown files and need a powerful editor that can integrate with cloud storage services while providing collaboration features.

Draft.js videos

Live coding โ€“ย Draft.js copy-paste fix

StackEdit videos

StackEdit - Write Markdown on Google Drive

More videos:

  • Review - StackEdit รฉditeur puissant de Markdown en ligne ๐Ÿ’ช

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Draft.js and StackEdit)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Markdown Editor
0 0%
100% 100
Text Editors
18 18%
82% 82
Rich Text Editor
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, StackEdit should be more popular than Draft.js. It has been mentiond 52 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Draft.js mentions (28)

  • Rebuilding a web text editor
    Therefore, we wanted to choose a low-level framework that would solve most of the issues related to text input. We settled on Draft.js, which was quite popular at the time (2020). All we had to do was integrate it into our current system, attach it to the data storage, and implement the ability to edit styles with our constructorโ€”done. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Introducing react-rte-light: A Lightweight Rich Text Editor for React
    Are you looking for a lightweight, flexible, and modern rich text editor for your React applications? Look no further! I'm excited to share react-rte-light, a TypeScript-based rich text editor built with Draft.js. Itโ€™s designed to work seamlessly with React 16.8 to 19, offering a minimal-dependency alternative to heavier editors like React Quill. Whether you're building a blog platform, a note-taking app, or a... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Lexical 0.24 with Vanilla JS: Getting started
    Lexical is an open source project and considered the successor of Draft.js. It is primarily developed by Meta, licensed under MIT. It is not restricted to React, but supports Vanilla JS, too. The flexibility enables us to integrate it with other JS libraries such as Svelte and Vue. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Is there a licensable/free version of the "Substack" email editor?
    - https://draftjs.org/ If you're talking about liking the full experience with settings and previews, that I'm afraid is all custom built. I can't imagine an open source reusable one being out there, but I could be wrong! - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Which Rich Text Editor to use ?
    I've always used Quill and always satisfied with it. It can be adapted to React Native as well. Despite the most popular RTE is Draft js it has some limitations on mobile. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

StackEdit mentions (52)

  • Show HN: MarkNote โ€“ Local-First Wysiwyg Markdown Editor (Tauri/Rust)
    - Not sure if I want auto-save (see above) This is another local-first editor I would prefer using (no install required): https://stackedit.io --- I also prefer installing via brew. Otherwise macOS doesn't allow you to run the app (because it's not signed?). I think homebrew signs the app for you. --- I don't think I would have tried MarkNote if it didn't have the free tier, given other editors are sufficient for... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • If it is worth keeping, save it in Markdown
    Https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#philosophy "Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like itโ€™s been marked up with tags or formatting instructions." Any text editor (Notepad, TextPad, (neo)vi(m), Emacs, TextMate, Apostrophe, GhostWriter, Typora, etc.) will do. Markdown-specific editors have either a real-time preview or the ability to edit as... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • 100+ Must-Have Web Development Resources
    StackEdit: An open-source, free Markdown editor based on PageDown. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Markdown as Fast as Possible
    Alternatively, you can use an online markdown editor like StackEdit or HackMD. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Good Notes App?
    Use https://stackedit.io/ in the browser :). Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Draft.js and StackEdit, you can also consider the following products

Quill - Powerful, API-driven rich text editor

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.

Next.js - A small framework for server-rendered universal JavaScript apps

Dillinger - joemccann has 95 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.

ProseMirror - A toolkit for building rich-text editors on the web

Markdown by DaringFireball - Text-to-HTML conversion tool/syntax for web writers, by John Gruber