Scribe vs Quill.js
Quill was once the go-to lightweight editor, but it hasn't kept pace with modern TypeScript, SSR, and developer ergonomics. Scribe fills that gap with a fresh, HTML-native approach.
Why developers are moving away from Quill
- Quill's Delta format requires extra conversion — Scribe works directly with HTML
- Quill has no native TypeScript — Scribe is TypeScript-first
- Quill's last major release was years ago — Scribe is actively maintained
- Quill doesn't support iframe editing — Scribe does out of the box
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Scribe | Quill |
|---|---|---|
| Bundle size (gzipped) | < 50KB | ~100KB |
| Runtime dependencies | Zero | Parchment, Quill Delta |
| Internal data model | DOM-first | Delta (JSON) |
| Direct API (bold()) | ||
| TypeScript (built-in) | ||
| Iframe editing | ||
| Floating toolbar | ||
| Framework agnostic | ||
| Plugin/module system | ||
| Active maintenance | Slow releases | |
| Built-in sanitization | ||
| SSR compatible |
API Comparison
ScribeHTML-native API
import { Scribe } from 'scribejs-editor';
const editor = Scribe.init('#editor');
// Clean, direct methods
editor.bold();
editor.italic();
editor.link('https://example.com');
editor.insertText('Hello world');
// Read HTML directly
const html = editor.getHTML();QuillDelta-based API
import Quill from 'quill';
const quill = new Quill('#editor', {
theme: 'snow',
modules: {
toolbar: ['bold', 'italic', 'link'],
},
});
// Uses Quill Delta format, not HTML
quill.format('bold', true);
quill.insertText(0, 'Hello world');
// Must convert Delta to HTML separately
const delta = quill.getContents();Choose Scribe when…
Stick with Quill when…
Try Scribe — the modern Quill alternative
Free, open source, TypeScript-first. Works with all major frameworks.
Scribe vs Quill.js — common questions
Is Scribe Editor a good Quill.js alternative?
Yes. Scribe is TypeScript-first, actively maintained, works directly with HTML (no Delta format conversion), and has zero runtime dependencies vs Quill's Parchment dependency.
Why should I replace Quill.js with Scribe?
Quill hasn't had a major release in years, lacks native TypeScript, uses Delta format (requiring conversion to HTML), and doesn't support iframe editing or SSR. Scribe solves all of these.
Does Scribe Editor work with the same HTML output as Quill?
Scribe works directly with standard HTML. Quill uses its own Delta format internally and requires manual conversion to HTML. Scribe's editor.getHTML() returns clean, sanitized HTML ready for your backend.
Also compare Scribe with:
Use Scribe in your framework: