BlockNote vs CKEditor 5
BlockNote
blocknotejs.org
CKEditor 5
ckeditor.comSide by side
| Figure | BlockNote | CKEditor 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $195/mo | $160/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 4 |
| Spec score · Rich Text Editor Software | 8.3 (#8) | 8.5 (#3) |
| Collaboration | Yjs providers listed for collaboration include Liveblocks, PartyKit, Y-Sweet, Hocuspocus, y-websocket, and y-webrtc. | Collaboration features include comments, track changes, restricted editing, and revision history. |
| Integrations | The editor is built on ProseMirror and TipTap, and its collaboration feature uses Yjs. | Official integrations are documented for Angular, React, Next.js, Nuxt, Vue, Salesforce, Svelte, Spring Boot, jQuery, SharePoint SPFx, and Drupal. |
| Product | BlockNote is an open-source, modular rich-text editor for developers building modern web applications. | CKEditor 5 is a TypeScript and JavaScript rich-text editing framework for building WYSIWYG editing experiences. |
| Support | Priority Support includes a 48-hour first-response time and direct access through GitHub, email, and a dedicated Slack channel. | The Free plan includes community support, paid standard plans specify two or four support requests per month, and Custom includes enterprise support with unlimited requests. |
Plans
CKEditor 5
- Essential$160 a month
- Professional$319 a month
- CustomPriced on request
- FreePrice not published
In their own words
BlockNote
BlockNote is an open-source rich-text editor for developers adding document editing to web applications. It is suited to knowledge bases, note-taking apps, document editors, and internal tools, with a ready-made animated interface and block-based documents to start from. Developers can add custom block types, change menus, or build a UI from scratch. The editor is built on ProseMirror and TipTap; real-time collaboration uses Yjs, with providers including Liveblocks, PartyKit, Y-Sweet, Hocuspocus, y-websocket, and y-webrtc. Documentation lists y-indexeddb for offline storage. BlockNote imports and exports its JSON format and HTML, while conversions to standard HTML and Markdown are marked lossy. XL packages add AI integration, multi-column layouts, and exports to PDF, DOCX, ODT, and email. They are free for open-source projects under GPL-3.0; closed-source use requires a commercial license. The Community plan is free, and Business is $195 a month, billed yearly. It runs self-hosted or on the web.
CKEditor 5
CKEditor 5 is a TypeScript and JavaScript framework for building WYSIWYG rich-text editing experiences. Its editing tools cover text formatting, images, media embeds, links, tables, and lists, with HTML or Markdown output. Collaboration features include comments, change tracking, restricted editing, and revision history. It can export content to PDF or Word and import DOCX documents. Official integrations are documented for Angular, React, Next.js, Nuxt, Vue, Salesforce, Svelte, Spring Boot, jQuery, SharePoint SPFx, and Drupal. Setup options include npm, CDN, and ZIP. The self-hosted editor can be used without an account under the GPL, subject to compliance, and displays a Powered by CKEditor logo; commercial self-hosting requires a custom plan and sales contact. A free plan includes 1,000 monthly editor loads, then $60 per extra 1,000. Paid plans start at $144 per month billed annually, and a 14-day premium-features trial requires no credit card. Cloud plans count monthly loads, charge for additional blocks of 1,000, and do not roll unused loads over.