Lexical
An extensible text editor framework for building rich text editors in web apps.
- Stars
- 24k
- Forks
- 2.3k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Lexical is a framework from Meta for building text editors inside web applications. It is a toolkit rather than a finished editor, so developers use it to create editing experiences with features like lists, tables, code blocks, and undo/redo. The README says it works with any UI framework and offers official React bindings.
- Build a plain text input with the PlainTextPlugin and ContentEditable components
- Create a rich text editor with lists, code blocks, images, and custom nodes
- Add real-time collaborative editing using the Yjs integration
- Export editor content to Markdown, HTML, or JSON
Great for
- Developers adding a rich text editor to a web app
- React teams who want official bindings and a documented quick start
- Projects that need real-time collaboration through Yjs integration
- Teams that want import/export to JSON, Markdown, or HTML
Not ideal for
- Non-developers looking for a ready-made word processor, since it is a framework with no standalone end-user app described in the README
- Projects that must support very old browsers, since it lists Chrome 86+, Firefox 115+, and Safari 15+
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js · npm or pnpm
Install Lexical with React bindings
npm install lexical @lexical/reactInstall dependencies for development
pnpm install - 2
Run it
- Install the lexical and @lexical/react packages with npm
- Copy the React example from the Quick Start into your app
- Wrap the editor in LexicalComposer with an initialConfig object
- Add PlainTextPlugin or a rich text setup, plus HistoryPlugin for undo/redo
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the Vanilla JS quick start if you do not use React
- Explore the examples folder for sample implementations
- Use the Playground (pnpm run start) to see working features locally
- Review the API reference at lexical.dev/docs/api
Downloads
Strengths
- Built-in accessibility support and WCAG compliance, per the README
- Framework-agnostic core with official React bindings
- Written in TypeScript with type definitions
Trade-offs
- Requires building your own editor UI from plugins and components, which takes development effort
- Browser support is limited to the listed recent versions
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lexical (this) | 24k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers adding a rich text editor to a web app |
| slate | 31.7k | Framework | advanced | 8 days ago | Developers building a custom rich text editor inside a web app |
| tiptap | 38.9k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers building a custom text editor into a web product |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.