Textarea Element vs Rich Text Editors

Developers should use the textarea element when building web forms that require multi-line text input, such as contact forms, blog comment sections, or content editors meets developers should learn and use rich text editors when building applications that require user-generated content, such as blogs, forums, cms platforms, or collaborative tools, to enhance usability and reduce the technical barrier for non-technical users. Here's our take.

Textarea Element

Nice Pick

Developers should use the textarea element when building web forms that require multi-line text input, such as contact forms, blog comment sections, or content editors

Pros

• It is essential for user-generated content scenarios where plain text input is needed, and it can be enhanced with CSS for styling and JavaScript for validation or auto-resize functionality
• Related to: html-forms, css-styling

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Rich Text Editors

Developers should learn and use rich text editors when building applications that require user-generated content, such as blogs, forums, CMS platforms, or collaborative tools, to enhance usability and reduce the technical barrier for non-technical users

Pros

• They are essential in scenarios where formatting flexibility is needed without exposing users to code, improving the overall user experience and productivity in content creation workflows
• Related to: javascript, react

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Textarea Element is a concept while Rich Text Editors is a tool. We picked Textarea Element based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Textarea Element wins

Based on overall popularity. Textarea Element is more widely used, but Rich Text Editors excels in its own space.