Pell
What it is
Pell is a free, self-hosted WYSIWYG text editor for web projects. Written in pure JavaScript using ES6, it has no dependencies and is listed at 1.38 kB minified and gzipped. Its built-in formatting actions cover bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, headings, paragraphs, quotes, lists, code, horizontal rules, links, and images. Developers can add custom actions and choose which controls appear and in what order. Pell's styles can be adjusted through its Sass file or by overriding CSS. The onChange callback supplies the editor's HTML output; the project also demonstrates converting that HTML to Markdown with Turndown. Installation is documented through npm or by adding a browser script and stylesheet. React and Vue examples are linked. Listed browser support includes IE 9+, Chrome 5+, Firefox 4+, Safari 5+, and Opera 11.6+. Pell is released under the MIT license, which provides the software as-is without warranty.
For and against
For
- No dependencies; written in pure JavaScript and ES6.
- Includes common text, list, link, and image formatting.
- Custom actions and control ordering are supported.
- Free under the MIT license.
Against
- Self-hosted for web use.
- The MIT license provides the software without warranty.
The verdict
Pell offers core rich-text editing controls in a small, dependency-free package, with options to customize actions and styling. It is a fit for developers comfortable integrating and hosting a web editor themselves.
Who it suits
Pell suits developers who want a small editor to include in a web project and customize with their own actions or styling. Its React and Vue examples may help teams using either framework.
Plans and prices
pell
No price or usage limits stated
Read 10 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Browser support
- The README lists IE 9+, Chrome 5+, Firefox 4+, Safari 5+, and Opera 11.6+ as supported browsers, describing IE support as theoretical.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Custom actions
- The README says developers can create custom actions and choose which actions appear and in what order.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Pell can be styled by editing its Sass file or overriding its CSS, and its class names can be customized.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Formatting
- Included actions cover bold, italic, underline, strike-through, headings, paragraphs, quotes, lists, code, horizontal rules, links, and images.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Implementation
- Pell is written in pure JavaScript using ES6 and has no dependencies.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The README documents installation with npm or by including CSS and JavaScript from unpkg in an HTML page.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Integration
- The README links React and Vue framework examples.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- License
- Pell is released under the MIT License, which permits use, copying, modification, distribution, sublicensing, and sale subject to its stated conditions.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- The package metadata names Jared Reich as the author.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Output
- The editor's onChange callback provides HTML output, and the README demonstrates converting that HTML to Markdown with Turndown.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Pell is a small WYSIWYG text editor for the web with no dependencies.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Security
- The repository's Security and quality page displays zero security advisories.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Size
- The README lists Pell at 1.38 kB minified and gzipped, and 3.54 kB minified.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Technology
- It is written in pure JavaScript and ES6, with no dependencies.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
- Warranty
- The MIT license provides the software “AS IS” without warranty.github.com · read 10 Oct 2026
