11 Best Free WYSIWYG HTML Editors / Visual Editor 2024
Alyssa Walker
A WYSIWYG is an editor that allows web developers to preview the end results before the actual interface or document is made live. The full form of WYSIWYG is “what you see is what you get”. This type of software allows you to edit content in a form so that it looks the same when displayed or printed.
There are numerous WYSIWYG editors that offer features like multi-view and multi-language support. It also offers a readymade layout to create websites, support for HTML5 and CSS3, etc.
Following is a handpicked list of Top WYSIWYG EDITOR, with their popular features and website links. The list contains both open-source (free) and commercial(paid) software. Read more…
Why Trust Our Best WYSIWYG HTML Editors Reviews?
It takes us countless hours and several days to dive headfirst into using these tools ourselves for the scoop you can trust. Our team of experts has tested over a thousand tools, so we can assure you that each one goes through a rigorous research process to make it to our list. Let’s take a clear-eyed look at Best WYSIWYG HTML Editors, ensuring you can pick the right one with confidence.
Best WYSIWYG Editors (Top Free Visual HTML Editor)
| Name | Platform | Free Trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👍 Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor | Mac, Windows and Linux | 30-Days Free Trial | Learn More |
| 👍 Zoho Creator | Android and iOS | 15-Days Free Trial | Learn More |
| Dreamweaver | Windows, Android and iOS | 7-Days Free Trial | Learn More |
| RocketCake | Windows, macOS | Unlimited | Learn More |
| Wix | Mac, Windows and Linux | 14-Days Free Trial | Learn More |
1) Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor
Over the course of my evaluation, I was pleased to see how Froala has crafted an editor that is not only easy to use but also backed by rigorously tested, high-quality code.
This editor supports compliance standards such as GDPR. Froala editor also offers inline editing and shortcut functionality at your fingertip. The shortcuts allow you to activate specific commands by using only the keyboard.
Features:
- Cross-Browser and Cross-Platform: No matter your preferred browser – Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, or another – this tool is at your service.
- Design: Froala offers a modern design that is retina-ready. It has an intuitive interface, SVG icons, a custom toolbar and style, pop-ups, and much more.
- Plugins: I often use the numerous add-ins and custom plugins it provides, such as Align, Char Counter, Code Beautifier, Code View, Draggable, and Embedly.
- Integrations: This feature rich editor seamlessly integrates with Filestack, Django, Flask, Java, PHP, and Ruby.
- Templates: Froala offers 170+ readymade templates, including footers, forms, headers, pricings, teams, testimonials, and more
- Programming Languages: It supports programming languages like Django, Flask, Java, PHP, and Ruby.
- Other Features: With Froala, you get real-time collaboration, live preview, and a drag-and-drop editor, along with multilingual support, syntax highlighting, a user-friendly interface, and dual view.
- Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows and Linux
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Offers a lifetime free plan and paid plan starting at $719 /year.
- Free Trial: 30 Days Free Trial
30-Days Free Trial
2) Zoho Creator
I recommend Zoho Creator for anyone looking to develop custom applications easily. My testing showed that its WYSIWYG editor, equipped with themes, styles, and automatic features, offers significant assistance to non-technical users.
With its user-friendly visual interface, individuals can design and build applications by dragging and dropping elements. Novice developers can easily define workflows for project management.
Features:
- AI Website Builder: From sentimental analysis to OCR, Zoho Creator offers your application an array of AI functionalities. With its no-code AI builder, create advanced applications with no formula or code algorithms.
- Seamless Integrations: Zoho Creator offers seamless integrations with over 600+ other popular applications, allowing you to connect and exchange data effortlessly. You can create your connector or drag and drop the in-built connector available.
- Multiplatform: Use Zoho Creator to access your applications on multiple devices; build mobile-friendly apps or access existing ones on smartphones and tablets, increasing flexibility and convenience.
- Data Management: With Zoho Creator, I benefit from robust data management, which includes capabilities for organizing, analyzing, reporting on data, and ensuring its security.
- Supported Platforms: iOS and Android
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Plans start at $8 a month.
- Free Trial: 15-Days Free Trial
15-Days Free Trial
3) Dreamweaver
I was impressed by Dreamweaver’s capacity to handle website creation from start to finish. During the research, the ability to upload websites to any server without hassle was particularly notable.
It seamlessly integrates with Fireworks and Flash. You get ready-made templates for blogs, e-commerce, newsletters, and portfolios. Dreamweaver supports compliance standards such as GDPR and provides numerous plugins like code view.
Features:
- Flexible Coding: Leverage simplified coding with this tool to create, code, and manage effective websites. Gain access to code hints, and learn and edit multiple web standards, CSS, and HTML pages. You have the freedom to customize your workspace however you like.
- Up and Running Instantly: Quickly set up your sites with customizable starter templates. Easily build e-commerce sites, About pages, blogs, portfolios, and newsletters.
- New Features: Dreamweaver introduces a range of new features like keyboard shortcuts, a file manager, enhanced linking and navigation, customizable workspaces and views, jQuery widgets and effects, and a visually oriented application builder.
- Programming Languages: This tool supports programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Other Features: Enjoy flexible coding, seamless live view editing, a user-friendly interface, and multi-monitor support, as well as real-time collaboration, live preview, a drag-and-drop editor, multilingual options, syntax highlighting, and dual view with this tool.
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Android and iOS
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Plans start at $22.99 a month.
- Free Trial: 7 Days Free Trial
7-Days Free Trial
4) RocketCake
While examining RocketCake, I particularly appreciated its straightforward WYSIWYG interface, which allows for easy creation of responsive websites. The choice between free and professional versions caters to various budgets and needs.
It is a very easy-to-use editor with an integrated FTP client. RocketCake allows one-click website publishing and works with any web server. It also has various pre-created templates.
Features:
- WYSIWYG Editor: I can edit the website right as it appears on my device, plus it gives me the flexibility to switch and edit on a tablet, PC, or mobile whenever I need.
- Built-in Support: RocketCake offers built-in support for HTML elements such as navigation menus, image galleries, slideshows, and resizable containers. You can utilize buttons, gradients, HTML 5 video, and audio in your designs with RocketCake.
- Clean Generated Code: This editor offers clean HTML code and the ability to insert personal code. It is also suitable as a base for intricate websites and server script templates.
- Breakpoint Editor: RocketCake helps you specify your own breakpoints so you can adjust the website just as you like. The flexible breakpoint editor makes it extremely easy.
- Supported Platforms: Windows and macOS
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- It has a lifetime free edition. The pro edition costs €49.
Unlimited Free Trial
5) Wix
I recommend Wix for anyone new to website building due to its easy drag-and-drop interface and comprehensive template selection. Crafting professional websites becomes a reality with the accessibility and practicality offered by these features.
This website builder supports programming languages like .NET and Java, offering multilingual stores and syntax highlighting. It also supports compliance standards such as PCI DSS and HIPAA. This tool provides numerous plugins like Simple Maps and PitchPrint.
Features:
- Unique Design: With Wix, tap into an extensive suite of design features including rich libraries of visual content that can be customized to your preferences, from color schemes to font styles, ideal for personal blogs, portfolios, or online stores.
- Advanced Functionalities: Leverage Velo from Wix to build websites with complex features, offering custom interactions and functionalities developed via JavaScript and APIs.
- Integrations: I have seamlessly integrated it with Salesforce, Google Sheets, Twitter, and Mailchimp in my workflow.
- Other Features: Wix offers total design freedom, mobile optimization, unlimited web fonts, scroll effects, and advanced design. It also includes real-time collaboration, live preview, drag-and-drop editor, and dual view.
- Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows and Linux
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- It offers a lifetime free plan, and paid plans start at $16 a month.
- Free Trial: 14 Days Free Trial
14-Days Free Trial
6) Apache NetBeans
Throughout my assessment, I particularly appreciated NetBeans’ versatility in handling multiple programming languages and its capability to upgrade applications to the new Java 13 language constructs.
It integrates with Mantis and offers readymade templates for files, code, and projects. Apache NetBeans supports compliance standards such as GDPR. Furthermore, it provides numerous plugins, such as Figletize, SpringBoot, Codename, Twig, and Yoda.
Features:
- WYSIWYG Editor: The free WYSIWYG HTML editor helps you produce error-free code and accelerates the development of user interfaces, complete with application frameworks.
- Smart Editing: In my work, I use this lightweight editor for swift and sharp editing because it highlights source code in semantic and syntactic terms and streamlines the refactoring process.
- Supported Languages: This open-source visual HTML editor supports programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, PHP, HTML5, and CSS.
- Other Features: Apache NetBeans provides XML editing, multilingual, syntax highlighting, cross-platform editing, and dual view.
- Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux, and all OS that supports JAVA.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Free Download
Link: https://netbeans.apache.org/front/main/index.html
7) Notepad++
While conducting my evaluation, I particularly appreciated Notepad++ for its speed and efficiency. This free-to-use code editor, built on pure win32 API, provides exceptional execution speed and compact program size, operating exclusively in the Windows environment.
This editor seamlessly integrates with Git VSCode and offers readymade document templates. Notepad also supports compliance standards such as GDPR. This free WYSIWYG HTML editor offers macro recording and playback facilities. Additionally, it includes auto-completion features for words and functions.
Features:
- Syntax and Extension: Notepad++ supports user-defined syntax highlighting and code folding for web languages.
- Project Management: The Notepad++ source code is hosted on GitHub, complete with contributor guidelines and more.
- Programming Support: Supports various programming languages, including JSP, LaTeX, and Matlab.
- Plugin Integration: Features plugins like ActiveX for a WYSIWYG HTML editor, along with various automation options.
- Editing Features: Offers functionalities like live preview, drag-and-drop editing, and multilingual XML editing.
- Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows and Linux
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Free Download
Link: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
8) Google Web Designer
I recommend Google Web Designer for anyone looking to create visually engaging HTML5 content. It makes adding animations and interactive features a breeze, so it’s no wonder it’s a favorite among web designers!
It supports programming languages like HTML, CSS code, and JavaScript. This platform offers custom-readymade templates and lets you choose from different HTML editing modes, such as easy and advanced.
Features:
- Comprehensive Development Tools: Offers HTML, CSS, JavaScript editing, full design suite, and plugins for creating engaging HTML5 content.
- Ad Creation Flexibility: Google Web Designer provides a dynamic workflow with varied display and video ad formats and responsive ad support.
- Seamless Platform Integration: Integrates with Display and Video 360, Google Ads, Campaign Manager 360, and Google Drive for efficient management.
- Enhanced Design Features: Offers animations, a complete components library, and enables interactive, multilingual content creation.
- Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows and Linux
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Free Download
Link: https://webdesigner.withgoogle.com
9) Sublime Text
During my analysis, I particularly appreciated Sublime Text for its wide language support, including JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby. This HTML code editor performs seamlessly on OS X, Windows, and Linux.
It offers readymade templates for quick, theme, and file. This platform supports compliance standards such as GDPR and handles UTF8 BOMs in .gitignore files. It includes display badges for folders and files to indicate Git status. Additionally, the changes to a file are represented by markers available in the gutter.
Features:
- High-Performance UI Rendering: Utilizes GPU across Linux, Windows, and Mac for smooth UI experiences up to 8K resolution.
- API Enhancement: I am impressed that, with the update to Python 3.8, the API now allows for advanced features and better plugin integration, including LSP support.
- Integration Capability: This WYSIWYG HTML editor integrates seamlessly with tools like Git, Prettierd, and Vim for efficient coding.
- Advanced Editing Features: With Sublime Text, enjoy enhanced syntax definitions, multi-select tabs, a modern user interface, and real-time collaboration features.
- Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows and Linux
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Plans start at $99, a one-time fee
- Free Trial: Lifetime Free Basic Plan
Link: https://www.sublimetext.com
10) TinyMCE
Throughout the appraisal process, I particularly liked how TinyMCE facilitated the development of tools for Atlassian and provided extensive compatibility with frameworks like Angular and RAILS. Seamless GDPR support adds another layer of value to this already impressive platform.
It provides numerous plugins like Autolink, Autosave, Code, Spellchecker, Searchreplace, and bbcode. TinyMCE supports programming languages like Rust, TypeScript, Elixir, Julia, Python, and Go. It is also modern, mobile-ready, enterprise-grade, and offers dynamic file upload for any browser.
Features:
- Comprehensive Editing Tools: This tool features an advanced list, accordion, anchor, auto-link, auto-resize, auto-save, character maps, and code functionality.
- Enhanced Content Creation: TinyMCE includes an advanced code editor, tables, case change, checklist, and superior image and media embedding capabilities.
- Wide Framework Compatibility: Personally, I can confirm it integrates seamlessly with Angular, Blazor, Bootstrap, Django, jQuery, Laravel, Rails, React, and other major frameworks.
- Collaborative and Versatile Platform: It supports real-time collaboration, user-friendly drag-and-drop editing, multilingual options, syntax highlighting, and extensive file management tools.
- Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows and Linux
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Plans start at $80 a month.
- Free Trial: Lifetime Free Basic Plan
Link: https://www.tiny.cloud
11) CKEditor
While conducting my evaluation, I recommend CKEditor to any developer looking for an advanced WYSIWYG editor with strong collaborative capabilities. This platform leverages seamless data integration from Microsoft Office Suite applications (Excel and Word) and empowers users with advanced features like autocomplete widgets to optimize productivity.
This HTML editor is a GDPR complaint as well as section 508 and WCAG 2.0 AA complaint. It provides numerous plugins like autocorrect, flexible autocomplete feature, code mirror, and code editor. Moreover, it offers readymade templates for content and supports programming languages like VB.NET, C#, Java, and PHP.
Features:
- Secure File Management: CKBox allows secure uploading, serving, and storing of images and files, complemented by CK Finder for file management.
- Productivity and Collaboration Tools: My productivity benefits from auto-formatting and robust collaboration tools that streamline tracking changes, adding comments, and handling mentions.
- Framework Integration: CKEditor offers seamless integration with Richfaces, FCKeditor, Dialogs, Dojo, and Cutenews for enhanced usability.
- Comprehensive Editing Features: Includes spell and grammar checks, image editor, revision history, drag-and-drop, XML editing, multilingual support, and dual-view capabilities.
- Supported Platforms: Windows and Mac
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Request a quote from the sales
- Free Trial: Lifetime Free Basic Plan
Link: https://ckeditor.com
What does WYSIWYG Stand for?
The WYSIWYG full form is “What You See Is What You Get.”
What is a WYSIWYG HTML Editor?
WYSIWYG HTML editor is code editing software that allows developers to preview the end results before the actual interface is built. It helps developers edit content in a form that looks the same when it is displayed or printed. Support is available for multi-view and multi-language settings.
How to Choose a WYSIWYG HTML Editor?
You should consider the following factors to choose the right WYSIWYG editor:
- A WYSIWYG editor should highlight the syntax
- It should allow you to quickly go to the definition of classes, objects, or methods
- It should support shortcuts for ease of access
- It must provide easy to use user interface
- A WYSIWYG editor must offer a multi-view and multi-language support
- It should provide many libraries for writing HTML code
- A WYSIWYG editor application should automatically complete the code
Verdict
Drawing on my in-depth review of these tools, I find Froala’s modern interface, Zoho Creator’s user-friendly application building, and Dreamweaver’s powerful editing capabilities ideally suited for high-quality web development. These would be my Top 3 recommendations