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Squire

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What Squire is

Squire is a free, open-source HTML5 rich text editor for web applications handling arbitrary HTML. It normalizes browser differences and was created for email composition in Fastmail, including forwarded and quoted HTML from other messages. Its API provides formatting, links, lists, blockquotes, code, alignment, undo, redo, and HTML insertion and retrieval. Images can be inserted by URL, and applications can respond to image paste events. Squire is intentionally lightweight: the README describes 16KB of JavaScript after minification and gzip, with no dependencies. It fits an application’s existing interface rather than supplying its own toolbar, widgets, or overlays. Developers can install it with npm or load the JavaScript file through a script tag. It supports reasonably recent browsers but no Internet Explorer versions. Developers must safely convert raw HTML into DOM nodes; DOMPurify or a configured sanitizer can be used. The project uses the MIT license and is self-hosted.

Who it suits

Squire suits developers embedding rich-text or email editing into a web application. It is useful when a small dependency-free editor and an application-controlled interface are priorities.

What it does well

  • Free and open source under MIT license
  • 16KB gzipped and minified
  • No runtime dependencies
  • Email-focused HTML handling
  • Formatting, links, lists, and code API

What to know first

  • No built-in toolbar or widgets
  • Internet Explorer is unsupported
  • Requires safe HTML sanitization
  • Web platform only

Verdict

Squire provides a compact editor core for applications that need arbitrary HTML and email-oriented behavior. Teams must build the surrounding interface and handle HTML safety themselves.

Facts from Squire's own pages

Browser support
Squire supports reasonably recent browsers and no longer supports any version of Internet Explorer. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Designed for email
Squire was designed for email composition in the Fastmail web app and preserves HTML from third-party emails. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Email composition
Squire was designed for email composition in the Fastmail web app, including forwarding and quoting third-party HTML. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Features
The API includes formatting, links, lists, blockquotes, code, undo and redo, and HTML insertion and retrieval. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Formatting
Squire provides editor methods for text formatting, links, lists, code, text alignment, and quote levels. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Installation
The README documents installation with npm install squire-rte and use through JavaScript imports or a script tag. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Integration
Squire is designed to fit into an application's own UI and does not provide its own toolbar, widgets, or overlays. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Integration options
The README documents installing Squire with npm or loading its JavaScript file through a script tag. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Integrations
The README names Fastmail, Proton Mail, SnappyMail, StartMail, Tutanota, Zoho Mail, Superhuman, Teamwork Desk, and Google Earth as users. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
License
Squire is released under the MIT license. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Lightweight
The README describes it as 16KB of JavaScript after minification and gzip, with no dependencies. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Maker
Fastmail says it is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has operated as an independent email service since 1999. · fastmail.com, 11 Oct 2026
Maker and headquarters
Fastmail says it is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. · fastmail.com, 5 Oct 2026
Maker history
Fastmail says it has been an independent email service since 1999. · fastmail.com, 5 Oct 2026
Package size
The README describes Squire as a lightweight package of 16KB of JavaScript after minification and gzip, with no dependencies. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Product
Squire is an HTML5 rich text editor designed to handle arbitrary HTML with cross-browser normalization. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Production use
The README lists Fastmail, Proton Mail, SnappyMail, StartMail, Tutanota, Zoho Mail, Superhuman, Teamwork Desk, and Google Earth as users. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Purpose
Squire is an HTML5 rich text editor for arbitrary HTML. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Security
The README says users must safely convert raw HTML into DOM nodes and that Squire integrates with DOMPurify when it is present. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Support
The README asks bug reporters to reproduce issues using the repository's Demo.html to help distinguish editor bugs from integration bugs. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026

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