DOMPurify alternatives
If you're looking for alternatives to DOMPurify, there are several libraries that can help with sanitizing HTML and preventing XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks, depending on your specific needs. Here are some notable options:
sanitize-html
A JavaScript library that cleans up HTML by allowing you to specify which tags and attributes are permitted. It’s highly configurable and built on htmlparser2 for speed and tolerance.
Best for: Scenarios where you need fine-grained control over allowed elements and attributes, such as cleaning up rich text editor output.
Pros: Flexible, works well with messy HTML, and doesn’t discard content by default unless explicitly configured.
Cons: Requires more setup compared to DOMPurify’s secure defaults, and it’s slightly less DOM-focused.
js-xss
A lightweight XSS sanitizer that focuses on filtering HTML strings. It’s designed to be simple and fast, with a customizable whitelist of tags and attributes.
Best for: Projects needing a minimal, string-based sanitizer without DOM manipulation.
Pros: Small footprint, easy to use, and good for basic sanitization tasks.
Cons: Less robust than DOMPurify for complex HTML structures and lacks DOM-specific features.
isomorphic-dompurify
While technically a wrapper around DOMPurify, it’s worth mentioning as an alternative for isomorphic (server and client-side) applications. It simplifies using DOMPurify in environments like Next.js by handling DOM initialization differences.
Best for: Projects needing DOMPurify’s power in both Node.js and browser contexts seamlessly.
Pros: Same security as DOMPurify with added isomorphic support.
Cons: Still relies on DOMPurify, so it’s not a distinct alternative in functionality.
Interweave
A React library for safely rendering HTML without using dangerouslySetInnerHTML. It includes built-in XSS protection and can autolink content or render emojis.
Best for: React applications where you want to avoid raw HTML rendering entirely.
Pros: Safer React integration, avoids direct DOM manipulation risks.
Cons: Limited to React ecosystems and less general-purpose than DOMPurify.
html-react-parser
While not a sanitizer itself, this library parses HTML into React elements, offering a safer alternative to dangerouslySetInnerHTML when paired with a sanitizer like DOMPurify or js-xss.
Best for: React applications where you want to avoid raw HTML rendering entirely.
Pros: Safer than raw HTML injection, lightweight, customizable.
Cons: No built-in sanitization, React-only, slower for large HTML.
Each of these alternatives has trade-offs. DOMPurify stands out for its DOM-based approach, speed, and broad support for HTML, SVG, and MathML, making it a gold standard for XSS prevention. If you need something lighter or more specific, sanitize-html or js-xss might suffice, but they may not match DOMPurify’s robustness. For server-side or isomorphic needs, isomorphic-dompurify could be a practical extension rather than a replacement. Choose based on your project’s complexity, environment, and security requirements!