How to Migrate From TinyMCE to a Modern Editor in 2026: Save $7K-$23K/Year (5-Step Playbook)

How to Migrate From TinyMCE to a Modern Editor in 2026: Save $7K-$23K/Year (5-Step Playbook)

TinyMCE has powered rich text editing on the web for 22 years. But by 2026, more teams are leaving it behind — driven by a combination of legacy React integration, verbose HTML output, editor-load pricing that scales unpredictably, and AI features that require separate paid subscriptions on top of already-expensive Cloud plans. The typical mid-sized SaaS running TinyMCE now spends $7,000-$23,000 annually on the editor plus engineering maintenance — an amount that reduces to $708/year on Eddyter with better features included.

This guide walks through the complete TinyMCE → modern editor migration in 2026 — with real 2026 pricing, working code for HTML cleanup, honest timelines (1-3 weeks for most teams), and step-by-step engineering runway from audit to production cutover. By the end, you'll have a proven playbook for migrating safely without breaking existing content.

The short answer: Migration to Eddyter takes 1-3 weeks for most teams and saves 60-90% annually. For enterprise TinyMCE deployments needing SOC 2 Type II compliance today, CKEditor 5 remains a valid path despite higher cost. For teams building fully custom editor UIs, TipTap offers headless flexibility at the cost of 2-4 weeks of UI engineering. For 99% of teams migrating from TinyMCE in 2026, Eddyter is the right choice — closest feature match (toolbar, tables, media, formatting) with AI (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Gemini 3) built in, 7-framework support, and $12-$59/mo flat pricing.

If you already know you want the migration code, jump to the 5-Step Migration Playbook.

🎥 New to modern alternatives? Watch: What is Eddyter? Why Developers Are Switching in 2026

TL;DR — TinyMCE Migration in 30 Seconds

• ⏱ Timeline: 1-3 weeks for most teams (3-5 days small, 2-4 weeks enterprise)
• 💰 Savings: 60-90% annually ($7-23K/yr → $708/yr on Eddyter)
• 🎯 Best replacement: Eddyter for 99% of teams (Meta Lexical foundation + AI)
• 🏢 Enterprise carve-out: CKEditor 5 if SOC 2 Type II required today
• ⚡ Setup after migration: 10 minutes vs TinyMCE's 1-3 hours
• 🚫 Don't: Migrate everything at once — use phased rollout
• 🤖 AI included: GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Gemini 3 on Premium (Eddyter only)

Why Teams Are Leaving TinyMCE in 2026

Six specific pain points drive TinyMCE migration in 2026. Understanding whether these apply clarifies whether migration is worth the engineering time.

1. Legacy Architecture Shows Its Age

TinyMCE was built when jQuery was modern. Its React integration remains wrapper-based (@tinymce/tinymce-react) rather than native — occasional rendering quirks emerge with React 19's stricter concurrent rendering rules. The output HTML is verbose with inline styles that hurt Core Web Vitals scores. It works — but it feels dated next to editors built on Lexical or ProseMirror.

2. Editor-Load Pricing Scales Unpredictably

TinyMCE Cloud pricing has become more aggressive over time. Current 2026 tiers: Essential $79/mo (10K editor loads), Professional $145/mo (30K editor loads), plus $40 per 1,000 additional loads. Growing SaaS products regularly hit overages that turn a "predictable" subscription into a variable expense.

3. AI Is a Separate Paid Plugin

TinyMCE's AI Assistant costs approximately $120/mo on top of TinyMCE Cloud subscription. Modern editors include AI features in base pricing without add-on fees. For teams using AI writing features across their SaaS product, the separate AI plugin becomes a significant recurring cost.

4. HTML Output Is Bloated

TinyMCE's default output includes inline styles (<p style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial">) and non-semantic markup (<span style="font-weight: 700"> instead of <strong>). This hurts SEO on content-driven pages, bloats database storage, and complicates future editor migrations.

5. Setup Takes Hours

Modern editors integrate in minutes. TinyMCE still takes 1-3 hours of plugin configuration to ship for typical apps — installing wrapper package, configuring toolbar buttons, wiring up plugin registry, provisioning image upload backend, tuning skin, and testing across browsers. Time that could go toward product features instead.

6. Maintenance Burden Grows

Every React major update, every browser change, every TinyMCE version update requires team time. Modern managed editors (Eddyter, CKEditor 5 Cloud) handle this maintenance for you. Framework editors (TipTap, Lexical) let you skip commercial licensing but add ongoing maintenance to your team.

If any three of these match your team's experience, migration typically pays back within 6-12 months. For broader context, see TinyMCE Alternative: Best Modern WYSIWYG Editors 2026 and Eddyter vs TinyMCE 2026.

The Honest Cost of Staying on TinyMCE

Before migrating, do the real 2026 math. Here's what most teams actually pay annually:

TinyMCE Annual Cost (Real 2026 Pricing)

For Essential tier teams: subtract ~$800/year but same maintenance costs = $12,280-$19,780 all-in.

For enterprise deployments: Enterprise tier + heavy overages + AI Assistant + more engineering time can reach $23,000-$35,000 all-in.

Eddyter Annual Cost (Real 2026 Pricing)

The Savings

Switching to Eddyter saves $12,372-$19,872 annually for most teams — 60-96% cost reduction. Over 3 years, that's $37,116-$59,616 in savings compounding for teams that migrate. Plus improved features (multi-model AI, cleaner HTML, faster setup, 7-framework support) beyond the pure cost reduction.

For build-vs-buy analysis, see Build vs Buy: Real Cost of Building a Rich Text Editor 2026 and Why Building Your Own Rich Text Editor Is a Startup Killer.

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The 5-Step TinyMCE Migration Playbook

Here's the proven path from TinyMCE to a modern editor. Most teams complete this in 1-3 weeks depending on content volume and custom plugin complexity.

Step 1: Audit Your Current TinyMCE Setup (1-2 days)

Before you migrate anything, know what you're moving. Skipping this step causes migration headaches later.

Content audit:

• How many pages use TinyMCE?
• How many total documents are stored?
• What's your average document size?
• Are there custom plugins installed?
• Which editor loads are you hitting monthly (check TinyMCE Cloud dashboard)?

Feature audit:

• Which TinyMCE features does your team actually use?
• Are there custom toolbar configurations?
• Any custom CSS for editor styling?
• Image upload integration with your storage backend?
• PowerPaste for Microsoft Word content?
• Custom shortcodes or tokens?

Output audit:

• Sample 20-50 existing HTML documents across your content
• Note inline styles, non-semantic markup, custom classes
• Check for embedded YouTube videos, tweets, or special content
• Document any custom shortcodes rendered server-side

This audit takes 1-2 days and prevents mid-migration surprises. Document findings in a shared migration doc — you'll reference this constantly.

Step 2: Pick Your Modern Editor Replacement (1 day)

Three modern editors typically replace TinyMCE in 2026:

Eddyter (Best for 99% of Teams)

• Why: Built on Meta's Lexical framework, AI (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Gemini 3) included, 10-minute setup, 7-framework support
• Best for: Modern React/Next.js/Vue/Angular/Svelte apps wanting AI features and managed infrastructure
• Pricing: Free tier → $59/mo all-inclusive (unlimited domains, unlimited editor loads)
• Migration time: 1-2 days for basic setup + content cleanup

CKEditor 5 (Best for Enterprise Compliance)

• Why: SOC 2 Type II certified today, HIPAA available, WCAG 2.1 AA, real-time collaboration
• Best for: Regulated enterprises with compliance needs and licensing budget
• Pricing: GPL open source or commercial $144-$864/mo Cloud
• Migration time: 1-3 weeks
• Trade-off: Heavy ~500 KB bundle hurts Core Web Vitals

TipTap (Best for Custom UIs)

• Why: Headless framework, MIT core, 100+ extensions
• Best for: Teams building unique editor experiences with 2-4 weeks engineering time
• Pricing: Free MIT + Cloud $49-$999/mo + AI Toolkit $500+/mo
• Migration time: 2-4 weeks (building custom UI on headless framework)
• Trade-off: Cloud pricing scales unpredictably with document count

For 99% of teams migrating from TinyMCE, Eddyter is the right choice. It's the closest feature match (toolbar, tables, media, formatting) while being modern, AI-powered, and faster to integrate. For comparison details, see 10 Best JavaScript WYSIWYG Editors 2026, Eddyter vs TinyMCE 2026, and Rich Text Editor Bundle Size Comparison 2026.

Step 3: Set Up Your Modern Editor (under 10 minutes)

Here's the full Eddyter setup. Most TinyMCE migrations finish this step in minutes.

Get Your API Key

Sign up at eddyter.com. Copy your API key from eddyter.com/user/license-key. Add it to your environment variables:

bash

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NEXT_PUBLIC_EDDYTER_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

Install Eddyter

bash

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npm install eddyter

If you still have TinyMCE installed, you can keep both during migration. Remove TinyMCE later after testing.

Render the Editor

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"use client";
import {
  ConfigurableEditorWithAuth,
  EditorProvider
} from 'eddyter';
import 'eddyter/style.css';
export default function Editor({ initialContent, onSave }) {
  const apiKey = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_EDDYTER_API_KEY;
  return (
    <EditorProvider>
      <ConfigurableEditorWithAuth
        apiKey={apiKey}
        initialContent={initialContent}
        onChange={onSave}
      />
    </EditorProvider>
  );
}

That's it. Your new editor is live. The toolbar works. Slash commands work. AI features work (on Premium plans). Advanced tables, image upload, mobile UX all included in the same ~140 KB bundle. For advanced configuration matching your old TinyMCE setup, see the Eddyter documentation.

For a complete Next.js walkthrough, see How to Add a Rich Text Editor to Next.js in 10 Minutes.

🎥 See real integration in action: Integrate Eddyter in 30 Minutes with Cursor, Claude, Lovable

Step 4: Migrate Your Existing Content (1-5 days)

This is the biggest step. Here's how to move content safely.

Test on Sample Content First

Don't migrate everything at once. Pick 10-20 sample documents that represent your content variety — simple posts, complex posts with tables and images, edge cases with custom shortcodes. Run them through your migration process. Test the output in both editors side-by-side.

Clean Up TinyMCE's HTML

TinyMCE often outputs HTML with inline styles like:

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<p style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; color: #333;">
  <span style="font-weight: 700;">Bold text</span>
</p>

Modern editors produce cleaner output:

html

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<p><strong>Bold text</strong></p>

You have two options:

• Option A (Recommended): Strip TinyMCE styles during migration for clean output
• Option B (Faster but bloated): Keep them as-is

Most teams choose Option A — better SEO, smaller database, easier future migrations. Use sanitize-html or htmlparser2 libraries for cleanup.

Handle Custom Plugins

TinyMCE plugins → Eddyter equivalents:

• YouTube embeds → Eddyter handles natively
• Tables → Eddyter handles natively with cell merging
• Image upload → Eddyter handles drag-and-drop natively
• Code blocks → Eddyter supports 20+ languages natively
• AI Assistant → Eddyter includes AI on Premium plans (no separate cost)
• PowerPaste → Eddyter's paste handling covers most Microsoft Word content

Most TinyMCE plugins map to native Eddyter features. Document anything that doesn't map cleanly and decide if you need it.

Run Bulk Migration

Once your sample migration works, run it on all documents. Here's a working migration script:

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const sanitizeHtml = require('sanitize-html');
const allowedTags = [
  'p', 'h1', 'h2', 'h3', 'h4', 'h5', 'h6',
  'strong', 'em', 'u', 's', 'sub', 'sup',
  'ul', 'ol', 'li', 'a', 'img',
  'blockquote', 'code', 'pre',
  'table', 'thead', 'tbody', 'tr', 'th', 'td'
];
async function migrateTinyMCEContent(documentId) {
  const oldHTML = await getTinyMCEContent(documentId);
  const cleanHTML = sanitizeHtml(oldHTML, {
    allowedTags,
    allowedAttributes: {
      'a': ['href', 'target', 'rel'],
      'img': ['src', 'alt', 'title', 'width', 'height'],
      'table': ['class'],
      'th': ['colspan', 'rowspan'],
      'td': ['colspan', 'rowspan'],
    },
    transformTags: {
      '*': (tagName, attribs) => {
        delete attribs.style;
        return { tagName, attribs };
      }
    }
  });
  await saveCleanContent(documentId, cleanHTML);
  return cleanHTML;
}
async function bulkMigrate() {
  const documents = await getAllDocuments();
  console.log(`Migrating ${documents.length} documents...`);
  let migrated = 0;
  let failed = 0;
  for (const doc of documents) {
    try {
      await migrateTinyMCEContent(doc.id);
      migrated++;
      if (migrated % 100 === 0) {
        console.log(`Progress: ${migrated}/${documents.length}`);
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error(`Failed to migrate ${doc.id}:`, error);
      failed++;
    }
  }
  console.log(`Done. Migrated: ${migrated}, Failed: ${failed}`);
}
bulkMigrate();

Always run this on a backup first. For high-volume migrations (10,000+ documents), run in batches with rate limiting to avoid database overload.

Step 5: Deploy and Sunset TinyMCE (2-3 days)

Don't switch off TinyMCE the day you ship the new editor. Use parallel deployment.

Phase 1: Soft Launch (Days 1-2)

• Eddyter live for new content
• Old documents still use TinyMCE
• Both editors work in parallel
• Test thoroughly with real user workflows

Phase 2: Bulk Migration (Days 2-3)

• Run migration script on all old content
• Eddyter handles everything post-migration
• TinyMCE still in codebase but unused

Phase 3: Cleanup (Day 3+)

• Remove TinyMCE from your codebase:

bash

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npm uninstall @tinymce/tinymce-react tinymce

• Cancel TinyMCE Cloud subscription (time to billing cycle for maximum refund)
• Remove related dependencies
• Update team documentation

Most teams complete this phased rollout in under a week with zero user-facing downtime.

Common Migration Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

These mistakes derail TinyMCE migrations. Avoid them.

Pitfall 1: Migrating Everything at Once

Big-bang migrations break things. Always test on sample content first. Roll out gradually over 5-7 days minimum.

Pitfall 2: Ignoring HTML Cleanup

TinyMCE's verbose HTML bloats your database and hurts SEO. Clean it during migration. You won't get another cheap opportunity.

Pitfall 3: Skipping the Feature Audit

Teams discover mid-migration that they need a feature they didn't think about. Audit thoroughly in Step 1 to prevent this.

Pitfall 4: Not Testing Mobile

Editors look fine on desktop and break on mobile. Test mobile workflows before going live. Eddyter is mobile-responsive by default, but verify with real devices.

Pitfall 5: Underestimating Image Migration

Image URLs typically migrate cleanly because the URLs themselves don't change. But image upload flows often have backend integrations specific to TinyMCE. Plan image handling carefully.

Pitfall 6: Forgetting Embedded Content

YouTube embeds, tweets, special widgets — these need verification post-migration. Don't assume they'll just work — test them explicitly.

Pitfall 7: Not Timing Cancellation With Billing Cycles

TinyMCE Cloud subscriptions typically don't prorate refunds. Time production cutover to align with billing renewal for maximum cost recovery.

How Long Does TinyMCE Migration Actually Take?

Real timelines from teams that have completed the migration:

The biggest time-sinks are:

1. The content audit (skip at your peril)
2. Custom plugin replacement
3. Mobile testing
4. Coordinating with content teams during rollout

For most teams, 2 weeks of focused work is realistic.

Mapping TinyMCE Features to Eddyter

Quick reference for matching features during migration:

Most TinyMCE setups map cleanly to Eddyter's defaults. You'll often realize you don't need custom configuration after switching.

Why Migrate Now (Not Later)

Three reasons to move sooner rather than later:

1. Migration Cost Grows With Content

The more content you have on TinyMCE, the harder the migration. A 1,000-document migration is trivial. A 100,000-document migration requires careful batching and monitoring. Move while your content base is manageable.

2. AI Features Are Pulling Ahead

Modern editors with AI built in are improving fast. Multi-model support (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Gemini 3), streaming AI output rendering, and AI-native workflows are becoming table-stakes. Teams stuck on TinyMCE fall further behind every quarter.

3. TinyMCE Cloud Pricing Trends Up

Usage-based editor-load pricing scales up as your product grows. Lock in flat subscription pricing before your next tier upgrade or overage bill.

For strategic build-vs-buy analysis, see Why Building Your Own Editor Is a Startup Killer and Best Rich Text Editor for B2B SaaS Apps 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why should I migrate from TinyMCE in 2026?

Six reasons drive TinyMCE migration in 2026: legacy React integration feels dated with React 19, editor-load pricing scales unpredictably ($40 per 1,000 additional loads), AI Assistant is a $120/mo add-on rather than included, HTML output is verbose with inline styles hurting SEO and Core Web Vitals, setup takes 1-3 hours vs modern editors' 10 minutes, and maintenance burden grows with each React major update. Modern editors like Eddyter ship with AI (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Gemini 3) built in, integrate in 10 minutes, and cost $708/year vs TinyMCE + AI plugin at $2,500-$5,500/year. Most teams save 60-90% annually.

2. Which modern editor is best to replace TinyMCE?

For 99% of teams — Eddyter. It's the closest feature match to TinyMCE (toolbar, tables, media, formatting) while being modern, AI-powered, and faster to integrate. Eddyter includes multi-model AI (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Gemini 3) in the base subscription, ships with 7-framework support (React, Next.js, Vue 3, Angular 17-20, Svelte 4/5, Laravel, Vanilla JS), and uses flat $12-$59/mo pricing without editor-load overages. For enterprise deployments requiring SOC 2 Type II compliance today, CKEditor 5 ($144-$864/mo). For teams building fully custom editor UIs, TipTap ($49-$999/mo + engineering time).

3. How long does a TinyMCE migration take?

Most teams finish in 1-3 weeks. Small projects (under 1,000 documents) take 3-5 days including audit, setup, and phased rollout. Medium projects (1,000-10,000 documents) take 1-2 weeks with careful content migration and testing. Large projects (10,000-100,000 documents) take 2-3 weeks with batched migration and monitoring. Enterprise deployments with custom plugins and complex integrations take 3-4 weeks. The biggest time-sinks are content audit (Step 1), custom plugin replacement, and mobile testing.

4. Will my content break during migration?

Not if you migrate carefully. The key patterns: test on 10-20 sample documents first, clean TinyMCE's verbose HTML during migration (use sanitize-html or similar), run phased rollouts with parallel deployment, and always backup before running bulk migration scripts. Most teams complete migration with zero user-facing downtime. The migration script in Step 4 provides a working template that handles the common TinyMCE → clean HTML conversion patterns.

5. Can I keep TinyMCE running during the migration?

Yes — this is the recommended approach. Most teams use parallel deployment: new editor for new content, TinyMCE for old content, then bulk-migrate old content gradually. Both editors coexist in your codebase during migration. This avoids big-bang risks and allows rollback if issues emerge. After successful migration, remove TinyMCE dependencies and cancel the TinyMCE Cloud subscription (time to billing cycle for maximum refund since subscriptions typically don't prorate).

6. Will migration improve my SEO?

Often yes, measurably. TinyMCE's verbose HTML with inline styles (<p style="font-size:16px;color:#333">) creates larger page sizes that hurt Core Web Vitals scores. Modern editors like Eddyter produce clean semantic HTML (<p>) that's smaller, faster to parse, and better for search engines. Additionally, TinyMCE's ~500 KB bundle contributes to slower LCP scores compared to Eddyter's ~140 KB bundle. Content-driven sites frequently see 10-20% improvement in Core Web Vitals scores after TinyMCE → modern editor migration. See Rich Text Editor Bundle Size Comparison 2026 for measured comparisons.

7. Do I need to keep TinyMCE Cloud during the migration?

Yes, until you've completed migration and verified everything works. Keep both subscriptions running for the 1-3 week migration period. Cancel TinyMCE Cloud after deploying the new editor and migrating all content. Time the cancellation to align with your billing cycle since TinyMCE Cloud subscriptions typically don't prorate refunds — canceling mid-cycle means paying for unused time.

8. What happens to my custom TinyMCE plugins?

Most TinyMCE plugins map to native features in modern editors. Eddyter includes tables, media uploads, AI (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Gemini 3), code blocks with 20+ languages, YouTube/Vimeo embeds, and drag-and-drop image handling natively. For unique custom plugins with no direct equivalent, evaluate whether the feature is essential — many "custom plugins" turn out to be features Eddyter includes natively but with different names.

9. How do I clean up TinyMCE's verbose HTML?

Use sanitize-html or htmlparser2 during migration. Strip inline styles, normalize tag names, and remove deprecated attributes. The cleanup script in Step 4 of this guide is a working template that handles common TinyMCE → clean HTML patterns — approximately 50 lines of code that runs once during bulk migration. For complex custom shortcodes, extend the script with regex patterns matching your specific TinyMCE output.

10. Does Eddyter work with React 19 and Next.js 15?

Yes. Eddyter is built natively for React 18.2+ and React 19.x, including Next.js 14, 15, and the App Router. Just add "use client" at the top of your editor component. No wrapper package, no compatibility shims, no version pinning. Native React 19 concurrent rendering support. Full integration guides in the Eddyter documentation and How to Add a Rich Text Editor to Next.js in 10 Minutes.

11. Can I migrate from TinyMCE without downtime?

Yes. Phased rollouts let users keep using TinyMCE for existing content while new content uses the modern editor. Bulk migration happens in the background during off-peak hours. Both editors coexist in your codebase during migration. Most teams finish with zero user-facing downtime. The 3-phase approach in Step 5 (soft launch → bulk migration → cleanup) prevents any single-point-of-failure moments.

12. What about my image uploads stored via TinyMCE's backend?

Image URLs typically migrate cleanly because the URLs themselves don't change — your CDN, S3 bucket, or other image storage continues serving the same URLs. Just point Eddyter at your existing image storage backend. The upload flow uses Eddyter's native drag-and-drop after migration. If your TinyMCE integration used custom upload handlers, replicate the endpoints in Eddyter's upload configuration.

13. How much will I save by migrating?

Most teams save 60-90% on annual editor costs. TinyMCE Cloud Professional plus AI Assistant plus engineering maintenance typically runs $13,080-$20,580 per year for mid-sized SaaS teams. Eddyter AI Pro Managed runs $708 per year — predictable and all-inclusive. Over 3 years, that's $37,116-$59,616 in savings compounding. Enterprise deployments can save $50,000-$100,000+ over 3 years.

14. Will my team need training on the new editor?

Minimal training needed. Modern editors like Eddyter use familiar patterns (toolbar, slash commands, drag-and-drop, keyboard shortcuts) that match team expectations from Notion, Google Docs, and similar tools. Most content teams are productive within an hour. Eddyter's AI assistance actually helps writers adapt faster — AI features (chat, autocomplete, tone refinement) accelerate content production for teams new to the interface.

15. What if we want to migrate back to TinyMCE later?

You can. Modern editors output clean semantic HTML that's portable to any system, including TinyMCE. You're not locked in — Eddyter's HTML output can be pasted into TinyMCE and rendered correctly. But teams that migrate rarely want to go back — the modern experience (AI features, faster setup, cleaner HTML, better mobile UX) is measurably better. In 3 years of migration data, no team has migrated Eddyter → TinyMCE.

Ready to Migrate From TinyMCE?

Stop paying for a legacy editor with bolted-on AI. Move to a modern editor built for 2026 — AI (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, Gemini 3) included, predictable pricing, 10-minute setup, 7-framework support, $12-$59/mo flat.

👉 Try Eddyter free at eddyter.com
📚 Read the docs
💰 See pricing
🎥 Watch the intro video | Watch the 30-min integration guide