HTML Minifier Next (a Maintained Fork of HTML Minifier)

Published on Jul 9, 2025, filed under development, html, optimization, minimalism (feed). (Share this on Mastodon or Bluesky?)

TL;DR: If you prefer a maintained version of HTML Minifier, use HTML Minifier Next.

HTML Minifier is critical web tooling just like the Nu Html Checker [sic] that, for living HTML, supports the W3C validator.

Alas, both tools suffer from maintenance issues. While the validator needs more hands-on contributions (I clarified after asking how the community could help), HTML Minifier is for all practical purposes unmaintained. This is bad because even security-related PRs aren’t being handled.

This is now similar for a fork of HTML Minifier, html-minifier-terser. It is slightly more up-to-date and I suggested using it in a recent episode of “Website Optimization Measures,” but after waiting for months to hear back on a few mails, and seeing issues and PRs not being handled, either, this must likewise be consider unmaintained.

As HTML Minifier is so useful, I decided to release an updated fork, HTML Minifier Next (source, web version). You can use it like HTML Minifier (instructions).

I forked, optimized, and am now announcing HTML Minifier Next with reasonable optimism that, in the worst case, I could maintain the project alone. However, this is still easier if the community contributes. If you want to get involved, especially around new features, please join and help keep HTML Minifier—critical web tooling—up-to-date. Thanks!

About Me

I’m Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and I’m a web developer, manager, and author. I’ve been working as a technical lead and engineering manager for companies you’ve never heard of and companies you use every day, I’m an occasional contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG), and I write and review books for O’Reilly and Frontend Dogma.

I love trying things, not only in web development and engineering management, but also in other areas like philosophy. Here on meiert.com I share some of my experiences and views. (I value you being critical, interpreting charitably, and giving feedback.)