Question: What is the difference between using the WYSIWYG module pointing to the CKEditor library and using the dedicated CKEditor module.

We currently use the WYSIWYG module with TinyMCE.

Answer: 
The CKeditor module gives you have much more granular control around where the editor windows appear, user role level permissions and the buttons available for each. The WSYIWYG API just allows for basic on/off configuration of editor windows for text fields across the whole site. Button profiles are based around input types (filtered & full HTML). The advantages of the API module is that it's not limited to just one editor (there's 10 or so) and really easy to configure.

The Ckeditor module is more difficult to configure and certainly not for most implementations, but very nice to have this module available if you require that level of control.
RE: WYSIWYG module using CKEditor library vs CKEditor module

I found the former only allowed the following toolbar;

[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GOrzE.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GOrzE.png)  

(source: [johnathanthwaites.info](http://johnathanthwaites.info/sites/default/files/toolbar.png)) 

Later had much more like font colour, flash embed, spell check etc.

[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lABox.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lABox.png)  

(source: [johnathanthwaites.info](http://johnathanthwaites.info/sites/default/files/toolbar2.png)) 

Have done a full explanation here;

Link to [CKeditor](https://web.archive.org/web/20170509000520/http://johnathanthwaites.info:80/Ckeditor)