What are the differences between using strip_tags() and HTML Purifier to sanitize HTML input in PHP?

When sanitizing HTML input in PHP, using strip_tags() removes all HTML tags from the input string, leaving only plain text. This method is simple but may not be sufficient for more complex HTML inputs as it does not account for attributes or nested tags. On the other hand, HTML Purifier is a more robust solution that thoroughly cleans and validates HTML input, ensuring that only safe and valid HTML elements remain.

// Using strip_tags() to sanitize HTML input
$unsafeInput = "<p>Hello <script>alert('XSS');</script></p>";
$safeInput = strip_tags($unsafeInput);

echo $safeInput; // Output: Hello

// Using HTML Purifier to sanitize HTML input
require_once 'HTMLPurifier.auto.php';
$config = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
$purifier = new HTMLPurifier($config);
$safeInput = $purifier->purify($unsafeInput);

echo $safeInput; // Output: <p>Hello</p>