A well-designed email is a crucial business tool that helps maintain customer relationships, encourage interaction, and drive sales. However, producing emails that display properly across all devices, email programs, and display settings like dark mode is technically difficult. Email template builders solve this problem.
These platforms allow marketing and design teams to build professional, universally compatible emails without coding expertise. They make the email creation process more efficient, help maintain brand standards, and facilitate team collaboration.
Using the right email builder can turn a time-consuming job into an efficient marketing operation. To help you make the best choice for your organization, we break down the value of email builders and provide a detailed review of the top platforms in this guide.
How Email Template Builders Enhance Marketing Workflows
Email template builders solve core problems in marketing email production. They remove the dependency on manual HTML and CSS coding, a process both inefficient and prone to rendering inconsistencies in clients like Outlook.
These platforms deliver distinct advantages. Drag-and-drop interfaces and modular components significantly accelerate the creation of professional campaigns. Built-in responsive frameworks guarantee optimal display across all devices.
They also handle the intricate task of cross-client compatibility, ensuring consistent presentation. For organizations, shared templates and asset libraries enforce brand uniformity. Collaboration is streamlined through integrated commenting and version control.
Modern platforms now support interactive AMP elements, deeply personalized dynamic content, and native connections to comprehensive marketing technology stacks.
7 Best Email Design Platforms Compared
Selecting an email template builder requires a clear comparison. We assessed each tool using consistent, practical criteria to guide your choice.
Our review evaluates the range of templates and the ability to create everything from basic newsletters to interactive AMP emails. We also test how reliably designs display across all devices, email clients, and in dark mode.
For teams, we consider features that support workflow, like commenting and version history. Finally, we examine how each platform handles dynamic content, connects with other marketing tools, and whether it allows you to export your work to avoid platform lock-in.
Now let’s examine the 7 leading email design platforms.
1. Stripo.email
Stripo is an all-in-one platform for designing professional, responsive emails. It allows users to build these emails without extensive coding. The tool serves a diverse user base, from individual creators to large enterprise teams.
Marketing teams, agencies, and freelancers find it particularly effective for collaborative email creation. Business leaders such as CEOs and CFOs use Stripo to streamline marketing operations and enforce brand consistency.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop & HTML editor;
- 1,600+ pre-built templates;
- AMP email creation for interactivity;
- One-click export to 80+ ESPs (e.g., Mailchimp, HubSpot);
- Real-time collaboration & comments;
- Version history & shared modules;
- Mobile preview & dark mode optimization;
- Dynamic content and reusable blocks.
Stripo enables the design of diverse email formats, from simple newsletters to interactive AMP emails. These AMP emails can contain features like image carousels, surveys, and accordions directly within the inbox. This functionality increases reader engagement without requiring external links.
The platform ensures consistent email rendering across all major clients and devices. Its default responsive framework, dedicated mobile preview, and automatic dark mode adjustments maintain visual integrity everywhere.
Stripo also enhances team productivity through integrated collaboration tools. Teams can use in-editor comments, track changes with version history, and employ shared modules for branding. Role-based permissions further streamline workflows by controlling access rights.
Stripo simplifies creating emails for automated campaigns. It uses dynamic content blocks, automatically fills product cards with item details, and supports multiple languages. Its integration features also let you use these elements in external automation systems.
Stripo.email was founded in 2017 and employs approximately 70 people. The platform maintains excellent user ratings, earning a 4.9 out of 5 on both Capterra and Software Advice, along with a 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
2. Moosend
Moosend is an integrated email marketing platform that combines template design with email delivery services. This all-in-one solution works best for small to medium businesses and individual marketers seeking a single, cost-effective tool for both creating and sending emails, without needing advanced customization options.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop editor with a Helper Grid;
- 75+ pre-built, responsive email templates;
- Direct integration with Unsplash stock images;
- Ability to import HTML templates from other sources;
- A/B testing, analytics, and list segmentation;
- Built-in email sending and automation.
This platform is built for basic email creation, including newsletters and countdown timers. It does not support advanced formats like AMP emails and offers limited interactive elements compared to specialized tools—missing features like carousels, surveys, and accordions.
The builder includes responsive templates and device previews, but allows only limited adjustments for different screens and email clients. This lack of detailed control can cause display problems with more complex layouts.
Moosend serves individual users and small teams. However, it lacks the robust features necessary for collaborative work.
The platform omits in-editor comments, detailed version history, and defined user roles. These omissions prevent the coordinated workflows and formal approval processes that larger marketing teams and agencies require to maintain consistent branding.
A major limitation is that Moosend’s automation only works within its own platform. You cannot export emails to other major Email Service Providers or CRM systems. This creates vendor lock-in, preventing you from using your email designs in platforms like HubSpot or Marketo, which reduces flexibility for growing businesses.
Founded in 2011, Moosend operates with a team of 34 employees and maintains a 4.7/5 rating on G2 alongside a 3.5/5 score on Trustpilot.
3. Postcards
Postcards is a standalone email design tool from Designmodo for creating basic email templates. It serves small-to-medium businesses, freelancers, and individual marketers who need to quickly build emails and export the HTML code to a separate email service provider for sending.
The tool prioritizes speed and simplicity over advanced functionality and customization options. It functions solely as a design module and contains no native email delivery capabilities.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop builder with pre-formatted content blocks;
- Library of design modules and templates;
- Direct export to 34+ ESPs like Mailchimp and HubSpot;
- Preview mode for different email clients;
- Version history and project management;
- Access to 900+ Google Fonts.
Postcards specializes in producing standard newsletters and fundamental marketing emails. It does not accommodate advanced formats like AMP or interactive components such as carousels and surveys, constraining its application in contemporary, dynamic campaigns.
The platform incorporates a mobile preview capability, yet its construction depends on fixed modules. This design impedes precise customization for specific email clients and complicates sophisticated responsive adaptations, frequently resulting in rendering irregularities that necessitate core template modifications.
A basic version history exists, but the application omits critical collaborative tools. The absence of simultaneous multi-user editing, in-editor commentary, and structured permissions hinders coordinated efforts. These limitations elevate version control risks and degrade the efficiency of contextual feedback processes.
Postcards is a design tool and does not include automation, dynamic content, or triggering functions. It only creates templates for export, which creates a disconnected workflow. All personalization and campaign automation must be set up separately in an email service provider, requiring duplicate setup work for complex campaigns.
Since its founding in 2010, Postcards has operated with a compact team of 11-20 employees while maintaining a strong 4.7/5 user rating on G2.
4. MailerLite
MailerLite is a unified email marketing platform that combines template design with email delivery. This integrated system works best for small businesses, startups, and individual entrepreneurs seeking a straightforward, cost-effective tool for basic email marketing, particularly if they are not using another email service provider.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop email builder;
- Library of content elements (video, countdowns, coupons);
- Integrated email sending and automation;
- Subscriber management and segmentation;
- Built-in landing pages and forms.
MailerLite facilitates the creation of basic newsletters and incorporates simple interactive elements such as image carousels. Its functionality does not extend to advanced formats like AMP email, and it lacks sophisticated components, including surveys and accordions. This restricts its utility for highly dynamic campaign strategies.
The platform supplies responsive templates but grants users limited authority over their display across various screens. The absence of a dedicated mobile preview tool and dark mode optimization can yield inconsistent rendering on different devices and email clients.
MailerLite’s architecture prioritizes individual use over collaborative work. It omits critical team features like
- In-editor comments,
- Version history,
- Shared asset libraries,
- Role-based permissions.
Consequently, teams requiring coordinated development, review, and approval cycles will find the platform inadequate.
MailerLite prohibits template exports, locking users into its platform. Its automation and personalization tools are also basic. They lack advanced workflow logic, dynamic content handling, and API-driven triggers. These omissions prevent the execution of complex, multi-stage customer journeys.
MailerLite was founded in 2010 and employs 57 people, maintaining ratings of 4.7/5 on Capterra and 4.2/5 on EmailTooltester.
5. Tabular
Tabular is a component-based email template builder that provides a drag-and-drop interface with a high degree of design control, similar to design tools like Figma.
It falls into the product category of a dedicated email design tool and is best suited for email designers, marketing agencies, and brand-focused teams who require pixel-level precision and strict consistency across their email templates.
Key Features:
- Figma-like drag-and-drop editor with pixel-level control;
- Parent and child formatting for flexible layouts;
- Library of pre-made content blocks and 40+ templates;
- Shared team libraries for brand consistency;
- Direct export to 8+ ESPs and HTML download.
Tabular is good for building complex, custom newsletters, but does not support advanced email types like AMP. Its functionality for adding native interactive elements such as carousels, surveys, or accordions is also limited. This restricts its use for creating highly dynamic email experiences without the need for custom coding.
Its mobile-first design employs detailed controls for margins and padding. Some users find these granular adjustments overly complex when a standard, easily adjustable template would suffice. Furthermore, the generated HTML code may not render correctly across all email clients, necessitating thorough testing.
Shared libraries aid brand consistency, but Tabular lacks sophisticated collaboration tools. It misses features such as in-editor comments, detailed version history, and defined user roles. These omissions complicate the review and approval process. For larger teams relying on structured workflows, this fragmentation presents a significant obstacle.
Tabular is a design-only tool without built-in automation or dynamic content. All personalization must be set up in a separate email service provider after export. Its limited integration options may create additional workflow challenges for some users.
Tabular launched in 2023 with fewer than 40 employees and has earned a 4.8/5 rating on G2 alongside a 3.7/5 score on Trustpilot.
6. MailChimp
Mailchimp is an all-in-one marketing platform with a built-in email template builder. It works as an email service provider that includes design tools, making it suitable for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs, and beginners who need a straightforward system for creating and sending basic email campaigns.
Key Features:
- Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor;
- Library of pre-coded, responsive email templates;
- Integrated audience management and CRM;
- Basic A/B testing and analytics dashboard;
- Wide range of third-party integrations.
Mailchimp’s email builder is designed for creating basic newsletters and simple marketing emails. It does not support modern, interactive formats like AMP emails and lacks advanced elements, such as carousels, surveys, or accordions. This results in a largely static email experience.
The platform’s responsive templates provide limited user control over their adaptation to various devices and email clients. Without a dedicated mobile preview or dark mode optimization, email rendering can become inconsistent and unpredictable across platforms.
The platform is designed for individual users or very small teams, lacking collaboration tools, like comments, version history, and user roles. This makes team-based email creation and review processes difficult to manage.
Additionally, Mailchimp creates vendor lock-in by preventing template exports to other email platforms. Its automation features are basic and lack sophisticated workflows or advanced personalization capabilities. These restrictions are especially limiting on the free plan, which also prohibits custom HTML imports.
Mailchimp was founded in 2001 and has grown significantly, now employing a workforce of over 800 people. The platform maintains strong user satisfaction, reflected in its consistent 4.4 out of 5 rating on the G2 review platform.
7. Iterable
Iterable is an enterprise marketing platform for large-scale, multi-channel customer engagement.
It is designed for big companies with dedicated technical teams that need to run complex, data-driven campaigns across email, SMS, and push notifications. The platform’s advanced features require substantial setup and ongoing management, making it impractical for smaller organizations.
Key Features:
- Build multi-channel campaigns with a drag-and-drop workflow editor.
- Target precise user groups with advanced segmentation and personalization.
- Implement interactive AMP emails directly within the inbox.
- Leverage AI for content suggestions and optimal send-time scheduling.
- Monitor performance with real-time analytics and unified cross-channel reports.
Iterable supports advanced email types like interactive AMP emails, but using these features is complex.
Setting up interactive elements such as carousels or surveys requires substantial technical configuration and data integration. This typically requires dedicated engineering support, making these features difficult to use for marketing teams without technical staff.
The platform provides standard features, such as a dark mode toggle, and adheres to a responsive design. Its template editor, however, lacks the intuitiveness and flexibility found in rival applications. This limitation slows the design workflow. Users frequently must perform additional testing to guarantee correct rendering across diverse email clients.
Iterable offers comprehensive user management but lacks practical collaboration tools. The system misses essential features like design commenting, edit protection, and integrated approval processes, which cause workflow delays and version control issues that slow team production.
Iterable’s automation and personalization tools demand considerable technical resources. Their implementation requires extensive configuration and a robust data infrastructure.
The platform also needs dedicated ongoing maintenance. These requirements render the platform impractical for most mid-size businesses or teams with standard marketing operations.
Iterable launched in 2013 and has grown to employ approximately 700 people. The platform earns consistent user ratings, maintaining a 4.4/5 score on G2 and a 4.3/5 on Capterra.
Conclusion
Your choice of an email template builder affects team productivity and results. The right platform depends on your team’s specific situation, not just its features.
Evaluate core criteria: team size, technical proficiency, and primary objectives. This assessment clarifies whether a consolidated all-in-one system or a specialized design tool better serves your requirements. Larger organizations must prioritize sophisticated collaboration capabilities and functional interoperability with established technology stacks.
Making a considered decision pays long-term dividends. The right builder speeds up email production, maintains quality standards, and grows with your requirements. A clear comparison of each platform’s capabilities and limitations is the most reliable path to an efficient email creation process.
For teams seeking a comprehensive solution, Stripo is a leading choice. It effectively balances an intuitive user experience with advanced capabilities like AMP email creation and robust team collaboration tools. The platform’s reliable rendering and direct ESP integrations make it a scalable and efficient option for professional email production.
