Email Template Builders: Which Platforms Have the Best Designer?
Your email editor determines how fast you can ship campaigns and how good they look when they arrive. Some platforms give you a full drag-and-drop designer with hundreds of templates. Others intentionally limit design to keep newsletters feeling personal. This guide breaks down what each platform's editor actually offers, which tiers unlock custom HTML, and what “drag-and-drop” really means on each platform.
Three Types of Email Editors
Not all email editors serve the same purpose. The editor you need depends on whether you're building branded marketing campaigns, sending personal newsletters, or running complex lifecycle sequences.
Drag-and-Drop Builders
Visual editors where you place blocks (text, image, button, divider) into a layout grid. Best for branded marketing emails with logos, product images, and CTAs. Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Brevo all use this approach.
Minimalist Text Editors
Clean, focused editors that produce emails looking like they came from a person, not a marketing team. Kit uses this approach intentionally — the idea is that text-forward emails get better engagement than designed ones.
Newsletter-Style Editors
A middle ground: structured layouts optimized for newsletter content (articles, links, images) without full drag-and-drop flexibility. beehiiv fits here — clean, readable, newsletter-focused.
Template Builder Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | Kit | beehiiv | ActiveCampaign | Brevo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editor type | Drag-and-drop | Minimalist text | Newsletter-style | Drag-and-drop + HTML | Drag-and-drop |
| Pre-built templates | 100+ | ~10 (minimal) | 20+ (newsletter-focused) | 250+ | 60+ |
| Custom HTML access | All paid plans (from $13/mo) | Creator plan ($39/mo) | Scale plan ($49/mo) | All plans (from $15/mo) | All plans (from $9/mo) |
| Dynamic content | Standard+ ($20/mo) | Basic (merge tags) | Scale ($49/mo) | All plans (conditional content) | Standard+ ($18/mo) |
| Brand kit / saved styles | Standard+ ($20/mo) | No | Scale ($49/mo) | Plus+ ($49/mo) | Basic brand settings |
| Mobile preview | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Image hosting | Built-in + Canva | Built-in (Unsplash) | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
Mailchimp: The Most Flexible Designer
Mailchimp's drag-and-drop editor is the most mature in this comparison. Over 100 pre-built templates, content blocks for products, social links, video, and custom code. The Canva integration lets you design images without leaving the editor.
The catch:The Free plan ($0, 250 contacts) only gives you basic templates. Custom HTML is available on Essentials ($13/mo) and above. The content optimizer and brand kit require Standard ($20/mo). If you want full creative control, you're looking at $20/mo minimum.
Best for: E-commerce stores and brands that need visually rich marketing emails with product blocks, dynamic content, and A/B testing on design variants.
Kit: Intentionally Minimal
Kit's editor is text-first by design. The philosophy is that emails from creators should look like they came from a person, not a design team. You get a clean writing interface with basic formatting, inline images, and simple CTAs.
The catch:The Newsletter plan ($0, up to 10,000 subscribers) has extremely limited design options. Custom HTML requires the Creator plan ($39/mo). There are roughly 10 templates, and they're all minimalist. If you want branded, designed emails, Kit is the wrong tool.
Best for: Bloggers, writers, and creators who want emails that feel personal and get high open rates. Text-forward emails consistently outperform designed emails for individual creators.
beehiiv: Newsletter-Optimized
beehiiv's editor is designed specifically for newsletters. Clean layouts, easy embedding of posts and links, built-in poll blocks, and a writing experience similar to Medium or Substack. Premium themes available on Scale ($49/mo).
The catch:Launch ($0, 2,500 subscribers) provides the core editor with custom domains, but premium themes and full custom HTML require Scale ($49/mo). The editor is optimized for newsletter content, not marketing campaigns — you won't find product recommendation blocks or complex multi-column layouts.
Best for: Newsletter operators who want a clean, fast writing experience with built-in growth tools (referral program, ad network) rather than design flexibility.
ActiveCampaign: Power User Editor
ActiveCampaign offers both a drag-and-drop designer and a full HTML editor on every paid plan, starting at Starter ($15/mo for 1,000 contacts). Over 250 templates across industries. Conditional content blocks let you show different content to different segments within the same email.
The catch:No free tier at all. The editor is powerful but more complex than Mailchimp's — steeper learning curve. Conditional content is available on all plans, but predictive content recommendations require Pro ($79/mo).
Best for: Teams running segmented lifecycle campaigns who need conditional content and HTML flexibility. The combination of visual builder plus full HTML access on all plans is unique.
Brevo: Solid and Affordable
Brevo provides a clean drag-and-drop editor with 60+ templates on all plans, including Free ($0, 300 emails/day). HTML editor access is available on every plan, including Free. The editor is straightforward without being overwhelming.
The catch:Template designs are functional but not as polished as Mailchimp's. The Free plan includes Brevo branding on emails. Starter ($9/mo) removes branding. Standard ($18/mo) adds A/B testing and advanced stats.
Best for:Budget-conscious teams who need a solid drag-and-drop editor with HTML access on every tier, including free. Brevo's email-based pricing (not contact-based) is the most affordable for large lists.
Custom HTML: Which Tier Unlocks It?
| Platform | Custom HTML tier | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Essentials | $13/mo (500 contacts) |
| Kit | Creator | $39/mo (1,000 subscribers) |
| beehiiv | Scale | $49/mo (unlimited subscribers) |
| ActiveCampaign | Starter (all plans) | $15/mo (1,000 contacts) |
| Brevo | Free (all plans) | $0 (300 emails/day) |
The Opinionated Verdict
Best drag-and-drop designer: Mailchimp. The most templates, the most polished editor, and the Canva integration is genuinely useful. Standard at $20/mo for full features.
Best for creator newsletters: Kit or beehiiv. Kit if you want intentionally simple, text-forward emails. beehiiv if you want newsletter-optimized layouts with growth tools.
Best HTML access on a budget: Brevo. Full HTML editor on every plan, including Free. ActiveCampaign also gives HTML on all paid plans starting at $15/mo.
Best for conditional/dynamic content: ActiveCampaign. Conditional content blocks on all plans let you personalize emails by segment without creating separate campaigns.
Common Mistakes
- Over-designing newsletter emails. Heavily designed emails often land in the Promotions tab. For creator newsletters, simple text-based emails from Kit or beehiiv frequently outperform designed templates from Mailchimp.
- Choosing a platform for templates alone.Templates are a starting point, not a differentiator. After your first month, you'll use 2–3 templates max. Choose based on automation, pricing, and growth features.
- Ignoring mobile rendering. Over 60% of emails are opened on mobile. All five platforms offer mobile preview, but always send test emails to your phone before launching campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which email platform has the best drag-and-drop editor?
Mailchimp has the most polished drag-and-drop editor with the largest template library (100+). ActiveCampaign is close behind with 250+ templates and more powerful conditional content. Brevo is the most affordable option with a solid editor on every plan including free.
Do I need custom HTML for email marketing?
Most small businesses and creators never need custom HTML. Drag-and-drop editors handle 95% of use cases. Custom HTML matters for agencies building client-specific templates, e-commerce brands with complex layouts, or teams with brand guidelines requiring pixel-perfect emails.
Why does Kit have so few templates?
By design. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) believes text-forward emails get better engagement for creators. Their data shows simple emails outperform designed ones for individual creators. If you need heavy design, Kit is the wrong platform.
Which is the cheapest platform with full HTML access?
Brevo offers full HTML editor access on its Free plan ($0, 300 emails/day). ActiveCampaign gives HTML access starting at Starter ($15/mo). Mailchimp unlocks it at Essentials ($13/mo).