Writing heavy code, fixing bugs, tweaking layouts, and battling email client issues. It’s a lot.
We feel you, devs. We’ve been there too.
Spending hours hacking together tables, inline styles, and fallbacks for Outlook…only to watch your beautifully created design break in Gmail. It’s tedious, frustrating, time-consuming, and frankly, not the best use of your skills.
React email builder libraries are your best bet, for sure. Rather than reinventing the wheel each time you need to design an email, these libraries offer reusable components, out-of-the-box responsiveness, cross-client compatibility, and smoother workflows that save you time and sanity.
But with so many options available, you might be confused about which library to choose. Fret not; we have done the job for you.
Let’s dive in and find the best fit for your business needs!
Key Considerations When Choosing a React Email Builder Library
1️⃣ Customization flexibility
Look for a library that gives you complete control over everything—from appearance, themes, and layouts to custom JS/CSS, editor behavior, and content settings.
The more customizable the components, layouts, and styles are, the more power you have to tailor the editor to match your brand and design vision, whether you're building emails or landing pages.
But customization shouldn’t stop there.
A good visual builder should also let you extend its functionality with custom tools, enabling deep flexibility in terms of appearance, behavior, and interactivity.
This way, default features do not limit you—you can shape the builder to work exactly how you need it to.
2️⃣ Component reusability
The React email builder you choose should allow you to define and offer reusable design components for your end users.
These blocks can include elements like headers, footers, text sections, CTA buttons, and more, making it easier for your marketing team to build consistent, on-brand emails.
Reusability not only speeds up content creation but also helps you maintain brand consistency across teams and marketing campaigns.
3️⃣ Email client compatibility
Look for libraries that offer tested and optimized email components compatible with different email clients, such as Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook, etc., to avoid rendering issues.
Email rendering is notoriously inconsistent across platforms, and what looks perfect in one client can break in another.
Using components that are pre-validated for cross-client compatibility helps you avoid these headaches, ensures a consistent user experience, and reduces the time spent on manual fixes and testing.
4️⃣ Integration with dev workflows
Check out the library that works perfectly with your current stack. Whether you are triggering emails through the backend, loading dynamic content, or connecting with CMS, it should offer API access or headless support to build emails effortlessly.
5️⃣ Third-party service compatibility
Ensure that the library lets you export emails in clean HTML format that is compatible with different Email Service Providers (ESPs) such as Klaviyo, Mailchimp, etc.
If the code does not work with an ESP, you will waste time fixing broken layouts and formatting issues. A good library lets you design, export, and send emails effortlessly.
6️⃣ Responsiveness
Ensure that the library offers components or design features that are responsive by default so that they may easily adapt to any screen size and resolution, especially mobile devices.
53% of consumers use smartphones as a primary device to check email. So, if your emails aren’t mobile-optimized, you are missing out on clicks, conversions, and long-term retention.
7️⃣ Documentation & community support
Choose a library that offers detailed documentation to help you understand its key features. Moreover, it’s a plus if there’s an active GitHub community or support channels so that if you hit any roadblock, you will not be left guessing or figuring things out alone.
8️⃣ Licensing and costs
Check out the MIT license, especially if you are going to use the library for a commercial project. Ensure that it allows you to use the library as per your project demands.
Also, check if it’s open source or if you need paid plans for its advanced features. Knowing all this will prevent legal limitations and unexpected costs later.
Comparing 3 Top React Email Builder Libraries
#1 Unlayer
Unlayer offers a drag-and-drop email editor as a React.js wrapper component. It is a developer-friendly visual email builder that prioritizes type safety, clean code, and seamless integration.
Features
Universal compatibility: Renders perfectly across Apple Mail, Outlook, Gmail, and 90+ email clients.
Responsive by default: Responsive email designs that look perfect on any screen type and size.
Real-time preview: It has a built-in preview mode, so you can check how your email template looks across different clients before sending it.
Dynamic content: This feature lets you add dynamic content to your email editor using Merge Tags, Dynamic Images, Design Tags, etc.
Custom tools: Every application is unique and needs its own tool to reach its full potential. No one understands this better than Unlayer, which offers custom tools so that you can add your own content blocks and have full control over the editor's look and feel.
Want to create a custom tool with Unlayer’s React email editor? Here you go!
User-saved blocks: Devs can enable the user-saved blocks feature, which allows end users to save any block of content and reuse it for design consistency and an efficient content creation process.
AI-powered tools: Offers smart subject lines, content suggestions, and optimization.
Template library: 2000 stunning pre-designed email templates, or you can also create your own.
Localization: Unlayer currently supports translations in 29 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Czech, and others. The list of available languages and their respective codes is available here.
If you want to submit a new language translation, you can create a PR here.
Pros
Drag-and-drop email builder; does not require any coding knowledge.
White-label and fully customizable, giving you control over branding and user interface.
Built for developers who prefer clean and predictable interfaces.
Rapid implementation with a well-documented SDK.
Tested and optimized for major email clients and different devices.
52% reduction in development and maintenance costs.
Automatic updates without added development effort.
Cons
Limited customization without code.
You have to switch to paid plans for advanced features, which can add to project costs.
Best for
Developers who want to embed a customizable email editor into a React app seamlessly, and end users who need a drag-and-drop interface to build emails with zero coding knowledge.
#2 React Email by Resend
React Email by Resend is a modern library offering a collection of high-quality, unstyled components for creating beautiful emails using React and TypeScript.
Features
Component-Based architecture: Build emails using reusable components like HTML, Text, Button, Images, and more.
Styling options: Supports inline styles and Tailwind CSS for customizing the appearance of emails.
Dynamic content: Easily inject dynamic data into email templates using props.
Responsive design: Create mobile-friendly emails with responsive layouts.
Code display components: Render code blocks with syntax highlighting using components like CodeBlock and CodeInline.
Email client compatibility: Tested across popular email clients including Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook, and Yahoo! Mail.
Pros
Enables building emails entirely with React components.
Offers flexibility in styling and theming.
Facilitates dynamic content and personalization.
Ensures compatibility across major email clients.
MIT licensed.
Cons
No visual drag-and-drop editor; requires coding knowledge.
Learning curve for those unfamiliar with React.
Best for
Developers who prefer coding email templates using React and need flexibility in design and dynamic content handling.
#3 React Email Editor by Zhugenmin
It is a React component that allows users to create beautiful emails through a drag-and-drop interface.
Features
Intuitive interface: Users can create stunning email templates by dragging and dropping elements like images, text, and buttons.
Customizable templates: Let you create and modify templates the way you want.
Responsive layout: Ensure your emails are optimized for mobile devices and desktops.
Email client compatibility: Support different email clients and thus reduce rendering issues.
Language support: Currently supports English and Chinese.
Pros
The drag-and-drop builder is simple to use.
Easy to plug into any React app.
Lightweight and is not overloaded with features
Can be customized to fit your needs.
Cons
It lacks advanced features compared to other React email builders.
Limited documentation is available, so additional effort is required for its integration.
It is not MIT licensed, so you can not use it for commercial projects until its maintainer allows you to do so.
Best for
Individual developers who want a free and lightweight React-compatible email builder that can be easily customized. It is also ideal for end users without coding skills. It can be used for non-enterprise projects where licensing limitation is not a concern.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to React email builder libraries, Unlayers stands out for its drag-and-drop interface and customization flexibility. React Email by Resend is best for developers looking for complete code control, and React Email Editor by Zhugenmin is a simpler and lightweight option for non-commercial projects.
All tools offer something different and unique. So, consider your project goals and choose what sounds perfect to you.
All the best!