Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MJML VS Unlayer

Compare MJML VS Unlayer and see what are their differences

MJML logo MJML

The open source framework for responsive emails

Unlayer logo Unlayer

Embeddable email editor and page builder for SaaS and CRMs
  • MJML Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-01-26
  • Unlayer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

MJML features and specs

  • Responsive Design
    MJML is specifically designed to create responsive email templates that work well across various devices and email clients.
  • Ease of Use
    MJML uses a simplified markup language, making it easier for developers to create complex email designs without deep knowledge of HTML and CSS.
  • Community and Support
    MJML has a strong community and support system, including comprehensive documentation and numerous examples to help users get started.
  • Cross-Client Compatibility
    Emails created with MJML are tested for compatibility across a wide range of email clients, reducing the effort needed for testing and adjustments.
  • Customization and Flexibility
    MJML offers a variety of customizable components that allow developers to tailor emails to their specific needs.
  • Template Reusability
    MJML makes it easy to create reusable templates, which can save time and maintain consistency in email campaigns.
  • Integration
    MJML can be integrated with various development tools and workflows, which enhances productivity.

Possible disadvantages of MJML

  • Learning Curve
    Although easier than raw HTML/CSS for emails, MJML still requires learning a new syntax and understanding its components.
  • Limited Customization
    It may not offer as much flexibility as hand-coded HTML/CSS for emails, particularly for very unique or custom designs.
  • Dependency
    Using MJML adds another dependency to your project, which could complicate the build process and dependency management.
  • Performance
    Rendering complex MJML templates might be slower compared to hand-coded alternatives.
  • Error Handling
    MJML’s error messages can sometimes be vague, making it challenging to debug issues.
  • Size of Output
    The HTML output generated by MJML can be verbose, potentially leading to larger email sizes.
  • Browser and Client Specific Issues
    While MJML handles most cross-client compatibility, there can still be occasional issues that require manual adjustments.

Unlayer features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Unlayer offers a drag-and-drop editor, which makes it easy for users of all skill levels to create email templates without the need for coding.
  • Customizable Templates
    The platform provides a variety of pre-designed templates that can be customized to fit specific branding and marketing needs.
  • Embeddable
    Unlayer's editor can be embedded in other applications, making it a versatile tool for different platforms and developers.
  • Responsive Design
    Email templates created with Unlayer are responsive, ensuring they look good on both desktop and mobile devices.
  • Collaboration Features
    Users can collaborate with team members in real-time, making it easier to review and edit email templates collectively.

Possible disadvantages of Unlayer

  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Unlayer comes with limitations, which may not be sufficient for larger businesses or more complex needs.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although the basic functions are easy to use, there can be a learning curve for utilizing the more advanced features effectively.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported occasional performance issues, such as slow loading times when editing large, complex email templates.
  • Dependency on Internet
    The tool requires a stable internet connection to function effectively, which can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.
  • Limited Direct Integration
    Unlayer might not directly integrate with all third-party tools, necessitating the use of additional APIs or workaround solutions.

MJML videos

Build Responsive Emails With MJML

More videos:

  • Review - Start to build responsive emails with MJML

Unlayer videos

How to Build a Custom Tool in Unlayer Dashboard?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MJML and Unlayer)
Email Marketing
65 65%
35% 35
Email Newsletters
63 63%
37% 37
Email Productivity
62 62%
38% 38
Email
58 58%
42% 42

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MJML and Unlayer

MJML Reviews

11 Best Free HTML Email Template Builders & Editors (Reviewed & Compared)
MJML is a markup language. They have an open-source server that generates high-quality responsive HTML for emails.

Unlayer Reviews

10 Best Free Email Template Builders for 2018
Please, take a look at our table where I compared some peculiar features of 4 responsive email template builders mentioned above: BeeFree, Topol, Unlayer, and Stripo.email.
Source: stripo.email

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MJML seems to be a lot more popular than Unlayer. While we know about 94 links to MJML, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Unlayer. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MJML mentions (94)

  • Easier Responsive Emails for Umbraco Forms with MJML
    MJML (Mailjet Markup Language) is a powerful open-source framework designed to simplify the creation of responsive email templates. Instead of manually coding complex HTML tables and inline styles, MJML offers an intuitive, component-based syntax that automatically generates well-structured and mobile-friendly emails. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • A guide to the best email editing tools
    MJML is a markup language that creates responsive email templates. It is intuitive in the sense that its markup is rendered into responsive HTML for any device and email client. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Show HN: Sendune – open-source HTML email designer
    } Can be easily stored in Postgres jsonb. Very easy to add Reacjs base widgets like mentioning, media, diagrams, etc The drawback is that you can't design the exactly the same pixel perfect template. The better abstraction is MJML - https://mjml.io/ With slatejs/platejs json format you can copy&paste your editings across various assets in CRM, knowledge base, etc Was thinking about using something similar to... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Show HN: Sendune – open-source HTML email designer
    You can use MJML - https://mjml.io/ - which abstracts away a lot of the ugliness and Outlook hacks. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Modernizing Emails: Innovations for Efficient Handling in Distributed Systems
    The email service is built with Symfony and its templating engine, Twig. Templates are written in MJML markup, an email framework that helps us address the first problem we mentioned. Twig allows us to pass the data to the MJML template without breaking the MJML structure. After the data is rendered, we send the result to a small MJML service that converts the MJML markup to HTML. Here is an example of a template:. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
View more

Unlayer mentions (2)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MJML and Unlayer, you can also consider the following products

Stripo - Stripo is an all-in-one email design platform. We enable our clients to build emails of any complexity, including interactive AMP emails, really fast and easy.

BeeFree.io - Bee is MailUp's drag-&-drop editor for responsive design emails.

HTMLEmail.io - Responsive HTML email templates for startups & developers

Topol.io - Create professional Email templates easily - Drag & Drop Email Builder.

Postcards - Create, edit and manage awesome email newsletters 😻

Pagenflow - Create professional HTML emails. Our free drag & drop builder makes it easy. Design stunning, responsive emails & export clean code.