Best No Code Email Builders: Simplify Your Email Marketing

What is a no code email builder?

A no code builder is a tool with a drag-and-drop interface that requires no programming or web design knowledge to create websites of any complexity, mobile apps — and, of course, emails.

“No code” doesn’t mean that there’s no coding involved. There’s still HTML under the hood but every block of code is represented visually. You don’t have to look through it unless it’s necessary — the source code is available if you want to tweak something by hand. Builders do the hardest part of the job, so you can freely focus on delivering quality content to your subscribers.

Your main building elements are blocks with which you create a responsive grid for your email. Basic blocks are HTML-based and let you add text, visual content or UI elements like buttons. These can be customized to your liking — you can change typography, color schemes, and more.

Some builders support AMP (Accelerated Mobile Page) blocks that allow you to add interactive elements — image carousels, forms, quizzes and so on. AMP allows users to perform some actions in the email itself, like giving their feedback or registering for an event. These responsive blocks may also improve engagement with gamification and other creative formats — a great alternative to making a separate landing page or integrating an app.

Here’s what you can do in no code builders:

• Set the layout. You can add and move around different types of responsive blocks that will mark down sections of your email — that’s where the content goes.
• Add content. After adding blocks, you fill them with text, images, and other content. Drag and drop a fitting element and then paste the prepared copy or media.
• Customize the design. Set the background color and text styles to make the template your own.

Benefits of no code email builders

Here are some benefits of no code email builders to consider if you’re still not using one:

• Email builders have a comfortable learning curve, allowing you to build your first email in a matter of minutes.
• You can make a rather complex email design with interactive elements, all looking at the same thing your recipients will see. Compare it with HTML where you can see the end result once you’re finished writing the code or when you create dozens of previews at every stage.
• The designs are responsive by default, so they look good both on desktop and mobile devices — and you can instantly check how your email looks on smartphone screens!
• You can create custom templates to keep all your branded emails consistent and build all your future campaigns a lot faster since you’re not starting from scratch.
• No code builders save money so you don’t have to hire a freelancer or a staff email designer.

The latter is especially important when you are doing marketing for non-profit companies. Professional designers cost money, so it’s crucial to use free and approachable tools when you’re on a tight budget. No code builders allow you to share the message without compromising the quality. And if you need other marketing instruments, be sure to check out the 50% discount on all Selzy plans that will help bring even more people to the cause.

10 best no code email builders and platforms

Some builders come bundled with the marketing tools that you may already use. Other software offers standalone functionality, allowing you to export creations to your platform of choice. Most platforms share similar packages of content layouts and elements, but the templates and widgets surely vary between alternatives. 

Here are 10 options that we recommend for their quality, convenient workflow, and affordable prices.

Selzy

The recently updated Selzy email builder introduces AI tools. It’s now easy to customize your newsletters with visual content generated for your specific needs. And in the chat with AI Assistant, you can ask the AI to improve your copy or suggest a catchy subject line.

Explore the collection of predesigned blocks or create your own from scratch and save them for future use. The selection is based on the Selzy team marketing experience and research. It includes such useful, but often overlooked elements as bullet lists and countdowns. You can also embed videos or throw in some of the 500,000+ royalty free images and GIFs. Every element is customizable, and the style settings are present for the whole email or its separate parts.

Learn more about the new Selzy email builder in our overview article.

HubSpot

HubSpot offers a whole array of tools for digital marketing. Here you’ll find services for every step of your campaigns, including landing pages and email templates. Explore a drag-and-drop builder that is loaded with goodies like templates, responsive preview mode, and dynamic tokens based on your clients’ info.

You can collaborate with your team and set automation for what happens when your subscribers interact with the content. There are so many integrations and features that it can be hard to navigate at first, but it only adds to the overall usability.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a well-known name in marketing automation software that offers a simple and intuitive no code builder for emails and landing pages with 100+ templates. On top of that, you can also use the website builder to support your newsletters. There is a lot of room for personalization with merge tags to use in your content.

In addition to traditional elements, Mailchimp has several app integrations that allow you to embed social media posts, a calendar, or a playable video. And the most recent addition is Creative Assistant — an AI-based tool that generates visual content based on your own branding.

Mailmodo

This one might be for you if you have no marketing experience at all. Not only Mailmodo has a huge collection of professional templates, the software also guides you through the whole process and notifies you of mistakes and possible improvements. Never send an email with a broken link again! 

The big feature is the support of AMP blocks for better user experience and memorable product integrations. Mailmodo also offers AI for easier design and content creation that includes subject line, copy, and template generator. The latter allows you to build your own templates without lifting a finger — just write a prompt or choose the email type, tone, and length.

Mailjet

A flexible tool for composing, customizing and sending your newsletter. Functionality includes an AI copy generator for faster email writing and real-time collaboration much resembling the Google Docs workflow. On top of the builder, there is a fully featured marketing software with a focus on mailing automation and deliverability improvement. Keep in mind that the Mailjet support reviews registrations by hand and may ask for additional information on your business and the quality of your subscriber base.

Stripo

Stripo is a single-purpose tool, so it focuses on serving its purpose well. While some alternatives gather statistics or give you marketing advice, Stripo only allows you to craft emails — great ones, that is. The total creative freedom and ease of use make it a preferable tool for many.

Create a new email from scratch or pick one of the 1,500+ high-quality templates. Add tweakable blocks and place dynamic tags. Add your own content or use the AI tools. Fine-tune the responsive mobile version. Then export the result to any email provider or save it as an HTML file. It’s simple, intuitive, and incredibly fun to use.

Unlayer

What makes Unlayer stand out is its selection of colorful templates, which are grouped by tags. Each design is also assigned a 0 to 5 star rating that represents its supposed quality and marketing effectiveness.

Once you pick the template and customize it, you can employ the AI assistant to help with grammar check or CTA phrasing. When done, you can download a zip archive with HTML and images. The premium version lets you export emails and opens access to premium templates. There’s also a Team pricing tier that offers a role-based real-time collaborative template editing feature not available on other plans.

Designmodo

Designmodo consists of several apps that can be used to build marketing websites and newsletters. Email editor software is called Postcards and features a neat design and a short but sweet tutorial that make it easy to jump right into the action.

Instead of traditional templates, developers only give you a blank canvas to fill with pre-made modules for different parts of email. These include such elements as headers, CTA buttons, and product cards for e-commerce. You can use those or create your own reusable custom blocks. You can also use Designmodo’s ChatGPT-powered AI assistant for crafting emails faster and easier — no more writer’s block!

Another thing to point out is the layer editing workflow that may look familiar to Figma users. And you can similarly invite your teammates to collaborate as well.

Topol

Compared to the alternatives, the builder functions in Topol may seem basic at first. Still, they are more than enough to manage successful marketing campaigns. The personalization options are easy to find and use, even if the amount of merge tags is not as high as with the alternatives.

This software has a handy storage system that helps you sort your projects and assign status. The free version lets you create and download templates, but for saving, exporting, and collaborative features you’ll have to upgrade to PRO. The subscription also opens access to Topol’s AI assistant.

Beefree

The freedom of expression seems to be the central idea here. There are lots of colorful designs, some of which feature animations by default. It’s usual to include some holiday marketing inspirations, but Beefree developers go a bit further than most alternatives. Among the highlighted themes are such celebrations as Chinese New Year and Ramadan, so you can easily aim your marketing campaigns at different cultures and nationalities.

When you boot up the editor, pop-up windows will show you around the main buttons and features. It’s a welcoming touch for new users, though it can be a bit excessive at times. But hey, it’s always nice to be welcomed to a new place. It’s even cooler when you can stay around for free — the only thing that this platform limits you with is its cap of 6 exports per month. Paid plans also offer collaborative editing with comment threads and custom user roles.

How to choose the best no code email platform

There are so many no code tools but how to choose the best one to build your marketing campaigns? Take a few trial versions for a spin to know the features and get a taste of the quality. Check out the workflow on both desktop and mobile and pick what feels best. Here are a few tips on what to consider when making the decision.

User-friendly interface

Even the most brilliant services sometimes suffer from UI flaws. Imagine buying a product only to find that it’s unusable without a three-hour-long video tutorial — not good, right? Your everyday working tool is not something you should struggle with. It should have a clean layout and intuitive workflow to make things easy for you. That’s why we use email builders in the first place!

Responsive design

Responsiveness is a vital feature. Whenever you design a marketing email, it must be easy to read and click through on any device. Most builders have a button to switch between desktop and mobile view. This way you can create the best experience for any user. 

Ideally, the software itself should also adapt to your screen, if you’re ever in need to work on your mobile device.

Template variety

When you are just starting out, you may have no idea on what an email should look like. And it’s not limited to the visuals and layouts! Templates can help you in the beginning or break you through a creative block if you’re feeling stuck. Best services have loads of useful pre-made designs for any occasion and you can use them any time if you can’t or do not want to come up with something on your own.

Customization options

You can’t just take an existing template and send it to your clients like that. You need to make it your own, and the more options there are, the better. Replace visuals with your own designs or generate new ones if the service has integrated AI. Integrate your socials or engage with the clients through interactive AMP blocks. Pick the builder with the most options, so you can compose the dream newsletter each time you use the service.

Integration with other tools

If you use a standalone builder, it is more convenient to integrate it with other apps that you have. If your no code software is not integrated with your email marketing or mailing app, you’ll have to copy and paste HTML. Although it’s not that inconvenient, HTML export is not as easy if you send emails using common email clients. For example, Gmail requires the code to be prerendered.

So, seamless integrations with mailing apps save you time and effort, so you’re just one click away from launching the campaign when you’re done. Other integrations may include options for embedding content or gathering clients’ information using the external CRM functionality.

Automation capabilities

It’s just easier to finish the template and click “Send” instead of juggling around on several different platforms. What’s even better is setting automation parameters and creating a whole user journey, for example, a welcome series. 

If you have several alternatives to choose from, pick the one with automation. Even if you don’t know what it does yet, it will help you a lot further down the line. However, it still depends on your needs. If you already use a marketing automation platform and all you need is a builder with cool templates, standalone solutions like Stripo or Beefree can be a way to go as well.

Analytics and reporting

When your service gathers analytics and gives you a full report, you can use this knowledge to improve your emails or even the business itself. Getting insights on open and click rates will let you know which parts of your emails work and which don’t. It’s not necessary for a builder to have these extras if you only intend to use it for creating emails. But if you’re looking for a full-scale marketing solution that is suitable for more, analytics is a must-have.

Pricing structure

When choosing a paid plan, be sure to compare packages and see which ones have the most of what you need. For example, complex SaaS solutions like HubSpot have confusing pricing systems and a lot of extra features that come along with a no code email builder. So, choose the software and its pricing plans according to your needs if you don’t want to overpay for the functionality you won’t use.

For example, if you need a full CRM to run and analyze marketing campaigns, there’s no point in settling for apps that don’t have such functionality. And maybe you already have a nice mailing and tracking service but need a flexible builder? Then pick a quality one that lets your creativity run free but maybe doesn’t have a lot of fancy marketing features.

Collaborative editing

Some no code email builders offer real-time collaborative editing, which is convenient for teams. This feature allows you to stop wasting time on endless approvals and export-send test-rework hell. Instead, you can invite your coworkers (or clients, if you’re a freelancer) in the builder, look through their comments, and make changes right away. It’s like Google Docs for emails!

However, keep in mind that this feature is often paywalled. So, if you don’t work in a large company and use the builder sporadically for personal or small work-related tasks, you might not need to overpay for it. 

AI-generated everything

These days, so many no code email builders offer native generative AI it’s becoming an industry standard. Many email building tools offer:

• Subject line and preheader generators
• Email copy generators
• AI image generators

Some email builders offer more exotic AI features. For example, Selzy’s updated builder has an in-built AI chatbot that performs several roles. It can translate your copy in any language or analyze your email from the psychological point of view and suggest improvements.

Final thoughts

Building beautiful and effective email campaigns may seem like a complex task at first. But there are plenty of tools that make it much easier. Design is what makes a good first impression, so don’t hold back on it and always pick the best software among the alternatives. There is an abundance of no code email builders that will help you send attractive content while not demanding you to learn anything new. Just find a service with the most fitting features and explore the new world!