I used to design every email from scratch. Yep. Every. Single. Time.
I’d fiddle around in the email builder, mess with fonts and spacing, and try to line things up like I was designing a magazine cover. It’d take me hours… and I’d still end up with something that looked “meh.”
Eventually, I wised up. Templates, man. Templates changed my life.
It sounds dramatic, but once I started using well-designed email marketing templates, I saved time, looked more professional, and actually saw better results. Like, real results — higher click-throughs, better mobile display, more replies, and fewer unsubscribes. It wasn’t because I suddenly became a better copywriter or marketer. It was because I stopped sending ugly, clunky emails and started sending stuff that looked polished and purposeful.
If you’re still hacking together emails or stuck with that same old layout your ESP gave you, let me walk you through some of the top sources I’ve personally used (and loved) — both free and premium — for email templates.
Free Templates That Actually Look Good
Let’s start with the freebies. Because who doesn’t like free stuff?
Stripo was my first real email design upgrade. It’s got this slick drag-and-drop editor and lets you export HTML straight into whatever platform you’re using — Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ConvertKit, you name it. Some of their templates are so good I’ve reused them for product announcements, onboarding emails, and even a client’s mini-course.
Then there’s BeeFree (also called BEE). I use it when I want something fast but flexible. You can filter by email types — newsletters, promos, transactional, etc. — and the free designs are surprisingly modern. I’ve even built an entire welcome sequence using nothing but BeeFree templates.
HubSpot also offers some solid free email templates, especially if you’re doing B2B stuff or lead nurturing. They’re a little more structured, but easy to plug into workflows.
And if you’re just getting started, don’t overlook Mailchimp’s built-in library. I know, it’s basic. But their templates are mobile-optimized and beginner-friendly — perfect if you’re not ready to dive into code or customization.
When It’s Worth Paying for Templates?
I held off on premium templates for a long time. I figured, “Why pay for something I can piece together for free?” But when I finally gave in — mostly after losing an entire Saturday to formatting issues — it was worth every cent.
Here’s where I’ve gotten my best ones:
ThemeForest (via Envato Market) is like the Amazon of email templates. You’ll find thousands of options, from minimalist to bold and colorful. Some even come with 30+ layout variations. I used one from here during a Black Friday campaign and nearly doubled my click rate.
If you’re going for aesthetics and branding, Creative Market is where it’s at. I found a gorgeous set of templates tailored for digital product creators — perfect for my courses and lead magnets. Bonus: most of them come with Canva kits for matching graphics.
Then there’s MailBakery, which I used for a client who needed something a little fancier. These templates are professionally coded and fully responsive. Plus, their team can even customize one for you if you’re not tech-savvy.
I’ve also fallen in love with Tonic Site Shop’s ConvertKit templates. If you’re using ConvertKit and want that polished creator look (without hiring a designer), they’ve nailed it. Clean, stylish, and built for ease of use.
What I Wish I Knew Before Downloading Templates?
Now, here’s the thing no one tells you about templates: even the best one won’t save you if your content sucks.
A few lessons I’ve picked up the hard way:
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Customize the copy. Too many people plug in placeholder text, slap on their logo, and hit send. Nope. Make the voice sound like you. Rewrite the calls-to-action. Change the headers. Otherwise, it feels generic.
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Test for mobile. Always. I had a beautifully designed email that looked great on desktop — and then I checked it on my phone. The header was squished, the buttons were broken, and it was basically unreadable. Big yikes.
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Don’t go image-heavy. Email clients can be finicky. If your design relies on a bunch of images, some users may never even see them. Make sure your key info is in text, not just graphics.
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Clean up the code. If you’re importing custom HTML into a platform like Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign, sometimes weird spacing or broken tags happen. I now paste everything into Litmus or Email on Acid before sending anything big.
Final Thoughts
If you’re serious about email marketing or even if you’re just trying to look like you are good templates are the cheat code. They save you time, elevate your brand, and (this is the important part) help your emails actually get read and acted on.
Start with the free tools. See what you like, what feels right. And when you’re ready to step it up? Invest in a premium set that fits your style and workflow.
Just trust me on this one, stop building from scratch. Your future self (and your email stats) will thank you.
