Tool profile
Unlayer: cost, fit and limits
Unlayer is a drag-and-drop builder from Unlayer Inc. for email, pages, popups and documents, sold mainly as an embeddable editor that software companies put inside their own products, with an AI Assistant, an AI Template Importer and a cloud API.
What to know first
Unlayer offers a free plan with all four builders and paid tiers named Launch, Scale and Optimize at $250, $750 and $2,000 per month, sized by monthly exports and including 1 TB of bandwidth. An Enterprise tier is custom. AI credits, exports and bandwidth are sold as add-ons in $50 steps. The vendor states that customer data never trains its models and lists SOC 2 Type II.
Unlayer at a glance
| Maker | Unlayer Inc., United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $250 per month |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Email Template Builders in 2026, rank 3 of 12 |
| Website | unlayer.com |
Who Unlayer is best for
SaaS products with a built-in mailer
The cloud API, white-labeling and custom storage on Launch let a product team show its own branded editor to end users instead of building one.
Platforms with high template volume
Export allowances climb from 5,000 on Launch to 100,000 on Optimize, with predictable monthly steps for platforms whose customers export many emails.
Security-reviewed procurement
SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and CCPA are named on the AI page, and Enterprise adds single sign-on and on-premise deployment for stricter buyers.
Unlayer plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Email, page, popup and document builders, free forever with no credit card required, so an integration can be built and tested before any paid tier is chosen. |
| Launch | $250 per month | White-labeling, custom storage, cloud API, AI Assistant, AI Template Importer, 5,000 exports and 1 TB bandwidth monthly; 14-day trial. |
| Scale | $750 per month | Adds custom blocks, audit tab, team collaboration, smart merge tags, multi-language templates and inbox previews; 25,000 exports monthly. |
| Optimize | $2,000 per month | Everything in Scale plus custom themes, custom CSS, custom tabs, AMP and synced blocks, with 100,000 exports monthly and 1 TB bandwidth. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom contracts, SOC 2 Type II, on-premise deployment, white-label, single sign-on and a dedicated customer success manager. |
Checked November 2026.
What Unlayer does
- Four builders in one SDK
- Email, page, popup and document builders are all available on the Free plan, so one integration covers more than newsletters for a product that also needs landing pages or forms.
- AI Assistant and Template Importer
- The AI page describes drafting, editing and image generation, each routed to a model chosen for that job, and an AI Template Importer converts existing designs. AI use is paid through credits.
- Merge tags and localization
- Smart merge tags and multi-language templates arrive with the Scale plan, which helps platforms whose customers send personalized or regional emails and need one template to serve several languages.
- Inbox previews
- Previews cover more than 90 email clients, and the pricing page notes 40 free trial credits per workspace for that feature, after which previews are part of the Scale plan.
- Developer controls
- Cloud API and mobile design mode start on Launch, while Optimize adds custom CSS, custom themes and tabs, which suit teams that need deeper changes to the editor interface.
How Unlayer handles your data
Unlayer's AI page states that customer data never trains its models, and the license agreement prohibits upstream AI providers from using AI inputs for training. The privacy policy says third-party AI providers retain AI inputs and generated content for no longer than 30 days, and the AI page says zero retention is offered on enterprise plans. SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and CCPA are named. The pages read do not name a hosting region, so ask where exported templates and images are stored.
Where Unlayer falls short in practice
- Entry price targets companies. The first paid step is $250 per month. A solo marketer who only designs newsletters pays far more than on the consumer-style editors in this category.
- Add-ons raise the bill. AI credits, exports and bandwidth add-ons are sold in multiples of $50 per month, so a product with heavy AI use or traffic needs to model the extras.
- Feature gating by tier. Team collaboration, audit tab and inbox previews sit on Scale, and AMP and custom CSS on Optimize, so the headline $250 plan lacks tools a team workflow needs.
Alternatives to Unlayer
Unlayer: common questions
Is Unlayer free?
Unlayer has a Free plan, listed as forever free with no credit card, and it includes the email, page, popup and document builders. Paid plans start at $250 per month on Launch with a 14-day free trial. The Free plan does not list white-labeling or the cloud API.
What does Unlayer charge for exports?
Exports are bundled by plan: 5,000 per month on Launch, 25,000 on Scale and 100,000 on Optimize, each with 1 TB bandwidth. Add-ons for AI credits, exports and bandwidth are sold in multiples of $50 per month, according to the pricing page.
Does Unlayer use customer data to train AI?
The AI page says your data never trains its models, and the license agreement says upstream AI providers may not use AI inputs for training. Providers retain AI inputs and outputs for up to 30 days, and the AI page says zero retention is available on enterprise plans.
Can Unlayer be embedded in my own app?
Yes, that is its main use. Launch includes the cloud API, white-labeling, custom storage and custom tools, while Enterprise adds on-premise deployment and single sign-on. Check the license agreement terms for how embedded use is counted before building on it.
Which security certifications does Unlayer name?
The AI page names SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and CCPA, and the Enterprise plan lists SOC 2 Type II among its features. No ISO certification appeared on the pages read, and the hosting region was not stated, so request the report and a data location statement.