Replace Unlayer over a weekend. Save $1,788+ a year. Own your editor forever.
GrapesJS is the open-source, self-hosted email and page builder you embed in your product — MIT-licensed, zero recurring fees, fully customizable.
Three pains. One solution.
Recurring SaaS bill, forever
$149–$2,499/mo that scales with users, not your revenue.
Zero license fee, forever
MIT means $0 now, $0 in five years, even if we disappear.
Vendor lock-in
Your templates, data, and rendering live on their servers.
You own everything
Self-hosted: your server, your data, your pipeline.
Email-only ceiling
Unlayer stops at email. Landing pages? Not their problem.
One editor for every surface
GrapesJS builds emails and pages from the same core.
What does three years of Unlayer actually cost?
That money can go back into your team, your product, and your customers — not a SaaS vendor.
GrapesJS 3-yr total
GrapesJS 3-yr total
GrapesJS 3-yr total
Your GrapesJS editor, ready in seconds
Drag-and-drop out of the box
Blocks, sections, columns — no config needed.
MJML and standard HTML
Export inline HTML for any ESP.
Custom blocks in minutes
Any component your product needs, as a plugin.
Clean export, every time
Works across 90+ email clients.
→
Build your editor now
No signup. No credit card. First template exported in under 10 minutes.
Open editorFull feature comparison
| Feature | GrapesJS ✓ | Unlayer | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open source | ✓ MIT license | ✗ Proprietary SaaS | Audit, fork, and ship without legal risk. |
| Pricing | $0 forever | $149–$2,499/mo | Cost does not compound as your product grows. |
| Self-hosted | ✓ Your servers | ✗ Their servers only | GDPR-friendly; customer data never leaves your infra. |
| MJML support | ✓ Native plugin | ✗ Not supported | Responsive HTML across 90+ clients without hacks. |
| White-label | ✓ Always free | Paid plans only | Ship under your brand without paying extra. |
| Custom blocks | Unlimited | Limited by plan | Any component your product needs, as a plugin. |
| Page builder | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Email only | One editor for campaigns and landing pages. |
| Plugin ecosystem | GJS.Market (100+) | None | Production-ready extensions for every use case. |
| Framework support | Any (React, Vue, Angular…) | React wrapper only | Embed in any stack without a rewrite. |
From Unlayer to GrapesJS in 5 days
- 1Day 1
Audit your top templates
Identify the 10 most-used Unlayer templates and extract repeating block patterns.
- 2Day 2
Install GrapesJS + MJML preset
Add the MJML preset and recreate your core design-system blocks.
- 3Day 3
Map merge tags
Match your ESP merge tags to GrapesJS custom traits and test render output.
- 4Day 4
Cross-client validation
Validate exported HTML in Gmail, Outlook 2019/2021, and Apple Mail.
- 5Day 5
Feature-flag release
Ship behind a flag, migrate templates one by one, retire Unlayer cleanly.
23,000+
GitHub stars
100+
Plugins on GJS.Market
10 years
Active development
$0
License fee, always
We replaced Unlayer with GrapesJS in a week. Our Unlayer bill was $249/month — now it’s $0, and we own the entire editing experience. The MJML plugin handles all our email clients perfectly.
Email plugins, ready to ship
MJML Newsletter Preset
Full MJML email builder with responsive blocks
Free
Email Block Library
Header, footer, CTA, text, and image blocks
Free
Responsive Preview
Test at mobile, tablet, and desktop sizes
Free
HTML Export Pro
Inlined HTML export for any email service provider
Free
GrapesJS vs Unlayer — your questions answered
Build your first template in 10 minutes
Open the GrapesJS editor on GJS.Market. No signup, no credit card, no lock-in.
Open the editor freeNo registration · No credit card · MIT license