Unlayer vs Beefree: Embeddable Email Editors Compared

Use Case Focus

Unlayer was built primarily as an embeddable solution, with its SDK designed from the start for integration into other applications. The standalone editor exists but the business focus is on developers embedding the editor in their products.

Beefree offers both standalone use and embedding via the BEE Plugin. While the embedding capabilities are robust, the platform evolved from a standalone product, giving it strengths in direct usage scenarios.

Integration Experience

Unlayer Integration

Unlayer provides React, Vue, and Angular components alongside vanilla JavaScript SDK. Integration is straightforward with well-documented APIs. The editor loads quickly and handles custom tools well.

import EmailEditor from 'react-email-editor';

function App() {
  const editorRef = useRef(null);

  const exportHtml = () => {
    editorRef.current.editor.exportHtml((data) => {
      console.log(data.html);
    });
  };

  return <EmailEditor ref={editorRef} />;
}

Beefree Integration

BEE Plugin offers similar framework support with perhaps slightly more complex initial setup. The plugin is powerful but may require more configuration to match your exact needs.

Customization Options

Editor Experience

Unlayer: Functional, developer-oriented design. The editor is clean and capable, though some users find the aesthetics less polished than Beefree. Reliability and performance are excellent.

Beefree: More polished, design-forward interface. The editing experience feels more refined, which matters if your users will interact with the editor directly. Mobile editing support is notably good.

Pricing for Embedding

Unlayer: Starts at $12/month for basic embedding. Higher tiers unlock more features and higher usage limits. Generally considered competitively priced for the embedding use case.

Beefree (BEE Plugin): Custom pricing for embedding. Tends to be pricier than Unlayer, reflecting the more polished product. Free tier available with limited exports for evaluation.

Template Libraries

Unlayer: Decent template collection that has grown over time. Templates are professional and cover common use cases. You can also add custom templates for your users.

Beefree: Larger, more varied template library. The design quality is generally higher, with more style options. This advantage matters more if templates are user-facing.

Documentation and Support

Unlayer: Extensive developer documentation with code examples. Community is active, and support is responsive. Good resources for self-serve implementation.

Beefree: Good documentation, though sometimes less comprehensive for edge cases. Support quality is high, especially on paid tiers.

Alternative Approach

Rather than embedding an editor in your product, consider whether your users need to build templates at all. Sequenzy offers AI-powered template generation that could be integrated instead, giving users professional templates without the complexity of a full editor.

This approach works well when users need templates but lack design skills. Instead of struggling with an editor, they describe what they need and receive professional results. Consider whether this simpler user experience might better serve your product.

Recommendation

For pure embedding use cases where price and customization flexibility matter most, Unlayer offers excellent value. The developer experience is strong and pricing is competitive.

For products where the editing experience is user-facing and design quality matters, Beefree's more polished interface may justify higher costs. The superior template library and editing UX create better user impressions.

Consider Sequenzy if you want to offer template creation without editor complexity, leveraging AI to generate professional results for users who lack design skills.