MJML vs React Email
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A markup language that compiles simple email templates into responsive HTML that works across email clients.
Open source · MIT
A set of React components for building email layouts that render across common email clients.
The short answer
Choose MJML if you need…
- Developers who build transactional or marketing emails by hand
- Teams that need emails to display well on phones and desktop clients
- People who want a readable template format instead of nested email HTML tables
- Anyone who wants to try it in the browser before installing
Choose React Email if you need…
- Developers who already build web apps with React and want to write email templates the same way
- Teams that want email templates to render consistently across major email clients
- Projects that send transactional or marketing email through an existing provider such as Resend, SendGrid, or Postmark
Side-by-side
| MJML | React Email | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 18.3k | 19.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 14 days ago | 7 days ago |
What each one is
MJML
MJML is a markup language created by Mailjet for building responsive HTML emails with less effort. You write simpler, semantic tags and its open-source engine translates them into the responsive HTML that email clients need. It ships with a standard component library to speed up building.
React Email
React Email is a collection of unstyled components you use to write emails in React and TypeScript. It handles layout details such as responsive design and dark mode support, and aims to smooth out differences between clients like Gmail and Outlook. Once an email is built, it can be converted to HTML and sent through any email service provider.
Best for
MJML
- Developers who build transactional or marketing emails by hand
- Teams that need emails to display well on phones and desktop clients
- People who want a readable template format instead of nested email HTML tables
- Anyone who wants to try it in the browser before installing
React Email
- Developers who already build web apps with React and want to write email templates the same way
- Teams that want email templates to render consistently across major email clients
- Projects that send transactional or marketing email through an existing provider such as Resend, SendGrid, or Postmark
Strengths
MJML
- Simple, semantic syntax designed specifically for responsive email
- Open-source engine with a standard component library
- Multiple ways to use it: npm package, CLI, online editor, and editor plugins
React Email
- Components are unstyled and built for email clients, so you do not need to write table-based layouts by hand
- The README lists tested support for popular clients including Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook, and Yahoo! Mail
- Includes examples for many email service providers and an MIT license
Not ideal for
MJML
- People who only need a plain-text or single-page web layout, since MJML targets email output
- Users who do not work with Node.js or the command line and want no setup; the README points to an online editor for that case
React Email
- People who only need to send a single plain-text email and do not need templates; the project is aimed at template building with React
- Non-developers who want a drag-and-drop email builder; the README describes an Editor, but the core workflow is code-first
Trade-offs
MJML
- Output depends on the MJML engine version, so template and tool versions need to stay in sync
- Advanced options such as includes and template syntax need careful configuration, per the CLI and options tables
React Email
- The README does not detail the setup beyond npm installation, so first-time users may need the documentation site
- The Editor and AI-agent skill are extra features whose depth the README does not fully explain
Getting started
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MJML and React Email?
MJML: A markup language that compiles simple email templates into responsive HTML that works across email clients. React Email: A set of React components for building email layouts that render across common email clients. MJML suits developers who build transactional or marketing emails by hand, while React Email suits developers who already build web apps with react and want to write email templates the same way.
Are MJML and React Email free?
MJML: Free and open source. React Email: Free and open source.
Is MJML or React Email more popular?
React Email has more GitHub stars (19.9k) than MJML (18.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.