Side by side
Mela vs Unlayer
Both stand on email design software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIWeb
Mela combines multi-site content management with site-level forms, analytics, localization, and developer tooling. Check the Free plan's site and member limits, and note that email sending and the listed form integrations require separate options.
Visit Mela Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb
Choose Unlayer if your software needs embedded tools for users to create email, page, popup, or document content, with developer APIs and framework integrations. The free plan covers all four builder types, but paid plans start at $250 per month; teams needing custom contracts have to consider Enterprise, whose price is personalized.
Visit UnlayerThe facts
| Mela | Unlayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | No |
| Runs on | API, Web | API, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Pro: $33 a month | Launch: $250 a month |
| Plans published | 3 | 5 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | usemela.com | unlayer.com |
| On email design software | #17 of 63 | #21 of 63 |
Mela: what it does well
- Sites are live and editable when created.
- Every site includes forms, a submissions inbox, and analytics.
- Includes localization, SEO controls, redirects, and role-based access.
- Free plan includes one site and two locales.
What to know first
- Free plan is limited to one organization member.
- Email Builder does not send emails.
- Email Builder lacks contact lists, scheduling, and engagement tracking.
- Brevo, Mailchimp, and Resend form connections cost $9/mo as add-ons.
Unlayer: what it does well
- Free plan includes email, page, popup, and document builders.
- Email editor combines drag-and-drop editing with AI assistance.
- Document builder supports collaborative editing and dynamic templates.
- Exports include HTML, PDF, image, plain text, and ZIP.
- Enterprise plans include 24/7 priority support and custom SLAs.
What to know first
- Paid plans start at $250 per month.
- Paid plans include 1 TB bandwidth; extra bandwidth costs $50 monthly per 500 GB pack.