The short version: Mailchimp, Kit, HubSpot and Canva all give you free email templates, and your email platform's own template library is usually the best place to start. Whichever you pick, make sure the footer carries your postal address and a working unsubscribe link, because US and UK rules both apply to marketing emails.
Email is still the channel I'd keep if I had to give up every other one. A good template saves you rebuilding the same layout every week, keeps your brand consistent and lets you focus on what you're saying.
Where to get free email templates
In no particular order, each one best for a different job:
- Mailchimp: best for drag and drop newsletter layouts inside the tool you send from.
- Kit: best for creators who want simple, text-led emails that feel personal.
- HubSpot: best if your contacts already live in HubSpot's free CRM.
- Canva: best for designing a branded header or graphic to drop into any template.
- Your own saved email: best once you've sent a layout that works, so you can reuse it.
Email template sources side by side
| Source | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Visual newsletters | Templates live inside your account |
| Kit | Plain, personal emails | Suits creators who write like a letter |
| HubSpot | CRM-linked emails | Works best with contacts already in HubSpot |
| Canva | Headers and graphics | Design, then add the image to your email tool |
Picking the right kind of template
Most free template libraries split into two styles. Designed templates have columns, image blocks and buttons, and they suit product launches, events and roundups. Plain text style templates look like a note from a person, and in my experience they suit newsletters and relationship emails because they feel less like advertising.
Whichever style you choose, test it on a phone before you commit. Most of your readers will open it there, and a three column layout that looks great on a laptop can turn into a long scroll of tiny images.
Once you've got a few layouts you like, name them clearly, such as weekly newsletter, event invite or product launch. It sounds obvious, but it stops you opening the wrong one at nine at night and sending last month's colours to your whole list.
What to keep in every master template
Before you customise anything, set up a master template with the pieces you'll use every time. That way each new email starts from something that already works.
- Your logo or name at the top, so people recognise you before they read a word.
- A single column body that reads well on a phone.
- One main button or link, so the email has one job.
- A short sign-off in your own voice.
- A footer with your postal address and an unsubscribe link.
Everything else, from images to extra sections, can change from send to send. The master just stops you forgetting the basics when you're in a hurry.
The two legal lines every template needs
Here's what most template galleries don't tell you. In the US, the FTC's guide to the CAN-SPAM Act says your message must include your valid physical postal address. That can be your street address, a post office box you've registered with the Postal Service, or a private mailbox registered with a commercial mail receiving agency.
It also says you must honour an opt-out request within 10 business days, and any opt-out mechanism you offer must be able to process requests for at least 30 days after you send. You can't make people give you more than an email address, or take any step other than replying or visiting a single web page, to unsubscribe. Your from line, reply-to and routing details must be accurate, and your subject line must reflect what's in the email. The FTC says each separate email that breaks the rules can bring its own penalty.
In the UK, the ICO says you must not send marketing emails or texts to individuals without their specific consent. There's a limited exception for your own previous customers, often called the soft opt-in, but it doesn't apply to prospective customers or to lists you got from someone else.
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So the footer of your template isn't decoration. Put your postal address and a one-click unsubscribe link in the master template once, and every email you build from it carries them.
How to set up a free email template
- Open the template library in the email platform you already send from.
- Pick a designed or plain text layout to match what you're sending.
- Add your logo and brand colours, and keep the body width readable on a phone.
- Add your postal address and an unsubscribe link to the footer.
- Save it as your own reusable template.
- Send a test to yourself on mobile and desktop before the first real send.
Writing what goes inside the template
The template is the frame. What makes people open and click is the words. My ChatGPT prompts for email marketing will help you draft faster, and if you're still choosing where to send from, here are the best email marketing tools for creators.
My verdict: start with your own platform's templates, keep the design simple enough to read on a phone, and build the legal footer into the master copy so you never have to think about it again.
Run a free email template library that belongs on this list? See how to get it featured.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free email templates?
Mailchimp, Kit, HubSpot and Canva all offer free email templates, and your email platform's own template library is usually the easiest place to start.
What does CAN-SPAM require in a marketing email?
The FTC says your message must include your valid physical postal address, accurate header information, a subject line that reflects the content, and a way to opt out.
How quickly must I process an unsubscribe in the US?
The FTC says you must honour an opt-out request within 10 business days.
Can I email UK prospects without consent?
The ICO says you must not send marketing emails to individuals without specific consent. The soft opt-in only covers your own previous customers.
Should I use a designed or plain email template?
Designed templates suit launches and roundups, while plain text style templates often suit newsletters because they feel more personal.
