The short version: your email platform's own template gallery, such as Kit or Mailchimp, is the best place to get free newsletter templates for email in 2026, while Canva and Microsoft Create are better for printed or PDF newsletters. Start inside the tool you'll send from, so the template works with its editor.
A newsletter template should make sending easier, not prettier for the sake of it. The newsletters people open every week tend to look simple: a clear header, readable text and one or two links that stand out. The right free template gets you there quickly, and the wrong one fights you every time you write.
Five places to find newsletter templates
In no particular order:
- Kit: best for creators sending a regular email newsletter with fully editable templates.
- Mailchimp: best for choosing between basic layouts, designed themes or your own code.
- Canva: best for printed newsletters and PDF updates with your own branding.
- Microsoft Create: best for print newsletters you'll finish in Word.
- Other email platforms' galleries: best when you're already sending from another tool.
Newsletter template sources side by side
| Source | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Kit | Creator email newsletters | Starting point, classic and HTML templates |
| Mailchimp | Choice of starting points | Basic, Themes and Code Your Own |
| Canva | Print and PDF | Content falls into licence categories |
| Microsoft Create | Office-based print | Opens in the Office apps |
| Other platforms | Your existing tool | Use the gallery built into your sender |
Template options change, so preview a test send before you use a new design on your whole list.
Kit and Mailchimp templates in more detail
Kit sends newsletters as Broadcasts, which are one-off emails to your subscribers, and its help centre says email templates come in three types: starting point, classic and HTML. Starting point templates are the newest, and they're completely editable inside the email editor you write in. HTML templates are for people who are comfortable with code.
Mailchimp's template guide says you choose a starting point from three main categories when you create a template. Basic is its default starter emails. Themes are templates with designs already applied, which are responsive and work with the drag-and-drop designer, so you can tweak them to match your look. Code Your Own lets you paste in code or import an HTML file you've already built, and then edit it in the email editor.
For print, Canva and Microsoft Create are the easier choice. Canva's content licence sorts its library into Education, Branded, Pro and Free content, and stricter rules apply when branded content is in a design, so stick to free content and your own images for a newsletter you'll share widely.
If you already send from another platform, start with its built-in gallery rather than importing a design from elsewhere. Templates made for a platform's own editor are far easier to update each week, because every block is editable where you write. An imported HTML design can look great on day one and then turn every small change into a coding job. That's fine if you've got a designer on hand, but most small business owners are better off with a plain template they can edit in minutes.
One edit can change every email
Here's the detail that catches Kit users out. Its help centre explains that classic templates are the previous version of its visual templates, and that only the content in the default content section of a classic template is editable in the email editor. Everything else, like the header and footer, is changed in the visual template editor.
Those changes then apply to all emails that use the same classic template, except ones already sent. That's brilliant when you update your logo once and every future newsletter follows. It's less brilliant if you test a new colour on a classic template and forget that tomorrow's scheduled email uses it too. Make a copy before you experiment.
Setting up a template you'll keep
- Start in the platform you'll send from, so the template suits its editor.
- Pick a simple, single-column layout that reads well on a phone.
- Add your logo and brand colours once, in the template itself.
- Keep one main call to action per issue.
- Send a test to yourself on mobile and desktop.
- Save a copy of the template before you change it.
Weekly emails, client updates and print
Free templates suit weekly creator emails, client updates, community news and printed school or club newsletters. If you haven't picked a sender yet, see my list of free newsletter platforms, and once you're set up, my guide on sending newsletter emails that get opened covers the part a template can't. Weighing up Kit? My roundup of ConvertKit alternatives compares the options.
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Before you commit to any template, write a real issue in it, not a lorem ipsum test. You'll quickly see whether the header is too tall on a phone, whether the font is easy to read and whether your call to action stands out. Ten minutes of testing saves months of fiddling with a design that never quite works.
My advice: use the gallery in the tool you send from, keep the layout plain, and copy before you edit. The words do the work; the template just shouldn't get in their way.
Run a free newsletter template site that belongs on this list? See how to get it featured.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free newsletter templates?
Your email platform's own gallery, such as Kit or Mailchimp, is the best place for email templates. Canva and Microsoft Create are better for printed or PDF newsletters.
What template types does Kit have?
Kit's help centre says its email templates come in three types: starting point, classic and HTML. Starting point templates are completely editable in the email editor.
What template options does Mailchimp offer?
Mailchimp's guide lists three starting points: Basic for default starter emails, Themes with designs already applied, and Code Your Own for pasting or importing HTML.
Why did my template change affect other emails in Kit?
Changes to a classic template in Kit apply to all emails that use it, except those already sent. Make a copy before you experiment.
Can I use Canva for a newsletter?
Yes, especially for print or PDF newsletters. Stick to free content and your own images, because Canva's licence has stricter rules for branded content.
