TM agencies list
20
min read
Looking for better-performing emails that don’t just look good, but actually convert? This guide breaks down 12 of the top email design agencies — from boutique studios to enterprise powerhouses — with clear comparisons on pricing, services, and who they’re best for. Whether you're scaling automation or need help with design consistency, this is your shortcut to finding the right-fit partner.
Bad email design doesn’t just look bad — it costs you. Lost clicks. Lost customers. Campaigns that flatline in the middle of your funnel because they didn’t connect visually, emotionally, or strategically.
If you’re here, chances are your team’s already doing a lot right. You’ve got an ESP in place. You’re sending campaigns. You understand segmentation, A/B testing, and maybe even automation. But the visuals? The structure? What is the actual experience of your emails? That’s where things might be breaking down.
This guide was built to help you fix that and scale beyond it, especially if your current email marketing designs aren’t performing the way they should.
You’ll find a curated list of 12 top-tier email design agencies that do more than just polish templates. These are firms that understand mid-funnel strategy, brand alignment, and measurable performance. They’re used by companies like Amazon, Spotify, and Gymshark — and by smaller, scrappier teams trying to punch above their weight. Their graphic design examples speak volumes.
What makes this list different?
You’ll see names like SmartMail, InboxArmy, Designity, Superside — and of course, TodayMade, which leads our list as the best all-around partner for brands who want emails that perform as well as they look.
Let’s dive in.
Choosing an email design agency isn’t just about who has the best-looking portfolio. It’s about who can actually help your team perform better — at scale, under pressure, and with design that reflects your brand, not someone else’s template.
To curate this list, we evaluated each agency across a mix of real-world criteria:
Some of these agencies are full-service. Others are hyper-focused on design production or eCommerce lifecycle flows. Some offer monthly subscriptions, while others work project-by-project. We’ve laid it all out so you can quickly spot the best fit for your needs.
Let’s get into the top 12.
Services Offered: Full-service email design, copywriting, ESP integration, automation, and performance reporting.
Pricing: $799/month for unlimited design subscription.
Best For: Brands seeking a blend of strategy + design with high-touch collaboration.
TodayMade is a full-service email design agency that works like an extension of your in-house team. From strategy to design to execution, they’re built for brands that want more than just good-looking emails — they want emails that convert.
What sets them apart is how well they blend creative and strategic thinking. Campaigns don’t just “look on-brand” — they perform. Every asset they design is backed by funnel logic, customer insights, and growth goals.
They also prioritize collaboration. You’re not passed between junior account managers or ghosted after onboarding. You work directly with a small team that knows your business inside and out.
Services Offered: Email design, visual branding, campaign support, and cross-channel creative — all delivered via a tech-enabled platform with a dedicated Creative Director.
Pricing: Monthly plans start at $5,995.
Best For: Brands that want flexible, on-demand design without managing freelancers or a full agency.
Designity isn’t your typical agency. Instead of juggling multiple vendors or managing freelancers, you get a dedicated Creative Director and access to a vetted team through a single platform. It feels more like having an in-house design department, just without the hiring process.
What makes Designity stand out is speed and structure. Projects are turned around up to 70% faster than a traditional agency, thanks to their streamlined workflow and hand-picked creatives. You submit a brief, and they handle everything from concept to final delivery.
While they offer support across a range of marketing assets, their setup works especially well for ongoing email design. If you need a consistent look, fast turnarounds, and the flexibility to scale design up or down each month, Designity delivers.
Services Offered: Email design, HTML development, motion graphics, campaign support, and full-scale creative services through a subscription model.
Pricing: Monthly subscription based on creative volume and service tier.
Best For: Enterprise and fast-scaling brands with high-volume design needs and a preference for on-demand creative support.
Superside is built for scale. It’s a creative-as-a-service platform that gives you access to a global design team through a subscription — no hourly rates, no change orders, and no waiting for an agency pitch call. If your team is constantly producing new emails, ads, and marketing assets, Superside is designed to keep up.
Where it really excels is in volume and speed. Clients get access to a team that covers everything from email layout to motion banners, with project managers keeping things organized behind the scenes. Their platform integrates with tools like Slack and Trello, making it easy to collaborate with their team of top-tier email designers across time zones and formats.
For email, Superside delivers both design and HTML production. Whether you need branded newsletters, lifecycle flows, or motion-driven promotional emails, their creative bench is deep. The experience feels more like working with an internal creative team, just without the overhead.
Services Offered: Email design, lifecycle automation, campaign strategy, copywriting, A/B testing, SMS integration, and behavioral triggers.
Pricing: Custom, based on campaign complexity and volume.
Best For: eCommerce brands focused on maximizing revenue through data-driven lifecycle campaigns.
SmartMail is all about performance. They specialize in automated, behavior-based email flows that help eCommerce brands convert more shoppers at every stage of the funnel — especially the middle. Think cart abandonment, product recommendations, and re-engagement flows, all built on real customer data.
Their team handles everything from creative to strategy to ongoing optimization. They’re not just building one-off campaigns; they’re designing full lifecycle programs that run 24/7 in the background and keep delivering results over time.
What makes SmartMail stand out is their ability to tie email directly to revenue. Their case studies aren’t vague — they cite actual numbers: millions of subscribers added, hundreds of millions in email revenue generated. For teams that need clear ROI from email, SmartMail is a proven choice.
Services Offered: Email design, layout optimization, brand styling, mobile responsiveness, and template design.
Pricing: Transparent per-email pricing, typically $125–$150 per design.
Best For: Brands and small teams that want high-quality email design without the overhead of a full-service agency.
The Better Creative is a boutique email design studio focused on one thing — making your emails look great and perform better. They don’t offer strategy, automation, or analytics. What they do offer is fast, thoughtful email graphic design — conversion-friendly layouts tailored to your brand, not pulled from a template library.
Working with them is simple. You send the brief, and they return a polished email layout that’s ready to be coded or dropped into your ESP. If you already have your copy and strategy lined up, The Better Creative is a perfect plug-in design partner.
It’s ideal for teams that need ongoing support with newsletters, promotional campaigns, or lifecycle emails, but don’t want to commit to a long-term contract or agency retainer. If you’re curious about add-ons like custom visuals, here’s a breakdown of how much illustrations cost when bundled with design work.
Services Offered: Responsive HTML email coding, template design, ESP integration, QA testing, campaign management, and white-label production support.
Pricing: Starts as low as $35 for a single responsive template.
Best For: Agencies and brands that need scalable, affordable email production without sacrificing quality.
Email Uplers is a production powerhouse. Formerly known as Email Monks, they’ve built their reputation on pixel-perfect coding, fast turnaround times, and the ability to scale email output for any size team. If you need a high volume of emails built, tested, and deployed, they’re one of the most cost-effective options available.
Their value lies in efficiency. Uplers handles all the technical details — responsive design, ESP compatibility, accessibility, and deliverability checks — so your internal team can focus on strategy and creative. They also offer white-label services, making them a popular choice for marketing agencies that want reliable email execution behind the scenes.
While they may not provide deep funnel strategy, their expertise in coding and quality assurance makes them a trusted partner for teams that already know what they want but need help producing it quickly and consistently.
Services Offered: Lifecycle email design, SMS and push marketing, automation flows, segmentation, copywriting, A/B testing, and performance analytics.
Pricing: Min. project size $10,000+; Avg. hourly rate $100–$149/hr.
Best For: DTC and growth-focused eCommerce brands that want to increase customer lifetime value through retention marketing.
Chronos Agency positions itself as a growth partner, not just a service provider. They specialize in lifecycle campaigns that keep customers engaged long after the first purchase, with a mix of design, automation, and data-driven strategy. If your goal is to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers, they’re built for that challenge.
Their team is a Klaviyo Master Elite Partner, which is industry shorthand for “these folks know what they’re doing.” From email flows to SMS sequences, they focus on retention tactics that align directly with measurable revenue outcomes.
What makes Chronos stand out is the way they blend creative and technical execution. You don’t just get good-looking emails; you get campaigns backed by analytics and refined through testing. That combination of design, copy, and optimization makes them especially valuable for brands scaling in competitive markets.
Services Offered: Creative email design, HTML development, CRM program strategy, interactive content, and campaign management.
Pricing: Min. project size $1,000+; Avg. hourly rate $25–$49/hr.
Best For: Enterprise and global brands that want high-concept, visually engaging CRM journeys.
Action Rocket is often called “the creative studio for the email channel” — and it’s easy to see why. Based in London, their team is known for pushing the boundaries of what email can do. Think animated elements, interactive features, and polished campaigns that feel closer to microsites than simple newsletters.
They’ve worked with major names like BBC, Gymshark, and UNICEF, which speaks to their ability to deliver on high-profile, high-volume campaigns. For marketing managers at enterprise brands, they bring both the design craft and the technical know-how to execute complex CRM journeys.
Action Rocket isn’t the cheapest option, but they’re one of the most innovative. If your team wants to stand out in a crowded inbox with campaigns that combine creativity, usability, and strategy, they’re a strong choice.
Services Offered: Full-service email and SMS marketing, including design, copywriting, lifecycle automation, segmentation, deliverability optimization, and performance reporting.
Pricing: Min. project size $5,000+; typical engagements $10k–$25k, with discounts for long-term retainers.
Best For: DTC and eCommerce brands that want to scale with robust lifecycle programs and expert Klaviyo support.
Flowium is all about taking the guesswork out of email marketing. As a Klaviyo Elite Partner, they specialize in designing and executing lifecycle campaigns that nurture leads and drive repeat purchases. Their team combines strategy, creative design, and technical execution so you don’t have to juggle multiple vendors.
What makes Flowium stand out is their focus on measurable outcomes. They don’t just send campaigns — they design end-to-end programs that optimize customer journeys, from welcome flows to re-engagement campaigns. Many clients highlight their ability to improve both conversions and retention through smart segmentation and data-driven automation.
For eCommerce brands looking to scale, Flowium offers the right mix of creativity and rigor. They bring the polish of an agency and the precision of a growth consultancy.
Services Offered: Email creative design, campaign strategy, copywriting, marketing automation setup, lead generation, and conversion rate optimization.
Pricing: Custom, depending on campaign needs and level of engagement.
Best For: DTC and eCommerce brands that want design-driven campaigns tightly aligned with brand identity.
The Orchard is a boutique agency with nearly 15 years of experience helping consumer brands stand out in the inbox. They take a design-first approach, making sure every email not only performs but also looks and feels like an authentic extension of the brand. Their work balances creativity and strategy, so campaigns are visually polished and built to convert.
Clients like Nintendo and Medibank show the range of industries they support, from entertainment to healthcare. What sets The Orchard apart is the craftsmanship of their senior team. Projects aren’t passed down to juniors — you get seasoned creatives who understand both design and funnel performance.
For teams that want emails to feel like more than just functional messages, The Orchard is a strong choice. They excel at marrying branding with automation, ensuring every touchpoint tells a consistent story.
Services Offered: Email and SMS marketing, campaign strategy, template design, content creation, automation workflows, plus integrated services like SEO, PPC, and web design.
Pricing: Min. project size $1,000+; Avg. hourly rate $100–$149/hr.
Best For: Businesses that want email to be part of a broader, multi-channel growth strategy.
SmartSites is a full-service email marketing digital agency that treats email as a key piece of the marketing puzzle. They design and manage campaigns that align with your ads, SEO, and website design, making sure every channel reinforces the others. That kind of integration is a major advantage for brands looking to grow holistically rather than manage disconnected efforts.
Their credibility speaks for itself: they’re a Google Premier Partner, a Facebook Marketing Partner, and have won awards specifically for their email campaigns. With over 1,000 clients across industries from retail to finance, SmartSites has proven they can adapt to a wide variety of business needs.
What makes them stand out is their results-driven mindset. They’re not just interested in delivering polished templates — they want to see measurable improvements in engagement and conversions. If you’re looking for a partner who can connect email to the rest of your funnel, SmartSites is a strong contender.
Services Offered: Dynamic content personalization, real-time data integration, campaign automation, cross-channel creative (email, web, mobile, social), and advanced analytics.
Pricing: Enterprise-level, custom quotes based on scale and integrations.
Best For: Large B2C brands and enterprises that want hyper-personalized, data-driven email experiences.
Movable Ink pushes the boundaries of what an email advertising agency can deliver — turning static promotions into dynamic, data-driven experiences. Their platform connects directly to your data sources — product catalogs, CRM, inventory feeds, even weather APIs — to generate real-time, personalized content inside each email. Instead of static templates, your subscribers see offers and visuals tailored to their exact context when they open.
This makes Movable Ink especially powerful for retailers, travel companies, and financial services brands that rely on timely, personalized communication at scale. Think flight updates, limited-time offers, or product recommendations that change depending on what’s in stock. The creative possibilities are almost endless.
What sets them apart is how seamlessly they combine design with data. You don’t just get personalization in theory — you get living, breathing campaigns that adapt on the fly. For marketing managers at enterprise brands, Movable Ink offers a way to push email far beyond static design and into truly dynamic experiences.
That was a lot to take in. Twelve agencies, each with their own style, pricing, and way of working. To make things easier, here’s a side-by-side comparison table. Think of it as a shortcut: instead of scrolling back and forth, you can scan this table to quickly see which agency matches your budget, goals, and collaboration style.
So what if your budget’s closer to $500 than $15,000? You still have great options.In this next section, we’ll break down the most affordable email design options and how to decide if they’re the right fit for your campaigns.
Not every marketing team has the budget for a full-service partner like Superside or Movable Ink. If you’re looking to stretch your dollars while still improving your email game, pairing low-cost design with budget-friendly content marketing can go a long way. Each comes with strengths and trade-offs.
Pricing: $50–$150 per email
Freelancers are the cheapest way to get a design out the door. Platforms like Fiverr or Upwork make it easy to hire an email graphic designer quickly, but quality is hit or miss. You might find a gem who delivers solid work, or you might end up with inconsistent results. Expect slower turnaround if you’re relying on a single person, and don’t expect strategic input. Before going this route, it’s worth understanding the cost to hire a graphic designer so you can set realistic expectations around value and time.
Pricing: $125–$150 per email
Boutique studios like The Better Creative are more expensive than freelancers, but you get reliability and brand consistency. Instead of starting from scratch each time, you’ll work with the same small team that understands your brand voice and visual identity. You won’t get the strategy and automation support of a larger agency, but for design-first teams that already have copy and campaign planning in place, this option strikes a nice balance between cost and quality.
Pricing: From $35 per template
Production shops specialize in scale and speed. Agencies like Email Uplers can crank out dozens of coded, responsive templates at a fraction of the cost of freelancers or boutiques. They’re especially useful if you already have a campaign strategy and just need execution. The downside is that you won’t get creative direction or funnel insights — these shops are about production, not strategy.
If budget is your main constraint, your best option depends on how much strategic help you need. If you just want templates built, a production shop is hard to beat. If you want consistent, on-brand visuals, a boutique like The Better Creative will pay off. And if you just need a quick one-off, a freelancer may be enough.
Finding the right partner isn’t just about price. A freelancer might be perfect for one-off campaigns, while a full-service agency could be the missing piece for a brand looking to scale retention programs. But how do you know which model actually fits your needs?
The next section gives you a simple decision-making framework. Step by step, you’ll clarify your goals, pick the right type of partner, and know exactly what questions to ask before signing a contract. There’s even a quick checklist to help you spot whether you should go DIY, boutique, or full-service.
Choosing an email design partner isn’t just about who looks good on Clutch. It’s about fit — for your team, your goals, and your workflow. Whether you're revamping your entire lifecycle or just need help polishing newsletters, this framework will help you make the right call.
Be honest about what you need. Are you…
📌 Your goals will determine how much strategy, creative direction, and tech integration you actually need.
Here’s a breakdown of the three main models:
If you're doing 1–2 campaigns a month and have in-house copy or strategy, a boutique studio is often the sweet spot. But if you’re building out full lifecycle automation and want someone to own the process? Go full-service. Still not sure which route is best? This freelance graphic designer vs agency breakdown helps weigh the trade-offs across price, flexibility, and project management.
Ask these questions before signing anything:
The best-fit partner will integrate into your workflow — not force you into theirs.
Good design looks nice. Great design performs.
Design without data is just decoration. Make sure they’re prepared to optimize, not just deliver files.
This isn’t about finding the best agency. It’s about finding the best fit — for your budget, your bandwidth, and your business model. Sometimes what you really need isn’t an agency at all, but a versatile hire, like a marketing designer who can do a bit of everything.
Choosing the right agency is only half the battle. The other half is knowing what working together actually looks like from timelines and approvals to who owns the design files. The next section breaks it down so there are no surprises after you sign.
Hiring an email design agency sounds straightforward, but the actual process can vary a lot depending on who you choose and how they operate. Some act like a full extension of your team. Others deliver a folder of templates and expect you to take it from there.
Before you commit, here’s what to expect from common agency workflows, collaboration models, timelines, and deliverables — plus some Reddit-fueled realities to keep things honest.
Some agencies prefer to start with foundational templates — think modular designs for different types of emails (newsletters, promos, flows). This approach is more scalable and consistent. Once approved, you or the agency can reuse and adapt them across campaigns.
Others go email-by-email, creating unique designs for each send. That gives you more creative freedom but can slow things down and lead to inconsistencies if you're not careful with brand guidelines. As one of the Reddit users put it:
Some agencies operate as a managed service — they’ll handle strategy, design, copy, deployment, and testing. You brief them once and get a polished campaign ready to go. Agencies like TodayMade, SmartMail, and Chronos fall into this category.
Others are more self-service. They deliver templates or HTML builds, but you manage implementation, copywriting, and optimization. This is typical for production shops like Email Uplers or boutique studios like The Better Creative.
Decide what level of involvement you want — and what you’re equipped to handle in-house.
Most full-service agencies follow a flow like this:
Boutiques or production shops may skip steps 1 and 4 entirely and go straight from brief to mockup.
Before signing any agreement, ask:
Misaligned tools are one of the most common friction points when working with an agency. You might assume everyone builds in the same platforms you do, but that’s rarely the case. For example, here is a Reddit insight from u/red_01:
The lesson? Clarify tools and file formats early. Nothing slows down a project like misaligned tech stacks.
Bottom line: your experience will vary dramatically depending on who you hire. The more clarity you have around workflows, timelines, and deliverables, the smoother things go. Set expectations early, and don’t be afraid to ask granular questions before you sign anything.
By now, you’ve seen what working with an agency actually looks like — from templates and timelines to tools and team dynamics. But the truth is, none of that matters unless the relationship drives real results. That’s where we’ll leave you: with a quick recap and some final steps to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Hiring an email design agency isn’t just about getting prettier emails. It’s about unlocking more revenue from the campaigns you’re already sending through better visuals, smarter structure, and design that actually converts.
If there’s one thing to take away from this guide, it’s that the right agency isn’t just the one with the flashiest portfolio. It’s the one that fits your goals, your workflow, and your budget. Strategy matters. So does collaboration. And so does having a partner who understands how email fits into your bigger picture.
Here’s what to do next: shortlist 2–3 email design agencies that align with your current goals. Send a sample brief to test for fit. Ask about timelines, tools, and ownership, just like you would when hiring a website designer. If you're not ready to commit, start small with a freelancer or a tool like Figma.
But if you're looking for a full-stack partner who blends strategy and design without the agency bloat, TodayMade was built for you.
Start with TodayMade and see how high-performing email design can actually feel easy.
