GrapesJS is an open source, framework-agnostic drag-and-drop editor framework created by Artur Arseniev in 2016 to solve the problem of hardcoding email newsletter templates by hand for every client change. It is most commonly embedded inside other software products rather than used as a standalone application.
In 2025 Arseniev co-founded Grapes Studio Inc with Y Combinator alumnus Griffin Kelly, backed by Open Core Ventures, to build a commercial, AI-powered version of the editor, while the underlying GrapesJS open source project remains freely available on GitHub.
Key Features
The core library offers a drag-and-drop canvas, a visual style manager, and a plugin architecture with presets for email-safe HTML and general webpage building, usable standalone or wrapped for React, Vue or Angular.
The commercial Studio SDK packages the editor as an embeddable, white-labelable component for SaaS products, with multi-project support and, in the hosted Studio app, AI-assisted template generation from prompts.
Pricing
The GrapesJS core library is completely free and open source, with no license fee for self-hosting and integrating it into your own codebase.
The Studio SDK adds paid, session-based tiers starting with a free plan for 1,000 sessions per month, scaling through Startup at 200 dollars per month and Business at 2,000 dollars per month, up to custom Enterprise pricing.
Key Features
Drag-and-Drop Visual Canvas — A live editing canvas with a nested component tree for building templates without hardcoding.
Framework-Agnostic Component Engine — Use it standalone or wrap it for React, Vue or Angular applications.
Email-Safe HTML Export Presets — Generates table-based HTML that renders correctly across major email clients.
Style Manager Without Code — Visually adjust CSS properties without writing stylesheets by hand.
Plugin and Command API — Extend the editor with custom blocks, traits and commands.
Embeddable Studio SDK — A packaged, white-labelable version of the editor for embedding in SaaS products.
Multi-Project and Multi-Domain Support — Manage several embedded editor instances across different domains within the Studio SDK.
AI-Assisted Template Generation — The hosted Studio product can generate pages and templates from natural-language prompts.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Core framework is free, open source and fully self-hostable
Framework-agnostic, making it easy to embed inside React, Vue or Angular apps
Large, mature plugin ecosystem after nearly a decade of development
Studio SDK lets SaaS teams add a page builder without building one from scratch
Cons
Raw GrapesJS requires developer effort to integrate and style into a production-ready editor
Studio SDK paid tiers can get expensive quickly based on session volume
Free open source tier has fewer dedicated support resources than paid SDK customers
The newer AI and hosted Studio features are still early and less battle-tested than the core library
Pricing
Open Source Core Free N/A
Studio SDK Free $0/month Monthly
Studio SDK Startup $200/month Monthly
Studio SDK Business $2,000/month Monthly
Studio SDK Enterprise Custom pricing Annual
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GrapesJS free?
Yes, the core GrapesJS library is free and open source; the commercial Studio SDK adds paid tiers for embeddable, white-labeled use.
What is the GrapesJS Studio SDK?
It is a paid, packaged version of the GrapesJS editor designed to be embedded directly inside SaaS products.
What is Grapes Studio?
Grapes Studio is a separate hosted, AI-powered website and email builder company founded by GrapesJS creator Artur Arseniev in 2025.
Can GrapesJS build email templates?
Yes, it includes presets that generate email-safe, table-based HTML compatible with major email clients.
Does GrapesJS require React or Vue?
No, it is framework-agnostic and works standalone or wrapped for popular frontend frameworks.
Who created GrapesJS?
GrapesJS was created by Italian developer Artur Arseniev, who first released it in 2016.