When planning an email marketing campaign, one of the most important—and often overlooked—decisions is the format in which the email will be sent. Should you go for a plain text email that feels natural and straightforward? Or should you opt for a well-designed HTML email with images, branding, and clickable buttons?
Both formats have their merits, and the right choice often depends on the type of message you're sending, the expectations of your audience, and the goal of your campaign. In this article, we'll break down the differences between plain text and HTML emails, explain when each is appropriate, and show you how you can use both effectively with a platform like Mailpro.
What Is a Plain Text Email?
As the name suggests, a plain text email is exactly that—plain. It includes only basic characters without any formatting, images, colors, or design elements. You can’t bold words, insert logos, or add buttons. The entire message consists of simple, readable text.
This may sound limiting, especially in a world where visuals are everywhere, but plain text emails still hold a valuable place in modern communication. In fact, many users prefer them for their simplicity and authenticity. A well-written plain text email can feel more personal, like a message from a friend, rather than a promotional ad.
Plain text emails are also less likely to be filtered into spam folders, load more quickly on any device (even slow mobile connections), and are compatible with virtually every email client in existence.
What Is an HTML Email?
An HTML email is one that includes HyperText Markup Language (HTML) code—just like a website. This allows you to format the message with colors, fonts, images, tables, and layouts. You can create rich, interactive designs, and even include video thumbnails or countdown timers.
Most promotional emails, newsletters, and branded campaigns are HTML emails. They’re perfect for showcasing products, reinforcing brand identity, and guiding readers to click through to a website or landing page.
HTML emails can also be tracked more easily. You can measure open rates, click-throughs, and other behaviors with tracking pixels and custom links. This makes them essential for marketers who rely on data to adjust and optimize campaigns.
However, HTML emails come with some challenges. If not coded correctly, they can display inconsistently across different email clients. They're also heavier in size, which can affect load times, and are sometimes more likely to be flagged as spam if they include too many images or poor formatting.
Key Differences Between Plain Text and HTML Emails
At first glance, plain text and HTML emails might seem similar—they’re both delivered via the same email systems and reach the same inboxes. But from the moment your recipient opens the message, the difference in experience becomes clear. These two formats behave very differently in terms of appearance, functionality, and how they interact with both the user and email service providers.
Visual Design and Structure
One of the most obvious differences lies in the presentation.
Plain text emails are exactly what they sound like: pure text with no formatting. There are no bolded headlines, images, logos, or buttons. What you write is what they see—every recipient gets the same minimalist experience. This simplicity can be a strength, especially in contexts where a message needs to feel direct, personal, or informal. Think of a message that reads like a personal email from a friend or colleague—that’s the tone plain text delivers best.
HTML emails, on the other hand, are built using HTML code—the same language used to structure websites. This allows marketers to include things like color, branding, headers, images, call-to-action buttons, columns, tables, and even animations. With this format, emails become more than just messages—they become experiences. You can guide the reader visually, reinforce your branding, and make it easier for recipients to interact with your content through clickable elements.
Engagement and User Experience
While plain text emails may appear more personal and less “salesy,” they lack interactive elements. You can’t embed a clickable button or a formatted call to action. You’re limited to using long URLs that the reader must copy and paste or tap—this can be a hurdle in terms of engagement.
In contrast, HTML emails are optimized for action. You can include strategically placed buttons (“Buy Now,” “Register Today,” “Read More”), structure your content for easier scanning with headings and bullet points, and visually highlight key information. This helps reduce friction and guide the reader toward your goal, whether it’s a purchase, a download, or a website visit.
However, this added design comes at a cost: some email clients may not display HTML consistently, and older devices may load them more slowly—especially if the message includes many images or custom fonts. That’s why HTML emails require more careful previewing and testing across devices and email platforms.
Tracking and Analytics
Another crucial difference is how each format handles tracking.
Plain text emails do not support embedded tracking pixels, which means you can’t easily monitor opens or interactions. While some email platforms attempt to track clicks by using redirect links, it's still very limited. If campaign performance is a priority, plain text makes it harder to gather useful insights.
HTML emails, however, can include invisible tracking pixels and UTM-coded links, allowing you to see:
- Who opened your message
- When they opened it
- Which links they clicked
- Which devices they used
This data is essential for marketers who want to measure campaign effectiveness, segment audiences based on engagement, or run A/B tests. With Mailpro, for example, you get detailed analytics automatically with each HTML campaign, helping you refine your strategy and improve performance over time.
Deliverability and Spam Filtering
While both formats can be delivered successfully, plain text emails tend to be more trusted by spam filters. They resemble one-to-one communications and are less likely to include risky elements (like broken HTML, large images, or third-party tracking scripts) that might flag your message as spam.
HTML emails, while not inherently worse, do require proper setup to ensure good deliverability. This includes clean code, well-balanced text-to-image ratio, properly linked resources, and verified sender domains. When handled with care—and especially when sent through a secure platform like Mailpro—HTML emails can achieve excellent deliverability while offering all their visual and functional advantages.
When Appearance and Functionality Matter
In summary, the choice between plain text and HTML is often a choice between simplicity and style—or more accurately, between human tone and visual engagement.
Plain text works well when:
- You want to build a personal connection
- You’re sending a transactional or system-generated message
- Your audience values minimalism and fast readability
- Deliverability is your top priority
HTML is the better choice when:
- Branding and layout matter
- You’re running a promotional campaign or newsletter
- You want to track opens, clicks, and user behavior
- You need to present complex or visually structured content
And with Mailpro, you don’t need to limit yourself to just one format. You can send multipart messages that include both plain text and HTML versions. This ensures the best compatibility across devices and email clients while giving each recipient the best possible experience.
When to Use Plain Text Emails
Plain text emails are ideal when you want to sound direct, human, and trustworthy. They’re often used for:
- Personal follow-ups and relationship-building
- Transactional emails, such as receipts or password resets
- Email sequences focused on storytelling or education
- Outreach messages, especially in B2B settings
- Campaigns aimed at deliverability over design
Plain text emails are particularly useful in industries where trust and simplicity are critical—like finance, healthcare, or legal services. They can also be effective when writing to audiences who value minimalism and prefer content over flair.
When to Use HTML Emails
HTML emails are best when you need to present structured information, guide users through a visual flow, or represent your brand with professionalism. They are ideal for:
- Newsletters and product announcements
- E-commerce promotions or sales campaigns
- Event invitations and confirmations
- Visual storytelling or multimedia integration
- Campaigns with strong calls to action
HTML emails allow you to include logos, custom fonts, clickable buttons, and formatted text to make your message more engaging and easier to navigate. They're particularly useful for mobile-friendly, responsive designs where visual layout matters.
Why Not Both? The Best of Both Worlds
You don’t always have to choose between plain text and HTML. The best practice in email marketing is to send both formats at the same time using what’s called a multipart email.
In a multipart email, the HTML version is displayed when the recipient’s device supports it, and the plain text version is used as a fallback for those that don’t. This ensures that everyone can read your message—regardless of their email client or settings.
Mailpro automatically supports this functionality. When you create an HTML email in Mailpro, a plain text version is generated to ensure compatibility and accessibility for all recipients. This helps improve your deliverability and guarantees a good experience for every user.
What About Deliverability?
Deliverability is one of the most critical factors in the success of your email marketing efforts. It refers to the ability of your emails to reach your recipients’ inboxes—not the spam folder, not the promotions tab, but the actual inbox where they’re seen and read. You can spend hours crafting the perfect message or designing a beautiful layout, but if your emails aren’t delivered properly, none of that effort will pay off.
This is where format plays a role.
Why Plain Text Emails Often Perform Better
Plain text emails are naturally lighter, simpler, and more universally compatible. Because they contain no embedded code, no images, and no design-heavy formatting, they are less likely to raise red flags with spam filters. Mail servers tend to view plain text messages as more authentic—similar to personal messages—which increases the likelihood of them being delivered successfully.
For this reason, plain text emails are often favored for transactional communications, onboarding flows, and relationship-driven outreach, where high deliverability and trust are essential.
But Are HTML Emails Bad for Deliverability?
Not at all—if they’re done right. HTML emails can have excellent deliverability, but they must be carefully crafted and sent through a secure, reputable platform. Problems usually arise when:
- The HTML code is messy, outdated, or improperly formatted
- Too many images are used with little to no text
- There’s a lack of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- The sender domain has a poor reputation
- There’s no plain text fallback version included
When these issues are avoided, HTML emails can perform just as well—if not better—than plain text, especially when paired with good content and smart segmentation.
How Mailpro Maximizes Your Deliverability
Mailpro is built with deliverability as a top priority, regardless of whether you're sending plain text or HTML emails. When you use Mailpro, you benefit from:
- Built-in support for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication
- Clean, optimized code for all HTML templates
- The ability to send multipart (HTML + plain text) emails for maximum compatibility
- Automatic bounce handling, to keep your sender reputation healthy
- Real-time deliverability reports, so you can monitor performance and adjust when needed
In addition, Mailpro’s infrastructure is trusted by major ISPs and email providers, which gives your campaigns a strong foundation for reaching the inbox. If you're using your own domain, Mailpro also guides you through verifying and protecting it, further improving trust with mail servers.
Deliverability Is a Shared Responsibility
While platforms like Mailpro handle the technical side, it's important to remember that your content and sending behavior also matter. Avoid misleading subject lines, don’t buy email lists, keep your contact database clean, and send emails your recipients actually want to receive.
Good deliverability is not just about avoiding spam folders—it’s about building trust, maintaining consistency, and using the right tools to ensure your message is seen.
How Mailpro Helps You with Both Formats
Mailpro is designed to give you full flexibility. Whether you prefer the sleek simplicity of plain text or the visual power of HTML, you can build and send both types of emails with ease.
With Mailpro, you can:
- Use the intuitive drag-and-drop editor to build beautiful HTML emails
- Switch to plain text mode when a simple message is best
- Send multipart messages that include both versions
- Track open rates, clicks, and other metrics with HTML emails
- Use SMTP or the Mailpro API for transactional messages in either format
- Authenticate your domain to improve trust and deliverability
You don’t have to choose one format and stick with it forever. With Mailpro, you can test, experiment, and find out what works best for your audience.
Final Thoughts
Plain text and HTML emails each have their strengths—and the right choice depends on your specific goals. If you want a message to feel personal and direct, plain text might be your best option. If you want to guide users visually and track their behavior, HTML is the way to go.
For many businesses, the smartest strategy is to combine both. Start with strong content, then choose the format that best serves your message and audience.
And with Mailpro, you don’t have to compromise. Whether you’re building sleek campaigns or keeping it simple, you can rely on a platform that supports both plain text and HTML—securely, efficiently, and beautifully.
Ready to send better emails?
Try Mailpro today and explore both worlds with a free plan.