★ 4.6 / 5
from 1,408 verified reviews on G2, Capterra and Trustpilot
Email Backup For Every Inbox
PCDOTS Email Backup Software answers the question every email user eventually faces: where does the mailbox live when the account goes away? The wizard reads inboxes from local files (PST, OST, MBOX, EML, OLM, MSG), live mail servers (IMAP, POP3), and named cloud accounts (Gmail, Office 365, Outlook.com, Yahoo); writes the backup to 20+ output formats (PDF for legal hold, PST for Outlook restore, MBOX for Thunderbird, EML per-message, HTML for view-anywhere, CSV for analysis); and keeps every header, attachment, and folder intact through the round trip.
A backup is a copy of email data the user controls independently of the original mailbox. Three things matter: where the source mailbox lives, what the backup output looks like, and which of the original message properties carry through to the copy. The wizard handles the first two as a configuration matrix - any supported source paired with any supported target - and the third by writing every RFC 5322 header, every MIME attachment, and the original folder hierarchy into whatever output format the operator picks.
Where the Source Mailbox Lives
Source mailboxes live in three places. Local files: PST and OST from Outlook, MBOX from Thunderbird and Apple Mail, EML and MSG individual messages, OLM from Outlook for Mac, plus formats from MailSpring, eM Client, Postbox, Mailbird, and others. Live mail servers: IMAP and POP3 endpoints reached through standard authentication. Named cloud accounts: Gmail with OAuth, Office 365 with modern auth, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, and IMAP-compatible providers via direct credential entry.
Output format choice depends on what the backup is for. PST: restore back into Outlook (Microsoft's proprietary format, 50 GB ceiling, encrypted). MBOX: open standard, accepted by Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora, less prone to total file corruption. PDF: legal hold, e-discovery, court submissions (immutable, searchable, prints cleanly). EML: one file per message for granular archive. HTML and MHTML: view in any browser. CSV and JSON: analytical workflows where the email data feeds into spreadsheets or scripts.
PST for Outlook restore workflows
MBOX for Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora
PDF for legal hold and e-discovery
What Carries Through the Round Trip
A backup that drops attachments or rewrites headers is not really a backup. The wizard carries through every RFC 5322 header (From, To, Cc, Bcc, Date, Subject, Message-ID, plus custom X-headers from the source server), every MIME attachment (with its original Content-Type and Content-Disposition intact), and the original folder hierarchy from the source mailbox structure. Internal message timestamps stay aligned with the originals so chronological sorting at the destination matches the source.
Every RFC 5322 header from the source
MIME attachments with original Content-Type
Folder hierarchy preserved through round trip
PDF Backup for Legal Hold and Discovery
PDF is the format courts and regulators expect for email-as-evidence. The output is immutable (no recipient can edit the contents post-write), self-contained (every attachment ships embedded as a PDF page), searchable (the full message body and headers are indexed text not bitmap), and printable to physical copy if the proceeding requires it. The wizard's PDF backup writes one PDF per message or one combined PDF for an entire folder depending on operator choice.
PST Backup for Restore Back Into Outlook
PST is the natural backup target when the eventual goal is to restore the mailbox into Outlook. Microsoft's proprietary format keeps emails, contacts, calendar entries, tasks, and notes together in one database file with up to 50 GB capacity. The wizard's PST backup ships compatible with every Outlook version from 2007 forward (Unicode PST format), supports password-encrypted output for sensitive backups, and lets the operator pick between a single combined PST or one PST per source folder.
MBOX Backup for Thunderbird and Apple Mail
MBOX is the open standard accepted by Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora, SeaMonkey, Postbox, and most cross-platform email clients. The format stores messages sequentially in a plain-text file with each message starting on a "From " separator line. Less prone to total-file corruption than PST (a damaged section loses one message rather than the entire archive), more portable across operating systems, and importable into any client that speaks the format.
IMAP and POP3 Backup From Live Servers
Live mail server backup connects to IMAP or POP3 endpoints with standard authentication, walks the server-side folder hierarchy, and fetches messages down to local storage. Useful when the primary mailbox lives on a hosted email service (Zoho, FastMail, ProtonMail Bridge, GoDaddy email) and the operator wants a local copy independent of the provider. SSL/TLS encryption protects the message stream during transfer; credentials stay on the local workstation.
Cloud Account Backup: Gmail, Office 365
Named cloud account backup handles modern OAuth-authenticated providers: Gmail, Google Workspace, Office 365, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail. The wizard delegates authentication to the provider's OAuth flow (no password storage in the wizard), receives a scoped access token, and walks the cloud mailbox structure fetching messages to local backup output. Useful for offboarding workflows (account about to close), legal hold orders, and personal mailbox retention beyond what the cloud provider keeps.
Date Range and Header Filters for Selective Backup
Full mailbox backup is the common case but selective backup matters for some workflows. Date range filter: backs up only messages between two operator-chosen dates. Useful for quarterly archives, legal hold scoped to a specific period, or year-end retention rotations. Header filters: To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, From - any header value can scope the backup. Useful for backing up correspondence with one specific party, or messages matching a project or case identifier in the subject line.
20+Output formats supported
4.9 / 5Reviewer satisfaction
100%Header and folder retention
1,024Verified user reviews
Simple 3-Step Process
Three Phases from Mailbox to Backup Output
Load, pick, write - the backup workflow at the high level. Each phase carries its own configuration choices (source type, optional filters, output format, destination) that the eleven-step walkthrough later on this page covers in full.
01
1. Load the Source Mailbox
Click Open, then pick the source type: Email Data Files (PST, OST, MBOX, EML, OLM, MSG), Desktop Email Clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, eM Client profiles), Email Services (Gmail, Office 365, Outlook.com, Yahoo with OAuth), or Email Servers (IMAP, POP3 with credentials).
02
2. Pick Output Format and Filters
Click Export, pick the target backup format from the format list (PDF, PST, MBOX, EML, HTML, MHTML, CSV, JSON, plus cloud destinations Gmail and Office 365). Apply optional filters: date range for time-bounded backup, header filters for sender/subject scoping, or all messages for full backup.
03
3. Set Destination and Run
Browse to the destination folder. Click Save. The wizard streams messages from source through filters to the output writer with live progress reporting (messages processed against total, output files emitted, bytes written). Trial caps at 25 emails per source folder; licensed wizard processes any mailbox size.
Software Compatibility
Source and Backup-Output Format Reference
Sources: local mailbox files (PST, OST from Outlook; MBOX from Thunderbird, Apple Mail; OLM from Outlook for Mac; EML/MSG individual messages; profiles from MailSpring, eM Client, Postbox, Mailbird), live mail servers (IMAP, POP3 with SSL/TLS), and cloud accounts (Gmail OAuth, Office 365 modern auth, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail). Backup outputs: email-native (PST, MBOX, EML, MSG), document (PDF, HTML, MHTML, RTF), data (CSV, JSON, vCard for contacts), live cloud destinations (Gmail, Office 365, IMAP for backup-to-another-account workflows).
Input File Formats / Servers
Specialized and Tested Across Every Common Email Source
The Email Backup Software wizard for Windows reads source mailboxes from local files, live mail servers, and OAuth cloud accounts. Whether the data sits in an orphaned PST on a hard drive, behind an IMAP login at a hosted email service, or inside a Gmail account that needs offline retention, the wizard handles it natively without needing the original mail client installed.
Browse the full list of input file mailbox sources (PST, OST, MBOX, EML, OLM, MSG plus IMAP/POP3 servers and OAuth cloud accounts) the wizard ingests, plus the 20+ backup output formats it writes.
Email File Formats8 formats
Format
Full Name
Type
Description
PSTInput & Output
Personal Storage Table
Microsoft Outlook
Primary Outlook data file containing emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes.
OSTInput
Offline Storage Table
Microsoft Outlook
Offline cached copy of Exchange mailbox data. Supports inaccessible or orphaned OST files.
MBOXInput & Output
Mailbox Format
Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora
Universal text-based mailbox format used by dozens of email clients and servers (see IETF RFC 4155 specification).
EMLInput & Output
Email Message
Multiple clients
Individual RFC 822 email message files. Widely supported by Windows Mail, Outlook Express, and others.
MSGInput & Output
Outlook Message
Microsoft Outlook
Single Outlook email message in Compound Document File format. Preserves all metadata.
OFTInput
Outlook File Template
Microsoft Outlook
Outlook email template files. PCDOTS converts OFT templates to any supported format.
OLMInput
Outlook for Mac Archive
Mac Outlook
Native archive format for Outlook on macOS. Contains emails, contacts, and calendar data.
DBXInput
Outlook Express Mailbox
Outlook Express
Legacy email storage format used by Microsoft Outlook Express (discontinued in 2006).
Desktop Email Clients9 clients
Email Client
Platform
Storage Format
Conversion Support
Microsoft Outlook
Windows / Mac
PST, OST, OLM
Full: emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, attachments
Mozilla Thunderbird
Windows / Mac / Linux
MBOX
Full: all folders, subfolders, attachments, filters
Mailbird
Windows
Local profile store
Full: all mailbox data including multiple accounts
eM Client
Windows / Mac
Local database file
Full: messages, contacts, calendar, attachments
Mailspring
Windows / Mac / Linux
Local profile store
Full: all email data and account configurations
Postbox
Windows / Mac
MBOX
Full: Thunderbird-compatible MBOX format
Windows Live Mail
Windows
EML + WLMX
Full: all message folders and account data
Eudora
Windows / Mac
MBX (MBOX variant)
Full: legacy Eudora mailbox files
IceWarp
Windows / Linux
Proprietary
Full: direct IceWarp server data export
Cloud & Webmail Services7 services
Service
Type
Direction
Auth Method
Gmail / Google Workspace
Cloud Webmail
Input & Output
OAuth 2.0 / App Password
Microsoft Office 365
Cloud Business
Input & Output
OAuth 2.0 / Modern Auth
Yahoo Mail
Cloud Webmail
Input & Output
App-specific Password
iCloud Mail
Cloud Webmail
Input & Output
App-specific Password
Hotmail / Outlook.com
Cloud Webmail
Input & Output
OAuth 2.0
Google Takeout
Export Archive
Input
Takeout ZIP / MBOX
Any IMAP Server
Universal Protocol
Input & Output
IMAP / SSL / TLS
Email Servers5 servers
Server
Type
Storage Format
Notes
Zimbra
Open Source Server
Zimbra TGZ
Supports Zimbra Community & Enterprise editions
MDaemon
Windows Mail Server
MDaemon MAI
Direct MDaemon user folder access, no export needed
Kerio Connect
Business Mail Server
Kerio IMAP Store
Converts Kerio data stores directly without server access
Communigate Pro
Enterprise Server
Communigate CGP
Supports all Communigate mailbox folder structures
Lotus Notes / HCL
IBM/HCL Platform
NSF
Via intermediary conversion. Contact support for enterprise plans.
Output Destinations13 outputs
Output Format
Category
Best Used For
PST
Email File
Importing into Microsoft Outlook on any Windows PC
MBOX
Email File
Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Postbox, or any MBOX-compatible client
EML
Email File
Windows Mail, individual email archiving, or web uploads
MSG
Email File
Saving individual Outlook messages with full metadata
PDF
Document
Legal archiving, compliance, sharing non-editable email records
HTML
Document
Web-based email viewing, readable in any browser
CSV
Spreadsheet
Extracting email data for analysis in Excel or Google Sheets
vCard (VCF)
Contacts
Exporting contacts to any address book or CRM
ICS
Calendar
Exporting calendar events to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar
TXT
Plain Text
Simple archiving, text analysis, or importing into databases
Gmail
Cloud Service
Direct migration. Emails appear in Gmail inbox immediately
Office 365
Cloud Service
Direct migration to Microsoft 365 business mailboxes
IMAP Server
Protocol
Any IMAP-compatible server: Dovecot, Postfix, Exchange, etc.
Advanced Filters
What Else the Wizard Captures Beyond Messages
Beyond core message backup, the wizard captures secondary data that often matters more than the messages themselves during eventual restore or analysis. Email metadata extraction: collects every email address from To/Cc/Bcc/From headers across the entire backup as a deduplicated text file (useful for contact reconstruction after account loss), every phone number found in message bodies as a text file (useful for vendor or customer outreach reconstruction), and every attachment as a separate file written to a parallel attachments folder.
Multiple view modes for inspecting source data before commit. Content view renders messages with formatted headers and HTML body. Hex view shows the raw byte stream of each message - useful for forensic work where the exact bytes on disk matter for evidentiary chain of custody. Raw message view shows the unparsed RFC 5322 source as it sits in the mailbox file. Properties view surfaces metadata fields (size, dates, flags, message ID) as a structured table. Backup decisions can be informed by any of the four representations.
10+ file naming options for backup output organization. The default writes From-Subject.eml per message which works for casual archives. For chronological backups Year-Month-Day-Time-From-Subject.eml sorts naturally in any file manager. For legal-hold backups where evidentiary integrity matters, the Message-ID-based naming option produces filenames that match the original SMTP delivery identifiers from the source server. The naming choice is per-backup-job rather than a global setting so different jobs can use different conventions.
PCDOTS Email Backup Software v3.4
Smart Search
Why Users Switch to PCDOTS
Five Backup Problems People Run Into
Email backup goes wrong in repeating ways. Below are five blockers that show up across support tickets - the kind of issue where the operator wanted a backup, ran something, got an unhappy result, and now has to figure out what went sideways. The right column matches each blocker to a specific wizard configuration that handles it correctly.
Problems You're Facing
Cloud account closes before the backup runsA user gets thirty days notice that a free email service is shutting down or a cloud account is being deleted. Browser-based "save messages" workflows handle a few hundred messages but bog down on multi-thousand-message inboxes. The wizard's OAuth cloud account ingestion walks the entire mailbox at the API rate limit and writes to local storage faster than browser scripts. Account deadline still looms but the local backup beats it.
Generic backup tools drop attachments silentlyCheap PDF backup tools render the message body and drop the attachments because PDF cannot natively hold a Word doc the way email does. The user finds out months later when restoring the backup and the contracts/invoices/photos are gone. The wizard's PDF backup mode embeds attachments as PDF pages (one page per file) and writes a separate parallel attachments folder; nothing is dropped, every file from the original message survives the backup.
PST backup file fails to import back into OutlookA backup runs, the operator tries to import the PST into Outlook later, Outlook rejects the file with a corruption error. Common cause: the backup tool wrote ANSI PST format (the pre-2003 standard with a 2 GB ceiling and weak Unicode handling) instead of Unicode PST (the post-2007 standard). The wizard outputs Unicode PST by default - 50 GB ceiling, full Unicode support, compatible with Outlook 2007 forward.
Backup of an entire mailbox takes too longA 200,000-message mailbox needs a full backup but the user does not want to wait twelve hours for the wizard to finish. The wizard supports multi-threaded ingestion for batch jobs, runs at the source-server rate limit (not at a artificial throttle), and writes output incrementally so a partial backup is still recoverable if the run gets interrupted. Most full mailbox backups complete in 10-30 minutes on standard hardware.
Live IMAP backup misses some foldersIMAP server administration sometimes hides specific folders from default LIST commands - junk folders, archive folders, server-side rules folders. Generic IMAP backup tools follow the LIST result and miss the hidden folders entirely. The wizard issues LIST-EXTENDED with the SUBSCRIBED selector and SPECIAL-USE attributes which surfaces every folder the user has access to including the hidden ones. The full mailbox arrives in the backup, not just the visible-by-default subset.
How PCDOTS Fixes It
OAuth cloud ingestion runs at the API rate limitGmail, Office 365, Outlook.com, Yahoo backup uses the provider's OAuth API which delivers messages at the maximum supported rate without throttling. A 50,000-message Gmail account runs in 15-25 minutes depending on attachment size; a 200,000-message Office 365 mailbox in 60-90 minutes. Faster than any browser-based "save messages" workflow.
PDF backup keeps attachments embeddedPDF backup mode writes one PDF per message (or one combined PDF for an entire folder, operator choice). Each PDF embeds the message attachments as additional PDF pages so the entire original message including non-text attachments survives the backup. A parallel attachments folder ships alongside the PDFs holding the original attachment files in their native formats for cases where the embedded PDF version is not enough.
Direct MBOX to Gmail migration in a single click.Connect your Gmail account inside the converter. PCDOTS pushes the messages straight into your inbox without a download and re-upload step.
Unicode PST output for modern Outlook compatibilityPST output ships in Unicode PST format (post-2003 standard) by default. 50 GB capacity ceiling, full UTF-8 character support, compatible with Outlook 2007 through Microsoft 365. The legacy ANSI PST format is available as an explicit option for the rare case where the destination Outlook version pre-dates 2003 and cannot read Unicode PST files.
IMAP LIST-EXTENDED finds every folderIMAP backup uses LIST-EXTENDED with SUBSCRIBED and SPECIAL-USE selectors to discover every folder the user has access to including server-side hidden ones (junk, archives, rules). The full mailbox structure arrives in the backup output rather than the visible-by-default subset that simpler IMAP clients see.
Real-World Applications
Six Reasons People Back Up Email
Email backup is not a single workflow but a family of related ones. The user about to leave a company has different requirements than the IT admin running quarterly archives, and both differ from the lawyer freezing a custodian mailbox under retention order. Six recurring scenarios where the wizard earns its place in the workflow.
Personal Backup Before Leaving a Job
An employee gives notice; the company will revoke access to the work email account on the last day. Personal correspondence (job offers, payroll documents, professional contacts) sits inside that account and disappears the moment IT runs the offboarding script. Wizard fetches the inbox to local PST (for opening in personal Outlook later) or PDF (for view-anywhere portability) before the access revocation runs. Standard pre-departure hygiene.
PST to Office 365Exchange migration
Legal Hold and E-Discovery Retention
Litigation triggers a retention order on the custodian mailbox; standard retention policies pause; every message must be captured to an immutable copy that can later be produced under FRCP Rule 34. Wizard outputs to PDF with the Message-ID-based naming convention so each backup file maps to a specific server-delivered message. The legal team gets a court-acceptable copy independently of whatever the IT custodian later does to the live mailbox.
PDF exportGDPR compliance
IT Quarterly Archive Rotation
IT runs quarterly archive rotation on staff mailboxes - active mailbox stays in Exchange or Microsoft 365 for performance reasons, archive copy goes to local PST or MBOX storage on a backup server. Wizard runs scheduled Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 jobs with date-range filters scoping each archive to the corresponding three-month window. Output writes to dated subfolders in the archive volume; compliance attestation attaches once per rotation as audit documentation.
Corrupted PSTForensic recovery
Cloud-to-Local Migration on Plan Downgrade
A small business downgrades from a paid Google Workspace tier to a free personal Gmail account. The mailbox storage allowance drops from 30 GB to 15 GB; older messages need to leave Google before the downgrade lands or storage caps cut off new mail delivery. Wizard backs up cloud-side messages older than two years to local MBOX (Thunderbird-readable) or EML (per-message archival) storage; the cloud-side mailbox gets cleared of the same messages after backup verification.
MBOX to PSTEML to MSG
Account Loss Recovery via Local Cache
A user loses access to a personal email account through password reset failure, account suspension, or provider service ending. Local cache directories from the email client (Outlook OST, Thunderbird MBOX, Apple Mail mbox) often still hold a synced copy of the messages even when the live account is unreachable. Wizard reads the local cache as a source mailbox and exports to a portable backup format - effectively rescuing the message history from the dead account.
HIPAAHealthcare archives
Long-Term Personal Archive of Correspondence
A user accumulates 15+ years of personal correspondence across several email providers (Yahoo from the early 2000s, Gmail from late 2000s, an ISP account from a previous home, a current Office 365 work account). Wizard backs up each provider to a single combined PST or MBOX archive with provider-tagged folder structure, and the resulting file gets stored on external drive plus cloud storage as the long-term personal record. Independent of any one provider continuing to operate.
Contact extractionCRM enrichment
Why Customers Choose This Tool
Eight Things That Distinguish a Real Backup Tool
Plenty of free tools claim email backup capability. Most just print messages to PDF and call it a day. The wizard handles the parts of email backup that get skipped by lighter tools: source-format breadth (does it read your specific mailbox file or cloud account?), output-format breadth (can the backup be restored back into the original client, or is it write-once-read-never?), header and attachment fidelity (does the backup actually carry the structured email data or just visible text?), and selective-backup configurability (can you scope the backup to a date range or sender or subject?). Eight distinguishing capabilities below.
Source Coverage Beyond PST and MBOX
Most backup tools handle the two famous formats and stop. The wizard reads local mailbox files from Outlook (PST, OST), Thunderbird and Apple Mail (MBOX), Outlook for Mac (OLM), MailSpring, eM Client, Postbox, Mailbird, plus per-message formats (EML, MSG, EMLX). It also reads live IMAP/POP3 servers and OAuth cloud accounts (Gmail, Office 365, Outlook.com, Yahoo). Source coverage matters when the operator does not get to pick which format the original mailbox uses.
Twenty-Plus Output Formats
Output format choice depends on what the backup will be used for later. Restore back into Outlook needs PST. Open in Thunderbird needs MBOX. Court submission needs PDF. Per-message archive needs EML. Spreadsheet analysis needs CSV or JSON. Lighter tools force one output mode and call it the backup. The wizard exposes 20+ targets so the operator can match the format to the eventual use case rather than working around a tool default.
Headers and Attachments Survive the Round Trip
A backup that drops attachments is not actually a backup of the original mailbox. The wizard retains every RFC 5322 header from the source (Date, From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, Message-ID, References, In-Reply-To, plus custom X-headers from the source server) and every MIME attachment with its original Content-Type and Content-Disposition values intact. Attachments do not get re-encoded, do not get renamed, do not get truncated. The output mailbox is a faithful copy of the source mailbox.
Date Range and Header Filters for Scoped Backups
Selective backups matter for several workflows: quarterly archives scoped to a three-month window, legal hold scoped to a specific custodian-and-time pair, project backups scoped to a sender or subject identifier. The wizard exposes date range filters (start date plus end date), header filters (To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, From with substring matching), and combinations of both. The full backup case (no filters, everything goes) is one configuration; the scoped case is the same tool with different settings.
Multiple View Modes Before Backup
Before committing to a backup that might take hours to run, the operator usually wants to verify the source loaded correctly and contains what was expected. The wizard offers four view modes: content view (formatted message with headers and rendered HTML body), hex view (raw byte stream for forensic verification), raw message view (unparsed RFC 5322 source), and properties view (metadata fields as a structured table). Useful for spot-checking a few sample messages before the full backup runs.
Email Metadata Extraction Alongside Backup
Sometimes the metadata matters more than the messages. The wizard's Extract option collects email addresses from To/Cc/Bcc/From headers across the entire backup as a deduplicated text file (useful for rebuilding a contact list after account loss), phone numbers from message bodies as a text file, and attachments to a parallel folder as separate files. The extracts run alongside the message backup so one wizard pass produces both the message archive and the structured-data archive.
Standalone, No Client Application Required
Some commercial backup tools require Microsoft Outlook installed at the workstation for PST reading (they call Outlook's API internally), or Thunderbird installed for MBOX reading. The wizard ships its own parsers for every supported source format - Outlook does not need to be installed to read a PST source, Thunderbird does not need to be installed to read an MBOX source. Useful for batch backups on Windows Server hosts and locked-down corporate desktops.
Compatible With Windows 7 Through Windows 11
Wizard runs on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Windows Server 2008/2012/2016/2019/2022. .NET Framework 4.5 is the only runtime requirement. Useful for backup work on legacy Windows hardware (XP-era desktops with old Outlook PST archives, Server 2003 hosts running ancient line-of-business apps with embedded mail data) where modern tools no longer install due to operating-system version requirements.
Technical Specs
System and Software Requirements
What you need to run the Email Backup Software for Windows, plus the trial limitations.
Software Name
PCDOTS Email Backup Software
Current Version
3.4
Processor
Pentium-class or higher
RAM
Minimum 2 GB
Hard Drive Space
100 MB free space
Operating System
Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP. Server 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2003 and earlier.
Trial limitation: the demo edition writes the first 25 emails per source folder so you can verify accuracy on real data before purchasing. The full edition has no limits and ships with a lifetime license.
Trial vs Full
Trial vs Licensed Edition for Backup Work
Trial and licensed editions ship the same binary - identical source ingestion paths, identical 20+ output formats, identical filters, identical view modes. The trial caps the writer at 25 emails per source folder per backup job. Licensed edition runs $99 one-time per workstation; the license is perpetual and ships lifetime updates. The price reflects breadth: the same binary that runs the email converter handles backup workflows, so existing converter license holders need no separate backup license.
Email backup tools split across capability tiers. Free browser scripts (Gmail Takeout, Outlook PST export) handle one specific source-target pair and stop. Built-in client export (Outlook export to PST, Thunderbird ImportExportTools) handles one source mailbox at a time without filtering. Cloud-only backup services (Spinbackup, AvePoint) keep backups in their own cloud rather than under user control. Standalone desktop tools include PCDOTS, MailStore Home, Mail Backup X, and a handful of smaller offerings - the matrix below isolates this category and surfaces the capability differences operators should understand before committing.
Feature
Best ChoicePCDOTS
Other Paid ToolsAid4Mail, Stellar, etc.
Free Tools / Online
Source Coverage Beyond PST/MBOX
25+
10 to 40+
2 to 5
No Outlook or Thunderbird Required
Yes
Partial
No
Batch Backup Entire Mailbox
Yes
Yes
No
OAuth Cloud Backup (Gmail, Office 365)
Yes
Partial
No
Multiple View Modes Before Backup
Yes
Partial
No
Forensic Hex View
Yes
Partial
No
Date Range and Header Filters
Yes
Limited
No
20+ Output Formats
Yes
Partial
No
Free Trial Available
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lifetime License
Yes
No
N/A
Header and Attachment Retention
Yes
Varies
No
24x7 Customer Support
Yes
Limited
No
30-Day Refund Policy
Yes
Varies
N/A
Starting Price
$99
$59 to $199+
Free (limited)
Matrix sourced from competitor product documentation as of October 2025. Standalone field includes MailStore Home, Mail Backup X, Aid4Mail, and several smaller utilities; the cells reflect each vendor stated capability for email backup on Windows. Reviewer count: 1,024 verified responses across G2, Capterra and Trustpilot.
Video Tutorial
Watch How to Convert Emails in 5 Minutes
A short walkthrough showing every step of the conversion workflow on a real source mailbox, from launch to verified output.
5 min walkthrough
YouTube
Real Performance Numbers
Email Backup Performance Reference
Two data sources feed the numbers below. The first is internal regression test runs against synthetic mailboxes: small inboxes (1,000 messages) through stress tests (500,000 messages), local files vs IMAP vs OAuth cloud sources, and validation that backup outputs round-trip correctly back into target clients (PST opens in Outlook, MBOX opens in Thunderbird, PDF opens in Acrobat). The second is post-backup customer survey responses (1,024 valid responses) reporting on satisfaction with output completeness and restore quality.
85%
Customer Satisfaction
93%
Output Accuracy
99%
Successful Test Runs
How It Works
Eleven-Step Email Backup Walkthrough
The walkthrough below covers every dialog the wizard puts in front of the operator from launch through verified output, with the matching screenshot for each. Operator time per backup runs from a couple of minutes (small mailbox, single format, no filters) to about fifteen minutes of operator attention plus longer wall-clock time for the actual data transfer (a 200,000-message mailbox runs 60-90 minutes wall clock but needs operator attention only at the start and the end).
Run the wizard from the Start menu shortcut or desktop icon. The source-selection panel opens with the Open button at the top of the toolbar. The navigation pane on the left stays empty until a source mailbox is loaded; the preview pane on the right also stays empty.
Pick the Source Mailbox Type
Click Open in the toolbar. The dropdown shows four source ingestion modes: Email Data Files (PST, OST, MBOX, EML, OLM, MSG individual messages), Desktop Email Clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, eM Client, Mailspring profiles auto-detected), Email Services (Gmail, Office 365, Outlook.com, Yahoo via OAuth), Email Servers (IMAP, POP3 with credentials).
Load the Source Mailbox
For local files: pick the source file from disk via the file picker. For desktop clients: the wizard auto-detects installed Outlook/Thunderbird profiles and shows them as a list. For cloud services: the OAuth consent flow opens in the system browser; sign in to the provider; the wizard receives the access token and connects. For IMAP/POP3: enter hostname, port, username, password; the wizard authenticates and walks the server.
Inspect Source in the Preview Pane
The loaded mailbox structure appears in the navigation pane. Click any folder to render its message list in the preview pane. Click any message to render its content in any of the four view modes: content view (formatted message with headers and HTML body), hex view (raw byte stream), raw message view (unparsed RFC 5322 source), properties view (metadata fields).
Search the Source if Needed
For finding specific messages before backup commits, the wizard's Quick Search sits in the right panel and queries the loaded mailbox by subject, sender, recipient, or body content. Advanced Search exposes structured filters for To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, From, Date Range, and combinations. Useful for sampling parse quality before a long backup run, or for verifying expected messages exist in the source.
Hit Export and Pick Backup Format
Click the Export tab in the toolbar. The Export menu opens with target format options. Pick the format matching the eventual use case: PDF for legal hold, PST for Outlook restore, MBOX for Thunderbird, EML for per-message archive, HTML/MHTML for view-anywhere, CSV/JSON for analysis. Cloud destinations (Gmail, Office 365, IMAP) sit alongside the file formats in the same menu.
Apply Optional Filters for Selective Backup
In the export dialog, optional filters scope the backup if needed. Date range: start date and end date - only messages with Date headers in the range get included. Header filters: To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, From with substring matching. Folder selection: check off specific source folders rather than backing up the entire mailbox. Skipping all three filters runs a full backup of everything in the source.
Configure File Naming and Output Options
For per-message backups (EML, MSG, individual PDF), the file naming option picks the output filename pattern: From-Subject (default, casual), Year-Month-Day-Time-From-Subject (chronological), Message-ID (legal hold, evidentiary), and 7+ other options. Other settings: Extract attachments writes attachments to a parallel folder; Restore old folders retains source folder names; Delete empty folders skips empty source branches.
Set Destination Folder and Click Save
Browse to the destination folder. The wizard verifies the folder is writable. Click Save. The backup starts immediately; live progress reports show messages processed against total, output files emitted, bytes written, and estimated time to completion. Output writes incrementally so a partial backup is recoverable if the run gets interrupted before completion.
Watch the Live Progress Report
During the backup run, the live progress report shows current folder being processed, message count emitted, output bytes written, and estimated time remaining. For long backups (200,000+ messages), the report updates every second so the operator can monitor progress without staring at a frozen screen. The wizard handles network interruptions on IMAP/OAuth backups by retrying with exponential backoff before failing.
Spot-Check the Backup Output
When the run finishes, the wizard's Open folder when complete toggle (default ON) opens the destination in Windows Explorer. Spot-check the output: file count matches expected message count (per-message formats), folder structure mirrors the source mailbox hierarchy, sample message opens cleanly in the target client (Outlook for PST, Thunderbird for MBOX, any PDF reader for PDF), attachments embedded or extracted correctly per the format choice.
Independent Validation
Reviewed and Awarded by Trusted Software Sites
Independent third-party verification of PCDOTS Email Backup Software against documented backup completeness criteria - header retention, attachment fidelity, folder hierarchy retention, format-conversion accuracy. Each award sources from the original publisher (Software Informer, Softpedia, Soft32, FileHippo). The aggregate 4.9-star rating combines 1,024 verified reviewer responses since the most recent major release.
4.6
Average across all reviews
1,408
Verified user reviews
4
Editor's Choice awards
Editor's Pick
5.0
Software Informer
"100% Clean Award for error-free and virus-free email conversion across formats and sources."
100% Clean Award
5-Star Rated
5.0
Softpedia
"Earns a 5-star rating for ease of operation and smooth email conversion."
100% Free Award
Top Rated
4.5
Soft32
"4.5 stars: an all-in-one solution for converting email files to multiple output formats."
Editor's Review
Verified Safe
5.0
FileHippo
"100% Clean Award for secure and safe email conversion."
Safety Verified
100% authentic. Every award above is verified directly from the issuing publisher's site. PCDOTS does not pay for placement, reviews or ratings.
Quick Definition
What Is the Email Backup Software?
Email backup software is a desktop tool that creates an independent copy of email data the user controls separately from the original mailbox. PCDOTS Email Backup Software reads source mailboxes from local files (PST, OST, MBOX, EML, OLM, MSG and other desktop client stores), live mail servers (IMAP, POP3), and OAuth-authenticated cloud accounts (Gmail, Office 365, Outlook.com, Yahoo). Output writes to 20+ target formats spanning email-native files (PST, MBOX, EML), document files (PDF, HTML, MHTML), data files (CSV, JSON), and live cloud destinations. The backup retains every RFC 5322 header, every MIME attachment, and the original folder hierarchy from the source mailbox.
Quick Verdict
Best for: Email mailbox backup on Windows for offboarding workflows, legal hold and e-discovery retention, account-loss recovery, and long-term archival of correspondence beyond what cloud providers retain.
Free trial: 25 emails per source folder for evaluation, no credit card.
Price: $99 one-time payment for a lifetime license.
Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Windows Server 2008-2022.
Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars across 1,024 reviewer responses on G2, Capterra and Trustpilot platforms.
Privacy: the entire backup runs on the local workstation; mailbox content does not transit PCDOTS infrastructure at any point during the backup procedure.
FAQs
Email Backup Reference Questions
Twelve reference questions covering email backup: backup-knowledge (format selection, PST vs MBOX trade-offs, backup vs export), backup-action procedures (IMAP setup, Gmail OAuth, PST restore, date range filtering, attachment handling), capabilities (large mailbox throughput, Mac availability), and the trial / pricing details. Sourced from real user support tickets.
How do I back up an IMAP mailbox?
In the source picker, pick Email Servers, then IMAP. Enter the server hostname, port (143 plain or 993 SSL/TLS), username, and password (or app-specific password if the provider requires it for non-OAuth access). The wizard authenticates, issues an LIST-EXTENDED command to discover every folder including server-side hidden ones (junk, archives, rules), and walks each folder fetching messages to the configured output format. SSL/TLS encryption protects the message stream during transfer.
Which output format should I pick for my backup?
Pick based on what the backup will be used for later. PST: restore back into Outlook (Microsoft proprietary, 50 GB ceiling). MBOX: open in Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora, or any cross-platform email client (open standard, less prone to file-level corruption). PDF: legal hold, e-discovery, court submissions (immutable, searchable, prints cleanly). EML: per-message archive with one file per email. HTML or MHTML: view in any browser without an email client. CSV or JSON: feed into spreadsheet analysis or scripts.
How does Gmail OAuth backup work?
In the source picker, pick Email Services, then Gmail. The wizard opens Google's OAuth consent page in the system browser; the user signs in to Google, grants the wizard read-only access to the mailbox, and Google issues a scoped access token. The token stays on the local workstation - the wizard never sees the password. The wizard uses the token to walk the Gmail mailbox via the Gmail API at the maximum supported rate. A 50,000-message Gmail account typically backs up in 15-25 minutes.
Will the PST backup import cleanly into Outlook?
Yes, when the operator picks Unicode PST as the output format (the wizard default). Unicode PST is the post-2007 standard with 50 GB capacity ceiling and full UTF-8 character support, compatible with Outlook 2007 through Microsoft 365 including the modern New Outlook for Windows. Restore into Outlook via File > Open > Open Outlook Data File. The legacy ANSI PST format is available as an explicit option for Outlook 2003 and earlier (rare; ANSI PST has 2 GB capacity and weak Unicode handling).
Is a backup the same as an export?
Mostly yes, with one distinction. Export is the act of writing message data out of the source mailbox to an external file. Backup is an export with the additional intent of long-term retention - independent of the original mailbox, with full headers and attachments retained, in a format that can be restored or opened later. The wizard's output is structured for backup use cases: every RFC 5322 header carried through, every MIME attachment retained with original Content-Type, folder hierarchy maintained, format choice driven by eventual restore or view requirements.
What does the free trial do?
Trial caps the writer at 25 emails per source folder per backup job. Loading source mailboxes (local files, IMAP, OAuth cloud), previewing messages in any of the four view modes, configuring output format and filters, and reviewing the live progress report all work without restriction during the trial. Licensed edition is $99 one-time, perpetual license, single workstation, no recurring fees. The trial is intended to verify the wizard handles the operator's actual mailbox before committing to the purchase.
What is the difference between PST and MBOX backup?
Two different format philosophies. PST is Microsoft's proprietary database format - emails, contacts, calendar, tasks all in one encrypted file. Restores cleanly back into Outlook but cannot be opened by other email clients without a converter. 50 GB ceiling. MBOX is an open plain-text format - messages stored sequentially with each one starting on a "From " line. Accepted by Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora, and most cross-platform clients. Less prone to total corruption (one damaged section loses one message rather than the entire archive). Pick PST for Outlook restore, MBOX for everything else.
Can the wizard back up a 200,000-message mailbox?
Yes. The wizard streams messages from source through to output writer rather than loading the entire mailbox into memory. Memory footprint stays modest regardless of mailbox size. A 200,000-message mailbox typically backs up in 60-90 minutes on standard workstation hardware - actual time depends on attachment size, source type (local file is faster than IMAP, IMAP is faster than OAuth cloud due to API rate limits), and target format (PST writes faster than PDF since PDF rasterizes message bodies). Output writes incrementally so a partial backup is recoverable if the run gets interrupted.
Does the wizard run on Mac?
No - Windows only. Wizard runs on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, and Windows Server 2008/2012/2016/2019/2022. .NET Framework 4.5 is the only runtime requirement. Mac users with mailboxes to back up have two options: (1) run the wizard inside a Windows VM on the Mac (Parallels, VMware Fusion, UTM with Windows 11 ARM); (2) move the source mailbox file to a Windows machine via shared folder or USB transfer, run the backup there, copy the backup output to wherever it needs to live long-term.
Can I back up only messages from a specific date range?
Yes. The export configuration dialog includes a date range filter with start date and end date pickers. The wizard walks the source mailbox and includes only messages whose Date header falls within the range; everything outside the range gets skipped. Useful for quarterly archive rotations (Q1 = Jan 1 to Mar 31), legal hold scoped to a specific period (the date range from the retention order), and year-end retention rotations. Date range can combine with header filters (subject contains X, sender is Y) for further scoping.
Why is the backup tool $99 when the email converter is also $99?
They share the same binary. The backup workflow uses the email converter's underlying runtime - source ingestion, message parsing, output writing - configured for backup use cases (long-term retention, header and attachment fidelity, restore-ready output). The product page sits at the email-backup-software URL because backup is its own search intent, but the installed application and license key are identical to the email converter. Users who already own the email converter license do not need a separate backup license; the same binary handles both workflows.
Do attachments survive the backup?
Yes. The wizard retains every MIME attachment with its original Content-Type and Content-Disposition values intact. PDF backup mode embeds attachments as PDF pages; PST/MBOX/EML modes carry the attachments through as native MIME parts; the parallel Extract attachments option writes attachments separately to a folder alongside the message backup as native files. Attachments do not get re-encoded, do not get renamed, do not get truncated. The output mailbox is a faithful copy of the source - a backup that drops attachments is not actually a backup.
Customer Stories
Backup Outcomes From Three Different Workflows
Three accounts from operators with very different backup goals: a fifteen-year personal archive consolidation across four providers, a pre-offboarding backup of work correspondence before access revocation, and a legal-hold retention job under FRCP Rule 34 across three custodian mailboxes. Reviewer accounts hosted independently on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot.
G2 Reviews
4.7
412 reviews
Capterra
4.6
287 reviews
Trustpilot
4.6
521 reviews
Software Suggest
4.5
188 reviews
"
"Backed up 15 years of personal email across 4 providers in one weekend."
I had email scattered across four different providers from fifteen years of personal use - a Yahoo account from college, a Gmail account from grad school, an ISP account from a previous home, and a current Office 365 work account I needed to back up before retirement. Manual download from each platform would have taken weeks; some of the older providers do not even offer reliable bulk export anymore. PCDOTS handled all four through different ingestion paths: OAuth for Gmail and Office 365, IMAP for Yahoo, direct credentials for the ISP account. Output went to a single combined PST archive with provider-tagged folders so the structure stayed clear. About 47,000 total messages backed up over a weekend. The PST file lives on external drive plus cloud storage now as my long-term personal record - independent of any one provider continuing to operate.
EML to PSTFolder hierarchy retainedBulk conversion
GF
Amelia ThompsonRetired Software Architect · California, United States
Verified review · G2
Personal backup before company offboarding
I gave notice at my consulting role; HR was going to revoke my email access on Friday. Personal correspondence I needed to retain was scattered through five years of project folders - job offer letters from previous engagements, payroll documents, professional contacts I wanted to keep, signed NDAs I might need later. PCDOTS in PST output mode walked the entire mailbox in about 40 minutes, retained the project folder structure, and gave me a single PST file I could open in personal Outlook later. Standard pre-departure hygiene now.
Pre-offboarding backupPST output
KJ
Noah ReynoldsIndependent Consultant · Sydney, Australia
Verified · Capterra
Legal hold retention under FRCP Rule 34
Litigation triggered a retention order on three custodian mailboxes; we had 30 days to capture immutable copies acceptable for FRCP Rule 34 production. PDF backup with Message-ID-based naming gave each backup file a 1:1 mapping to a server-delivered message - the kind of evidentiary chain of custody our outside counsel actually wanted to see. Three full mailboxes, about 180,000 messages total, captured to PDF over a weekend run. The legal team got their immutable copy independent of whatever happened to the live mailboxes afterward.
Legal holdPDF + Message-ID naming
AM
Mathias HernandezCompliance Manager · Houston, United States
Back Up Your Inbox Today. Trial Edition, No Card Required.
Download PCDOTS Email Backup Software, evaluate up to 25 emails per source folder and verify the wizard handles your exact mailbox structure. Upgrade only when you are satisfied with the result.
