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Free tool

Free IMAP migration: move email between any providers

Copy your mail from any IMAP provider to any other: pick where it is today and where it should go, paste your mailboxes and press start. The copy runs on our servers while you do something else, uses the open-source imapsync engine, is free, needs no signup and is safe to repeat.

  • Free, no signup
  • Up to 10 mailboxes at once
  • Passwords never stored
  • No duplicates when you repeat

Passwords are used once. They travel encrypted to an isolated job that copies the mail and is deleted afterwards. They are never stored, logged or sent back.

How it works

  1. 1

    Pick both ends

    Choose the old provider and the new one: Gmail, IONOS, OVH, cPanel or any IMAP server.

  2. 2

    Add your mailboxes

    Type or paste up to 10 logins and test each one. We count the mail before anything moves.

  3. 3

    Confirm and relax

    Open the confirmation message in the new inbox. The copy starts and you can follow it live.

Migrate from a specific provider

One guide per provider with the exact IMAP settings, the app password and the most common errors. Each one opens the tool with the source already selected.

Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com are not available in the tool yet.

IMAP server and port for each provider

The tool fills these in for you when you pick the provider. Use them if you need to type the settings by hand.

ProviderIMAP server
Gmailimap.gmail.com993 · SSL/TLS
Yahooimap.mail.yahoo.com993 · SSL/TLS
iCloudimap.mail.me.com993 · SSL/TLS
Zohoimap.zoho.com993 · SSL/TLS
IONOSimap.ionos.es993 · SSL/TLS
OVHssl0.ovh.net993 · SSL/TLS
GoDaddyimap.secureserver.net993 · SSL/TLS
Microsoft 365Soonoutlook.office365.com993 · SSL/TLS
Outlook.comSoonoutlook.office365.com993 · SSL/TLS
cPanel, Plesk, Dovecot or your own servermail.yourdomain.com (ask your host)993 · SSL/TLS / 143 · STARTTLS

Only port 993 (SSL/TLS) and port 143 (STARTTLS) are supported. Some regions use another host name: Zoho EU accounts use imap.zoho.eu, and IONOS pre-fills imap.ionos.es (accounts from other countries usually use imap.ionos.com, .de or .fr: choose "Other IMAP server" and type it).

What you should know first

  • Passwords are used once

    They travel encrypted to an isolated job that copies the mail and is deleted afterwards. They are never stored, logged or sent back.

  • You prove the destination is yours

    Before anything is copied we leave one confirmation message in the new inbox. Only someone who can read that inbox can start the copy.

  • Re-running is safe

    Messages already in the destination are skipped, so a second run only copies what is missing. Messages above 50 MiB are skipped.

Hostbrid customer? Use Import mail in your panel: many mailboxes at once, no confirmation steps.

Open Import mail

How this compares with the alternatives

There are several ways to move a mailbox. The right one depends on how much mail you have and how comfortable you are with the tools.

  • Doing it yourself (imapsync, a mail client)

    Gives you full control and none of our limits, and it is the right choice for very large or unusual migrations. You install and configure it, and a long copy needs a computer that stays on. This tool runs the same imapsync engine for you, with nothing to install.

  • Paid migration services

    They often move contacts, calendars and whole organisations as well, and come with support. For the mail of a few mailboxes this free tool may be enough; for a company-wide move that includes calendars, a service that covers it can be worth it.

  • Importers built into the new provider

    Some providers, Gmail among them, can fetch mail from another account. It is convenient when offered, but what it copies and how fast depends on that provider. This tool works with any IMAP provider at both ends.

This tool copies email only, up to 20 GB per mailbox, and needs a confirmation from the destination inbox. If that does not fit your case, one of the options above is the better choice.

FAQ

Questions about IMAP email migration

Is the email migration tool really free?
Yes. There is no signup and no charge, whichever provider you move from or to. Fair-use limits apply: up to 10 mailboxes per batch and 3 batches per session.
How do I migrate Gmail to another provider?
Pick Gmail as the origin, turn on 2-step verification in your Google account, create an app password and use it as the old password. Google Workspace admins may also need to allow IMAP. Then pick the new provider, add the mailboxes and start.
How do I move email from IONOS, OVH, GoDaddy or cPanel?
Pick the provider: the IMAP server is filled in for you. For cPanel, Plesk or a custom server, type the mail server of your hosting (often mail.yourdomain.com). The username is normally the full address.
Is it safe? Are my passwords stored?
No. Passwords go encrypted to a short-lived isolated job and are deleted when it ends or is cancelled. We never read the content of your mail; it goes from one server to the other. We keep a short anti-abuse log (time, IP, server names and hashed usernames), not passwords.
Which providers can I move to?
Any IMAP server: Gmail, IONOS, OVH, iCloud, cPanel or your own. To make sure you own the destination we leave one confirmation message in its inbox; the copy only starts when you open it. Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com need a Microsoft sign-in and are coming soon.
What do I need before I start?
Both mailboxes must already exist, with IMAP enabled, and you need the login of each. Create the mailboxes at the new provider first.
What if I am moving to Hostbrid?
This public tool is for everyone, but Hostbrid customers have a better one: Import mail in your panel (Mail, then Import mail, at my.hostbrid.com). It moves many mailboxes at once with no confirmation steps, because the destination is already yours. Create the mailboxes first, then open it.
Will I get duplicate messages if I run it twice?
No. Messages that are already in the destination are recognised and skipped, so a re-run copies only the rest. It also lets you resume an interrupted copy.
What gets copied: folders, dates and read status?
The messages of every folder, subfolders included, with their original dates and read or unread flags, as imapsync does. Gmail shows its labels as folders over IMAP, so a message with several labels can appear in several folders.
Does it copy contacts, calendars or filters?
No. It copies email only, over IMAP. Contacts, calendars, filters and signatures are not part of IMAP: export them from the old provider (usually as vCard or ICS files) and import them in the new one.
Is the old mailbox deleted?
No. The tool copies the mail and does not delete anything from the old mailbox, so you can compare both and keep the old one until you are happy.
What happens if the copy is interrupted?
Run it again. Messages already in the destination are recognised and skipped, so the second run only copies what is missing and creates no duplicates. Passwords are not kept, so you type them again.
What about mail that arrives while I migrate?
The copy takes what is in the old mailbox when it runs. Keep receiving mail there until you change your MX records, then run the tool once more to copy the latest messages.
How long does it take?
It depends on the size of the mailbox and how fast the old server answers, so we do not promise a time. The page shows progress in megabytes for each mailbox and the estimated time left once it is running.
What are the limits?
Up to 10 mailboxes per batch and 3 batches per session. Each mailbox can be up to 20 GB and run for up to 6 hours; a batch is capped at 60 GB and there is a daily cap per network. Messages above 50 MiB are skipped.
How do I enable IMAP or create an app password?
Gmail and Google Workspace: turn on 2-step verification and create an app password (a Workspace admin may have to allow IMAP). iCloud: create an app-specific password at appleid.apple.com. Yahoo: create an app password in Account Security. Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com need a Microsoft sign-in and are not available in this tool yet.
What is the difference with running imapsync myself?
The copy engine is imapsync, an open-source tool. Running it yourself gives you every option and no limits of ours, but you install it, run it from the command line and keep a machine on for long copies. This page runs it for you in an isolated job, with a size check first, live progress and the limits above. imapsync is a separate open-source project and this tool is not affiliated with it.

Moving your mail to Hostbrid?

Create your mailboxes first, then bring the old mail across with Import mail in your panel.

See email plansTalk to us

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