Español
English
Català
FrançaisMigrate email from cPanel, Plesk or ISPConfig hosting
To migrate email from cPanel, Plesk or ISPConfig hosting, use the mail server of your hosting, usually mail.yourdomain, on port 993 with SSL/TLS, your full address as username and the mailbox password. Our free tool copies every folder to the new provider over IMAP, with no signup and no deletions.
- Free, no signup
- Up to 10 mailboxes at once
- Passwords never stored
- No duplicates when you repeat
How to find the right mail server for your hosting
What to prepare at the provider before you start.
- 1
Open the email accounts page
In cPanel go to Email Accounts, in Plesk to Mail, in ISPConfig to Email Mailbox. Each lists your addresses and lets you set a password for any of them.
- 2
Read the client settings
cPanel has a "Connect Devices" or manual settings view showing the incoming server for each address. Plesk and ISPConfig show similar details, or your host can give you the hostname.
- 3
Decide between domain and server hostname
If mail.yourdomain has a valid SSL certificate, use it. If not, use the server hostname your host gave you; it carries a valid certificate for the server itself.
- 4
Reset any unknown passwords
The control panel lets you set a new mailbox password without touching the messages. Write the passwords down for the tool, one per mailbox.
- 5
Run the copy
Open the tool with cPanel / Plesk selected, type the server, then each address and password. Test, confirm from the destination inbox and start. Up to 10 mailboxes per batch.
Exact IMAP settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| IMAP server | cPanel: your domain's mail.yourdomain if it has a valid SSL certificate, otherwise the server hostname |
| Plesk and ISPConfig | Usually mail.yourdomain; ask your host if unsure |
| Port | 993 (SSL/TLS, recommended by cPanel); 143 with STARTTLS also supported |
| Security | SSL/TLS |
| Username | Your full email address |
| Password | The mailbox password, not the control panel password |
With cPanel, if the domain has no valid certificate, use the server hostname and expect certificate warnings when it does not match the domain. We have verified the cPanel behaviour; for Plesk and ISPConfig we only give the usual convention.
Start the migration
The tool already has the source selected. Choose where the mail is going, add your mailboxes and confirm from the destination inbox.
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.
Common errors and how to fix them
Almost every failed IMAP copy comes down to the source login. This is what usually happens with this provider.
Certificate name mismatch
The mail server's certificate is issued for the server hostname, not your domain. Use the server hostname instead of mail.yourdomain, or ask your host to issue a certificate for the mail subdomain.
Wrong username format
Mailboxes in these panels are logged in with the full address. Using only the part before the @ makes the login fail on most setups.
The mail subdomain does not resolve
If your domain's DNS has already moved, mail.yourdomain may now point somewhere else. Use the old host's server hostname, which keeps pointing to the hosting account.
The server limits connections
Shared hosting often caps simultaneous IMAP connections per account. Close other mail clients and run the copy again; it resumes without duplicating anything.
What is and is not copied
The tool copies email and nothing else, over IMAP, with imapsync underneath.
Copied
- The messages of every folder, subfolders included.
- Original dates and the read or unread state.
- Only what is missing at the destination, so repeating the copy creates no duplicates.
Not copied
- Contacts and calendars: they do not travel over IMAP. Export them as vCard or ICS from the source provider.
- Filters, signatures and rules of the old mailbox: recreate them in the new one.
- Messages above 50 MiB are skipped. The tool never deletes anything from the source.
Hosting mailboxes are usually Dovecot over IMAP, which handles folders, subfolders, dates and read flags well, and these are what the tool copies. Forwarders, autoresponders, mailing lists and spam filters configured in cPanel, Plesk or ISPConfig are part of the hosting platform and are not copied. Large archives can take a while to copy; the tool skips any message above 50 MiB and shows what it skipped, so check those separately if they matter.
What the tool guarantees
Free, no signup
No account and no payment. It copies up to 10 mailboxes per batch.
Passwords are used once
They serve that copy and are never stored. Nothing is deleted from the source mailbox either.
The destination must be yours
We leave a confirmation message in the destination inbox. The copy starts only when you open it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I migrate cPanel email to another provider for free?
How do I know which server to use?
Why do I get a certificate error?
Do I need the control panel password?
Does it copy forwarders and autoresponders?
What if my hosting is cancelled soon?
Keep reading
Other guides for the same tool, and the Hostbrid email page.
IMAP migration tool
Any source and destination, with every provider and the limits.
Gmail
Gmail and Google Workspace with an app password.
Yahoo Mail
Yahoo Mail with an app password.
iCloud Mail
iCloud Mail with an app-specific password.
Professional email at Hostbrid
If Hostbrid is where the mail is going, see the email plans.
Is your mail going to Hostbrid?
Create the mailboxes first, then bring the old mail across with the import tool in your panel.