How to Migrate Emails from One IMAP Server to Another Directly ? – Tech Solution
Migrate emails from one IMAP server to another using the Turgs IMAP to IMAP Migration Tool. Enter your source IMAP server credentials, select folders, choose IMAP as the destination format, enter the target server credentials, and click Backup. The tool transfers emails with attachments and preserves folder hierarchy. Free trial migrates 25 emails.
When you switch email hosting providers, set up a new mail server, or consolidate multiple company email accounts, you need to move emails from one IMAP server to another. IMAP doesn’t have a native server-to-server copy mechanism, and manually forwarding or downloading then uploading emails is impractical for anything beyond a handful of messages.
The Turgs IMAP to IMAP Migration Tool handles direct server-to-server email transfers. You enter the credentials for both servers, select the folders, and the tool moves everything in one pass with attachments and folder structure intact. This article covers the complete process.
When You Need IMAP to IMAP Migration
Four situations typically require IMAP-to-IMAP migration:
First, hosting provider change. When you move your domain email from one host to another, all existing emails stay on the old server until you migrate them. Second, server upgrade. Moving from an old on-premises mail server to a newer platform requires migrating historical email data. Third, account consolidation. Merging multiple team email accounts into a single server requires transferring email between IMAP accounts. Fourth, service switching. Moving from Yahoo Mail or Gmail to a private corporate mail server, or between any two IMAP-compatible services, requires this type of migration.
Supported IMAP Servers
The IMAP Migration Tool works with any IMAP-compatible server. Compatible sources and targets include:
Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Outlook.com, Zimbra, Mail.com, Zoho Mail, Exchange Server, Zimbra Mail Server, GoDaddy webmail, and any other server that supports standard IMAP protocol. If it has an IMAP hostname and port, the tool can connect to it as either source or destination.
How to Migrate Emails Between IMAP Servers
Here’s the six-step overview:
- Launch the IMAP to IMAP Migration Tool and select IMAP Server as the source.
- Enter your source IMAP server credentials (email, password, hostname, port).
- Select the email folders you want to migrate.
- Choose IMAP as the saving format and enter your destination server credentials.
- Apply any filters needed for selective migration.
- Click Backup to start the transfer.
Complete Step-by-Step Process
Download and install the IMAP Backup Tool on your Windows machine. This is the same tool referenced in the IMAP Backup Software guide.
Step 1: Launch the application. On the startup screen, select IMAP Server from the list of email sources.
Step 2: Enter your source IMAP server credentials: email address, password, IMAP hostname, and port number. Standard ports are 993 (SSL) and 143 (unencrypted). Click Login to connect and load the mailbox.
Step 3: The tool loads all folders from your source IMAP server. Select the folders you want to migrate. You can select all folders or choose specific ones like Inbox, Sent, and Drafts.
Step 4: In the saving format dropdown, choose IMAP. The tool then prompts you for the destination server credentials. Enter the email address, password, hostname, and port for your target IMAP server.
Step 5: Apply date range, subject, or sender filters if you need a selective migration. This is useful when you only need to transfer emails from a specific period or from certain senders rather than migrating the entire mailbox.
Step 6: Click Backup to start the IMAP to IMAP transfer. The tool migrates emails with attachments from the source server to the destination server, maintaining the original folder structure. Progress appears in real time.
When the migration finishes, sign in to the destination IMAP server account and verify that the emails and folder structure transferred correctly. The Zoho converter is also available if you’re migrating specifically to Zoho Mail.
Both servers must remain accessible throughout the migration session. If either server becomes unavailable mid-transfer, the tool will report which emails completed successfully before the interruption, letting you resume from where it stopped.
Limitations to Know
Limitations
- The free trial migrates a maximum of 25 emails. Purchase the full license to migrate complete mailboxes without restrictions.
- The tool runs on Windows only. There is no Mac or Linux version of this IMAP to IMAP migration utility.
- Both source and destination IMAP servers must be accessible from the Windows machine running the tool. Firewall rules may block certain IMAP connections on corporate networks.
- Servers with two-factor authentication require app-specific passwords for third-party IMAP connections. Generate these from each account’s security settings before starting the migration.
- Very large mailboxes may take several hours to migrate depending on email volume and internet speed. Plan migrations during off-hours to avoid disrupting active email use.
- The migration tool reads from the source and writes to the destination. It does not delete emails from the source server. Source emails remain intact after migration completes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate emails from Gmail to another IMAP server?
Yes. Gmail is a fully IMAP-compatible service. Enter your Gmail credentials and Google’s IMAP hostname (imap.gmail.com, port 993) as the source. The tool connects and loads your Gmail folders. You may need to use a Gmail app-specific password if 2-step verification is enabled on the account.
Can I migrate only the Sent folder from one IMAP server to another?
Yes. During the folder selection step, choose only the Sent folder. The tool migrates only the selected folders, leaving everything else on the source server untouched. This selective approach works for any combination of folders including Inbox, Drafts, and custom labels.
What are the limitations of the free trial?
The trial version transfers a maximum of 25 emails from the source IMAP server to the destination. This is enough to verify the connection to both servers and confirm the emails transfer correctly before purchasing the full license for unlimited migration.
Does the tool work on Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes. The IMAP to IMAP Migration Tool runs on all versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows 7, 8.1, 10, and 11, as well as Windows Server editions. Install it on any Windows machine that has internet access to both IMAP servers.
Does migrating delete emails from the source server?
No. The tool reads emails from the source and writes copies to the destination. It does not delete, move, or modify anything on the source IMAP server. Your original mailbox remains intact after migration. You can decommission the source account separately after verifying the migration was complete.
Can I migrate emails between two different email service providers?
Yes. The tool works with any combination of IMAP-compatible services as source and destination. You can migrate from Yahoo to Gmail, Gmail to Zoho, Outlook.com to a private mail server, or between any two IMAP services regardless of provider. As long as both accounts have valid IMAP credentials and accessible hostnames, the migration works.
