Migrate G Suite Emails to Zoho Mail: Step-by-Step Guide

Google Workspace and Zoho Mail are both cloud platforms. Moving emails between them sounds like it should be simple.

In practice, neither platform provides a direct import path from the other. You need a tool that can authenticate with both services and transfer emails between them in one run.

This guide covers the methods to migrate G Suite emails to Zoho Mail and what to expect from each approach.

Why Migrate from G Suite to Zoho Mail?

The most common reasons businesses make this switch:

• Cost. Zoho Mail’s Business plan is significantly cheaper than Google Workspace for teams over 10 users.
• Privacy. Zoho does not scan email content for advertising.
• Integrated suite. Teams already using Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects or other Zoho apps benefit from having email in the same ecosystem.
• Data residency. Zoho offers European data centres for GDPR-sensitive organisations.

One trade-off worth noting: Gmail’s search and spam filtering are among the best in the industry. If your team relies heavily on Gmail search features, evaluate Zoho Mail’s search before committing to the migration.

Method 1: Zoho Mail Import via IMAP

Zoho Mail has a built-in migration tool called the Zoho Mail Migration Wizard. It can import emails from Gmail over IMAP.

1. Log into Zoho Mail as an admin and go to Admin Console then Data Migration.
2. Select Gmail or Google Workspace as the source.
3. Enter the Gmail admin account credentials and authorise the connection.
4. Map Gmail user accounts to Zoho Mail user accounts.
5. Start the migration. Zoho pulls emails from Gmail via IMAP.

This method works for straightforward migrations. For very large mailboxes or complex folder structures, the process can be slow and sometimes loses folder mapping on deeply nested labels.

Method 2: Direct Migration with the Turgs Email Backup Wizard

The Turgs Email Backup Wizard connects to your Google Workspace account via IMAP and migrates emails directly to Zoho Mail. This gives you more control over which folders migrate and in what order.

Step-by-Step: G Suite to Zoho Migration

Step 1. Launch the Turgs Email Backup Wizard. Select Gmail or Google Workspace as the email source and enter your Google account credentials.

Step 2. The tool loads all your Gmail labels and folders. Select the folders you want to migrate to Zoho.

Step 3. From the destination options, select Zoho Mail as the target.

Step 4. Enter your Zoho Mail credentials and click Backup. The tool begins transferring emails from Google Workspace to Zoho.

What to Do After the Migration

1. Update your MX records. Change your domain’s MX records from Google’s mail servers to Zoho’s mail servers so new emails arrive in Zoho.
2. Verify all folders migrated. Log into Zoho Mail and check that all Gmail labels appear as Zoho folders with the correct email counts.
3. Notify your contacts. If you are changing your email address, send a notification with your new Zoho address.
4. Set up Zoho Mail on your devices. Configure IMAP on your phone and desktop clients to connect to Zoho instead of Gmail.

If you are also migrating to Office 365 rather than Zoho, see the guide on migrating Gmail emails to Office 365. And for ISP email migrations to Gmail, see the ISP email to Gmail guide.

Are you migrating a personal Google Workspace account or a team with multiple users?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Zoho Mail have a built-in Gmail import tool?

Yes. Zoho Mail includes a Data Migration feature in the Admin Console that can import from Gmail or Google Workspace via IMAP. For simple migrations, this built-in tool is often sufficient. For large or complex mailboxes, a dedicated tool gives more control.

Will my Gmail labels become folders in Zoho Mail?

Yes. Gmail labels map to Zoho Mail folders during migration. If a Gmail email has multiple labels, it may appear in multiple Zoho folders depending on the migration method used.

Can I migrate Google Workspace contacts and calendar events too?

Not with the email migration tool. Google Contacts can be exported as a CSV from contacts.google.com and imported into Zoho Contacts. Google Calendar events can be exported as ICS from calendar.google.com and imported into Zoho Calendar.

How long does G Suite to Zoho migration take?

Migration speed depends on mailbox size and your internet connection. A 10 GB Google Workspace mailbox typically takes 2 to 4 hours to migrate to Zoho.

Will emails arrive in Zoho in the correct order?

Yes. Email metadata including sent and received dates are preserved during migration. Emails appear in Zoho Mail chronologically as they were in Gmail.

Is it safe to use IMAP credentials for the migration tool?

Yes, with a Google App Password. Enable two-factor authentication on your Google account, then generate a dedicated App Password for the migration tool. This limits access to only email via IMAP and can be revoked after migration.