How to Migrate IMAP Email to New Server? Best Techniques

Mark Regan
Published: December 3rd, 2024 • 6 Min Read

Are you finding the right approach to migrate IMAP email to new server? If yes, then stay tuned with us till the end of the blog. Today, with this digital column we are going to explain both the free and expert methodology to overcome your problem. To move IMAP email to new server you need to verify that your new server is supported by IMAP.

After that, you need to install the Thunderbird email client on your desktop and add both the source and destination server email accounts to the Thunderbird client. Lastly, you need to drag and drop the email folder from source to destination with the Thunderbird client to transfer IMAP email to new host. However, to go with the free methodology there are some prerequisites.

Prerequisite to Move IMAP Email to New Host

Backup Your Existing Email Data: The very first step before starting the transfer IMAP email to new host is to back up your existing data as a disaster recovery measure. To do so you can use any of the email backup solutions available in the market.

Verify IMAP Compatibility on the New Host: Ensure that the new server is compatible with IMAP. Without IMAP compatibility the free methodology will not work. To check IMAP compatibility, you can read the documentation of your host or directly ask the concern team of your new email host.

Gather Server Information for Both Hosts: To migrate IMAP to another server you are required to gather the necessary server details for both the source and destination server. You are required to gather the IMAP server address, Port Numbers, and Authentication Password.

Manually Migrate IMAP to Another Server Using Email Client

To manually migrate mail from one server to another server you can use an email client like Thunderbird. However, as we have discussed above it is necessary to have the IMAP accessibility in both the server to perform a successful migration. To start please download the latest version of the Thunderbird email client from its official website and follow the on-screen instructions to install the Thunderbird. Now, let’s discuss how to use this technique to migrate IMAP email to new host in quick and simple steps.

How to Migrate IMAP Email to New Server Using DIY Approach?

First, open the Thunderbird email client on your PC and click on the Hamburger menu button.
Next, select the New Account option and choose the Email option from the list.
Then, enter the credentials for the source email server you are migrating from.
After that, repeat the same steps as mentioned above to add the destination email host.
Now, your both source and destination servers email profiles are configured in Thunderbird.
Finally, drag and drop the folder from the source email profile to the destination and wait for IMAP sync.

Note: Since we have already mentioned the prerequisite to using this methodology, we are assuming that your both source and destination servers are compatible with IMAP.

Limitations of Using the DIY Methodology

The major pitfall of using the DIY approach is that you need to migrate each email account of the source IMAP email server to new host.
Another drawback of using this technique is that it is not compatible when either of source or destination server is incompatible with IMAP.
The DIY approach is not suggested for business users it is recommended to use only for individuals with technical knowledge. The non-technical users may face difficulty while performing the task to migrate IMAP email to new server.
The manual method is full of technicalities and manual steps. So there is a high risk of errors. Moreover, it is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming task.

Migrate IMAP Email to New Server in Bulk Using Expert Solution

Users can choose BitRecover IMAP Backup Software to transfer IMAP email to new host flawlessly. This advanced utility is supported by a range of saving options. Users can directly migrate IMAP to Office 365, Gmail, PST, EML, Google Workspace, and many more. Additionally, the expert solution to move IMAP email to new host comes with several filter options based on date range, subject, from, to, folders, etc.

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How to Move IMAP Email to New Host? Expert Utility Working Steps

First, download the recommended utility on your local desktop.
Next, follow the on-screen instructions to install the utility.
Then, enter IMAP server credentials within the tool console.
After that, enable the email folder needs to be migrated to a new host.
Then, choose the destination server from the drop-menu list whether it is IMAP or POP3.
Now, go to the filter options and choose them according to your needs.
Finally, enter the destination server details and start IMAP to new server migration process.

Which Approach is Better to Move IMAP Email to New Host? Free or Pro

Criteria	Free (Email client Technique)	Pro (Expert Utility)
Ease of Use	Complex due to lots of technicalities.	Easy to use with self-explanatory UI/UX.
Filter Options	Not available	Several Filter Settings
Risk of Data Loss	High	Low
Recommended For	Individuals with technical knowledge	Businesses and non-technical users
Technical Support	Limited to forum and web communities	24 X 7 live support
Time Efficiency	Slow due to manual steps	Fast completely automatic process.

To Wrap Up

In conclusion, the above blog on the topic of how to migrate IMAP email to new server. We have discussed 2 proven techniques. At the starting of the blog, we discovered the free manual technique to move IMAP email to new host using Thunderbird along with its perquisites and working tutorial. However, the free approach comes with its limitations so we have discussed the expert methodology to transfer IMAP email to new host along with its step-by-step guide. Lastly, we have seen the comparison table of both the DIY and Automated approach based on a few aspects.