Discover How to Convert PST to EML? Free & Pro Ways (2026 Updated)

Converting and accessing emails from Outlook outside the default environment often asks assistance exporting PST files into a more diversified file format like EML. This transfer process simply enables users to easily back up, convert, and access through multiple email clients. While there are many techniques available to the user, they often come with plenty of baggage, affecting crucial emails, contacts, and calendars adversely. That is why it is essential to be aware of all the options available in the market to finalize which one suits the best for users’ sensitive PST files. Read the blog till the end to find out some of the proven effects along with their pros and cons.

Personal Storage Table or PST files are proprietary to Outlook, which mainly stores users’ email data inside the very table. Whereas, the EML files tend to save individual data information in the form of an email, used by many email clients. Due to the different nature of both file formats, users are required to convert PST files to EML for purposes like sharing, migrating, and investigating.

A lesser-known fact about PST format files is that they consist of numerous hidden information, like internal headers, message rules, and MAPI data, which are not easy to be extracted by any manual solution. However, since EML files are known for their versatility and lightweight, they are one of the ideal formats for agendas like digital forensics and cross-platform compatibility.

Key Differences Between PST and EML File Formats

PST file format is an exclusive file format of Microsoft used to store different types of data in Classic Outlook. The data stored in a PST file includes emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, journals, etc.

While talking about the EML file format, it is an open format used to store single email data. The EML format is supported by a wide range of email platforms like Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc. To discover the quick comparison of PST and EML, please go through the comparison table provided below.

What is the Need to Convert PST File to EML?

Users typically convert PST to EML format with the purpose of retrieving independence and flexibility from the native client, Outlook, as the application includes some of the major drawbacks, because of the following reasons:

• EML file format works aptly in clients like Apple Mail, SeaMonkey, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, and many more, as compared to PST files.
• Suitable for users looking for a solution to easily export their Outlook files to other email applications or an open-source.
• The conversion process gives users the freedom to access Outlook files without having the application on the operating system.
• EML formats are preferred for uses such as easy sharing and data archiving, minimizing users’ technical efforts.
• Useful for legal audits and numerous investigations by sustaining every single details of the file.
• Requires hidden message flags and structures beneath the information for deep analysis and visualization purposes.

Types of Users Requiring to Open PST without Outlook

• Individual users shifting from Windows Outlook to Mac or Linux machines for better accessibility.
• Small business organizations and startups are saving on licensing costs by switching from Outlook/Exchange to a free client or an open source option like Thunderbird.
• Professional IT administrators or departments backing up users’ files in a universal format, where Outlook is not required to view.
• Developers utilizing EML files for analytics, parsing, and testing purposes.
• Digital forensics investigators and professionals use the EML format to review plenty of evidence.

2 Free Methods to Convert PST to EML Files Format.

If you are looking for a free and easy approach to export PST to EML format. You can overcome your conversion problem with two free approaches. One, you may use Thunderbird as the intermediary. Secondly, there are several free online tools with PST file size limitations. These solutions allow users to convert PST to EML for free with a 250 MB file size limit. Now, let us discuss the working steps of each free solution one by one in the upcoming blog sections.

How to Convert PST to EML Via Thunderbird Email Client?

1. Open Thunderbird and create a new email account.
2. Click on “Tools” and then “Import” from the dropdown menu.
   
3. Select “Import from Outlook” and click on “Continue.”
   
4. Choose “Mail Messages” from the list of available options and click on “Continue.”
   
5. At last, click on “Start Import” to convert PST to EML.
   
6. Wait for the conversion process to complete and click the “Finish” button.
   
7. Open the “Outlook Import” folder under Thunderbird Local Folders.
8. Select the email message you want to convert to EML, right-click on it, and click on the “Save as” option.
   
9. Finally, select the location where you want to save the EML file and click the “Save” button.
   

Note: Upload your PST file to your Outlook account in advance using File >> Open Outlook Data File options in Outlook.

How to Export PST to EML Format Using Free Online Solutions?

1. Use your web browser to find and open any online PST to EML converter.
2. Next, upload your PST file to the online solution.
3. After that, choose the saving format as EML.
4. Finally, click on the Convert button to turn PST to EML file format.

Drawbacks of Using the Free Techniques

• Consumes a large amount of users’ time and effort, as each email file needs to be dragged and dropped separately onto the desktop or a folder, which is impractical and inefficient for users with thousands of emails.
• It does not guarantee to sustain and store large amounts of data information like metadata, sender’s/receivers’ information, header details, and the list goes on during and after the conversion process.
• No manual method works without Outlook installed; hence, users must have their profiles configured with the application, making it impossible for outside users to open PST without Outlook.
• It is required for users to reform the original folder structure for other file formats like EML, making it an error-prone process.
• It does not support processing multiple PST files in bulk, nor can it handle damaged or corrupted ones.
• Takes away the SMTP headers, which prove the authenticity and are essential for legal purposes.

Professional Solution to Convert PST File to EML File Format

As we have seen in the above limitations, free online PST to EML converters and DIY methods are not suitable for converting PST file to EML file format. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, one may use the RecoveryTools PST Converter Tool. This is a specialized desktop-based application developed to overcome such a real-life user problem. Additionally, this is a standalone utility designed to convert PST to EML without Outlook. Now, let us look forward to uncovering the working guide of this professional solution.

How to Convert PST to EML Without Outlook? Working Steps

1. First, install and run the PST to EML Converter software on your PC.
   
2. Next, click on the Select Files or Select Folders option to bulk convert PST to EML format.
   
3. After that, enable the folders you need to convert to EML format from the Outlook data file.
   
4. Thereafter, choose the saving format as EML from the drop-down menu list.
   
5. Now, use pre-defined file naming conventions to manage converted data easily.
   
6. Lastly, click on the convert button to export PST to EML in bulk.
   

Why Use an Automated Tool to Convert PST File to EML

• Enable users to easily convert PST to EML file format in batch, including the entire batch in a single conversion process.
• Ensures the preservation of the integrity of the user’s data files while converting the files and after the process is done.
• Does not require an internet connection or the installation of Outlook in order to access files or mailboxes.
• Provides advanced filter options for users to convert PST file to EML according to multiple options like date, to, from, subject, etc., eliminating the processing of unwanted files.
• Offers a free demo version for users to check out the amazing attributes before buying it.
• Completely reliable and 100% safe since the whole operation takes place in offline mode.
• Easily process and support ANSI and Unicode PST format along with their attachments.

Conclusion

The utmost requirement to convert PST to EML has arisen place by the need for extended accessibility, flexibility, cross-compatibility, and guaranteed reliability for data archiving and legal purposes, especially. While PST to EML converter online or techniques are helpful for dealing with mildly affected files, they are completely insufficient for large files and oversized mailboxes. For such scenarios, it is highly recommended to go for a professional tool to ensure opening PST without Outlook and preserving the complete integrity of the user’s confidential information.