How to Convert PST to EML? Free & Pro Ways (2025 Updated)

Published By Jamie Kaler

Approved By Rollins Duke

Published On August 7th, 2025

Reading Time 6 Min Read

If you are reading this blog post, then you might be interested in knowing the best approach to convert PST to EML. Whether you are switching from Outlook to Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or another email format. If you turn PST to EML, which is a more compatible file format can make your Outlook data more accessible. Moreover, if you are new to email formats, then this guide will help you understand the quick comparison of PST Vs EML.

In this article, you will discover the 3 techniques to export PST to EML, including the free and professional solutions, all updated for 2025. We also mention the pitfalls of the free techniques and guide you to choose the best solution to overcome your problem. Let us start by discussing the key differences b/w PST (Personal Storage Table) and EML (Electronic Mail) format.

PST Vs EML File Formats: Key Differences

PST file format is an exclusive file format of Microsoft used to store different types of data in Classic Outlook. The data stored by 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.

Feature	PST (Personal Storage Table)	EML (Electronic Mail)
File Type	Database File	Single Email File
Developed By	Microsoft	Open Format
Email Clients Supported	Outlook	Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.
Portability	Low	High
Editing & Viewing	Only in Outlook Email Client	Allowed in EML-supported email platforms.
Attachments Support	Yes	Yes
Folder Structure	Preserved	Only Single Email File

Use Cases to Turn PST to EML Format

For E-Discovery and Forensics Investigation
For Corporate Email Archiving Compliance
To Share a Specific Email Without Outlook
For Accessing PST Emails without Outlook

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. Then 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 turn PST to EML for free with a 250 MB file size limitation. 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?

Open Thunderbird and create a new email account.
Click on “Tools” and then “Import” from the dropdown menu.
Select “Import from Outlook” and click on “Continue.”
Choose “Mail Messages” from the list of available options and click on “Continue.”
At last, click on “Start Import” to convert PST to EML.
Wait for the conversion process to complete and click the “Finish” button.
Open the “Outlook Import” folder under Thunderbird Local Folders.
Select the email message you want to convert to EML, right-click on it, and click on the “Save as” option.
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?

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

Drawbacks of Using the Free Techniques

To go with the manual techniques, it is necessary to have Outlook installed on your system. Users can not convert PST to EML without Outlook manually.
The online PST to EML converter often has the risk of a data breach attached to it. Additionally, these solutions only allow you to use them for free up to a PST file size limitation of 250 MB.
The free manual approach does not allow users to bulk export PST to EML format. You need to repeat the same set of steps again and again to sum up the work.
Free techniques, especially online PST to EML converter, often fail to preserve metadata and attachments correctly after completion of the conversion process.

Professional Solution to Turn PST File to EML File Format

As we have seen in the above limitations, free online PST to EML converters and DIY ways 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.

Download Now Purchase Now

How to Convert PST to EML Without Outlook? Working Steps

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

Concluding Thoughts

In conclusion of the blog on the topic of how to import PST to EML file formats. The PST to EML export is not as easy as exporting a generic format file. Either you should go with the manual or the online approach if dealing with a small dataset with sensitive data. If you are dealing with a sensitive, large PST file, you should always go with the professional PST to EML Converter.