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How to Import Claws Mail to Outlook Classic, New or Account?

  Mark Regan
Mark Regan
Published: April 10th, 2026 • 7 Min Read

In order to import Claws Mail to Outlook (New, Classic, or Mac), you need to convert the Claws Mail Mailbox to Outlook-supported formats such as PST, EML, or MSG. For this, you can also use a dedicated Claws Mail to Outlook converter tool, rely on an intermediate email account, or an email client like Thunderbird for transfer.

Table of Content Hide
  1. Claws Mail vs Outlook Comparison
  2. Export Claws Mail Mailboxes
  3. Using Thunderbird Method
  4. Using Converter Tool
  5. Online IMAP Migration Method
  6. Choose the Best Migration Method
  7. FAQs

Claws Mail Vs Outlook: Differences & Why Migrate?

There are various reasons why a user may feel the need to migrate emails from Claws Mail, such as: modern interface, better integration, advanced features & being professionally aligned. Here is a quick table of conversion between them:

Feature Claws Mail Outlook New or Classic
Device Support Linux & Windows Mac and Windows
Usage Technical experts Business Users
Email Storage Format MH: Mail Handler (can export MBOX) PST & OST (can import EML & MSG)
Latest Version 4.6 Outlook New
Cloud Integration No cloud integration Office 365 & Outlook.com
Cost Free Has Premium Plans

How to Export Claws Mail Emails to be Imported into Outlook?

Important: Always back up your Claws Mail data before migrating it to Outlook.

Since Outlook has no integration with Claws Mail, there is no direct way to import Claws Mail to Outlook New or Classic. You first need to export Claws Mail Mailboxes. Since Claws Mail can only export emails in .mbox format, you further need to convert them to PST, EML, or MSG.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Open the Claws Mail application on your desktop.
  2. Click on File on the top left.
  3. Choose the Export to MBOX file option.
    Claws Mail export to MBOX option screen
  4. Browse the mailbox, choose the destination on your PC.
  5. Press to export Claws Mail to MBOX.

Repeat the process for all the mailboxes, as you can only export one mailbox at a time.

Tip: Organise all the exported mailboxes from Claws Mail into one folder for a more seamless migration.

Read More: How to Import a MBOX file in Outlook?

Method 1: Using Thunderbird to Import Claws Mail to Outlook

Here is how you can export Claws Mail MBOX as EML to be imported into Outlook New or Classic.

Pre-requisite: You need to install & configure Thunderbird on your device and set up the ImportExport NG add-on.

  1. Open the Mozilla Thunderbird email client on your desktop.
  2. Right-click on a Local Folder.
  3. Choose ImportExport NG tools.
  4. Select the option for importing MBOX (All MBOX from Directory).
  5. Choose the MBOX folder you exported from Claws Mail.
  6. Once imported, right-click on the folder.
  7. Choose ImportExport NG tools
  8. Select Export All Messages in the folder and choose EML format.
    Export emails as EML using Thunderbird ImportExport NG
  9. Choose a Saving Location.
  10. Open Outlook and drag & drop the EML files to import Claws Mail to Outlook.

Limitation: There is a risk of data loss as EML files are separate files for each email. Data is going through multiple email clients, hence it is more susceptible to corruption. It is best used if you only have a limited number of emails.

Method 2: Claws Mail to Outlook PST Converter for Migration

PST (Personal Storage Table) file is an email, contacts & calendar storage format proprietary to Outlook. Converting Claws Mail emails to PST files makes imports simpler & more streamlined.

BitRecover MBOX to PST Converter is expert-recommended, professional-grade software for Mac & Windows to convert emails from Claws Mail data in PST format and directly import into Outlook New or Classic. It can process large mailboxes from Claws Mail and convert them into Outlook PST format with all attributes, such as folder hierarchy, attachments, and other attributes. Its advanced features, such as offline operations, smart filter, and easy to use interface, make it the best way to import Claws Mail to Outlook.

Steps to Import Claws Mail to Outlook Using the Tool

  1. Download the BitRecover converter on your device.
    Claws Mail to Outlook Converter Tool
  2. Click on the Select Folder option & choose the Claws Mail exported MBOX.
    select folder option
  3. Preview & choose the folders of Claws Mail.
    Choose required Claws Mail mailboxes to PST
  4. Choose Outlook PST as the saving option.
    PST Saving Option
  5. Press Next to start the Claws Mail to Outlook migration.
  6. Finally, import the PST file into Outlook.

Import PST file into Outlook application interface

2026 Update: For Outlook New, you cannot directly import the PST file if you don’t have a Microsoft 365 subscription account. In such cases, you can use BitRecover MBOX Converter to bulk convert large MBOX files to MSG or EML once and drag & drop them to the Outlook email client.

Method 3: Online Way to Import Claws Mail to Outlook With Bridge

It is a great way for non-technical users unwilling to deal with file formats to migrate from Claws Mail to Outlook. The process involves using an intermediate Outlook.com email account as a bridge.

It uses Claws Mail’s ability to move emails from one configured account or from local folders to another account.

Pre-Requisite: A free Outlook.com email account with enough storage.

  1. Open Claws Mail on your desktop.
  2. Click on Configuration >> Edit Account.
  3. Select New.
  4. Enter your Outlook.com email address (name & organisation).
  5. Choose IMAP & Auto Configuration.
  6. Enter the password to complete the configuration process.
  7. Open the Mailbox, you want to migrate to Outlook.
  8. Press Ctrl + A to select all the emails.
  9. Right-click and choose Move to.
    Move emails to Outlook account from Claws Mail
  10. Select the newly configured outlook.com account as the destination.
  11. Press OK.
  12. Lastly, open the Outlook email client application and configure the same Outlook.com account there.

Limitations of the Online Way to Migrate Claws Mail to Outlook

  • Time taking as the process is manual and involves high dependency on IMAP sync, which is prone to failure.
  • Only for Claws Mail data less than 15 GB, as Outlook.com has a mailbox limit.
  • Claws Mail still uses a password, so the authentication may fail.
  • Will not work with exported Claws Mail data.

What is the Best Way to Migrate Claws Mail to Outlook?

Feature Thunderbird Method BitRecover Tool (Recommended) Online IMAP Method
Bulk Migration Restrictive – up to 4GB Designed for Bulk Transfer 15 GB limit
Folder Structure Lost Fully Preserved Lost
Best For Small data / technical users For All Users Non-technical Users
Time Taken High Fast Migration Depends on Sync
Dependency Requires Mozilla Thunderbird Standalone tool Requires an Outlook.com account

This makes using the BitRecover Claws Mail to PST converter the best way for migration for all users.

FAQs: Import Claws Mail to Outlook

Q1: How can I move emails from Claws Mail to an Outlook.com email account?

  • You can simply configure your Outlook.com account in Claws Mail.
  • Select all the emails. Right-click >> Move To.
  • Choose the Outlook.com account as the destination.

This process allows you to migrate Claws Mail emails to your Outlook.com account for easy online access via Outlook Web.

You can also use BitRecover software for direct Claws Mail to Outlook.com migration with modern security authentication methods.

Q2: Where does Claws Mail store email on the PC?

  • Win: C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming\Claws-mail\Mail\
  • Linux: ~/.claws-mail/

Q3: Is Claws Mail still active in 2026?

Yes, Claws Mail is still active and used by technical users. It recently came up with version 4.6 in 2026.


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