Mac IMAP Backup Tool is software that downloads email from any IMAP account to a Mac and saves it in 8+ formats, with PST and PDF among them. It works in batch or selective mode with filters for date, subject, sender and email address. Incremental backup, duplicate removal and delete after backup are included.
Archive IMAP mailboxes from Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Rackspace and other providers on Mac. A free trial saves the first 100 emails.
No registration needed. Emails go from the mail server to the local disk. Check the screens first.
Webmail accounts and self hosted servers come from one backup software.
IMAP email backup software asks for the IMAP domain on the login screen, then the email address and password. Accounts with 2-step verification need an App Password in place of the normal password.
Steps to back up an IMAP account on Mac OS with MacXTools IMAP email backup software. Yahoo Mail serves as the IMAP example.
IMAP email backup software for Mac covers login, folders, filters and clean-up in one window.
IMAP email backup software backs up any account that uses IMAP. It allows users to select the IMAP domain on the login screen.
Batch mode saves many folders in one session. Selective mode saves only the folders that are selected.
Filters limit a backup by date range, subject, sender or email address. They keep the backup to the emails that matter.
PST and PDF are among 8+ saving options. It suits Outlook, archives and records.
Incremental backup saves recent emails only. It prevents duplicates, so later backups stay short.
The software removes duplicate emails by comparing the From, Date and To fields. It keeps one clean copy.
Three PDF settings handle attachments: pin, append or save. They apply when PDF is the saving option.
The original folder hierarchy stays intact in the output. Headers, styling and hyperlinks are preserved too.
The delete option removes emails from the mailbox once they are saved. It frees server space without a separate clean-up.
Login and backup settings have two screens.
Mac IMAP Backup Tool connects to a mailbox through the IMAP domain and the login details. Remember Credentials keeps them for the next session.
Accounts with 2-step verification need an App Password. A click on Login opens the folder tree.
The settings screen sets what the software saves and where it saves it. Folders, the saving option, filters, incremental backup and delete after backup share one screen.
The Change button sets the output location. Start Backup begins the backup.
Four filters suit different backup needs.
| Filter | Limits a backup to | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Date range | Emails from selected dates | One period or a follow-up after an earlier backup |
| Subject | Emails with matching subject words | Project threads and case files |
| Sender | Emails from one sender | Mail from a client or a vendor |
| Email address | Emails tied to one address | One contact across many folders |
Every value below can be checked on the screens above or in the product guide.
| Attribute | Value | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Software | MacXTools IMAP Email Backup | Screenshots |
| Source account | Any IMAP account, including Gmail, Yahoo, AOL and Rackspace | Product guide |
| Login | IMAP domain, email address and password or App Password | Step-2 |
| Folders | Folder tree with batch and selective backup | Step-4 |
| Saving options | 8+, with PST and PDF | Step-4 |
| Filters | Date range, subject, sender and email address | Product guide |
| Backup settings | Incremental backup, duplicate removal and delete after backup | Step-4 |
| PDF attachments | Pin, append and save | Product guide |
| Trial limit | 100 emails | Product guide |
| Platforms | macOS 12 and later, Apple Silicon and Intel | Product guide |
| Price | $25.00 one time, 30 day refund | Refund policy |
What the backup keeps and what IMAP leaves out, stated before purchase.
The software saves the selected folders as they appear in the folder tree. The original hierarchy stays intact in the output.
Headers, styling and hyperlinks are preserved. Attachments travel with the messages they belong to.
IMAP is a mail protocol. Contacts and calendars are outside it, so they are not part of the backup.
Output goes to the folder set with the Change button. The disk needs enough free space before Start Backup.
Test login, folder selection and the chosen saving option on the 100 emails of the free trial before buying the full version.
Manual copies suit a few messages. A backup tool suits a full mailbox.
| Task | Manual backup | Backup tool |
|---|---|---|
| Folders | Copy folders to a mail client one at a time | Folder tree with batch and selective mode |
| Output | Whatever the mail client saves | 8+ saving options |
| Selection | Search and select messages manually | Date, subject, sender and email address filters |
| Duplicates | Repeat copies stay in the archive | Duplicate removal by From, Date and To |
| Repeat backups | Start again from the first message | Incremental backup option |
| Clean-up | Delete messages manually on the server | Delete after backup option |
What every user group needs from IMAP backup software for Mac.
A local archive keeps old emails after an account closes. PST output opens in Outlook and PDF output opens anywhere.
Batch mode and filters keep backups to the mail that matters. Duplicate removal keeps the output clean.
Customer emails stay on a Mac the business controls. Incremental backup adds only recent mail later.
PDF output gives emails a fixed layout for records. Headers and hyperlinks are preserved.
Any IMAP server works, from webmail to a self hosted server. The domain is selected on the login screen.
Delete after backup frees mailbox space once emails are saved to the Mac.
Emails on a closed mail account are gone. The software saves the folders first, so receipts, contracts and old threads stay on the Mac.
One backup software covers Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Rackspace and other IMAP servers. IMAP and POP on a Mac explains what IMAP stores locally.
Select a folder on an external disk as the output location. How to Archive Old Mac Email to an External Drive covers the drive side.
PDF output converts emails into fixed pages for review and records. Date, subject and sender filters limit the backup to the case.
IMAP mail lives on the provider server. A local archive made with IMAP email backup software stays on the Mac when an account closes, a password is lost or a mailbox fills. For background on local mail storage, see How Mac Email Clients Store Mail on Disk.
Select the IMAP domain, enter the email address and password, then click Login. Accounts with 2-step verification need an App Password.
The folder tree opens after login. Select the folders to save or select all of them. Batch mode and selective mode are both available.
Select a saving option, with PST and PDF among them. Apply a date, subject, sender or email address filter. Incremental backup and delete after backup are available.
Select the output location with the Change button, then click Start Backup. The software saves the selected folders to that location.
Three checks that keep the first IMAP backup on Mac clean.
Accounts with 2-step verification need an App Password. Generate it in the mail account before opening the software.
Select a folder on a disk with enough free space for the full size of the mailbox before clicking Start Backup.
Emails download from the mail server during the backup. Keep the Mac connected to the internet and awake until the backup ends.
What IMAP email backup software needs on a Mac.
Any account that uses IMAP. Gmail, Yahoo, AOL and Rackspace are named. A self hosted IMAP server works the same way.
Yes, for accounts with 2-step verification. Generate an App Password in the mail account and enter it on the login screen.
Eight or more, with PST and PDF among them. The product guide has the full list.
Yes. Filters limit a backup by date range, subject, sender or email address. Folder selection narrows it further.
No. Incremental backup saves recent emails only and prevents duplicates, so later backups stay short.
It compares the From, Date and To fields of every email and removes the copies that match.
Three: pin attachments, append attachments or save attachments. The setting applies when PDF is the saving option.
The delete option removes emails from the mailbox once they are saved. Keep it off for the first backup. Open the saved files and check them first.
The free trial saves up to 100 emails. The full version removes that limit and costs $25.00 with a 30 day refund.
macOS 12 and later, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Screens above from MacXTools backup software, shown with a Yahoo account. Product guide Licence agreement Refund policy. Page updated 17 October 2026.
Start with the free trial. A first backup of 100 emails shows whether login works and whether the saving option opens at the destination.