# Manual export and import vs. IMAP migration

> For a single mailbox you can export a PST/MBOX with Outlook or Thunderbird and import it into the new account. Across several accounts that means work on every computer, huge files and missed folders. IMAP migration runs server to server.

| | IMAP Migrator | Manual export/import |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Server to server | On each user's computer |
| Several accounts | In parallel, from one place | One by one, by hand |
| Interruptions | Continues where it stopped | Usually start over |
| Read status and dates | Kept | Depends on the tool |
| Cutover | Keeps syncing new mail until MX switches | Mail that arrives later needs another pass |

## When IMAP Migrator fits better

- There is more than one mailbox
- Mail keeps arriving during the move

## When Manual export/import fits better

- You want an offline archive of a single small mailbox

**I already have a PST or MBOX file. Can I upload it?** Yes. File import uploads a PST or MBOX file straight into a mailbox.