How to Import Mailbird Emails to Thunderbird
In short: To import Mailbird emails to Thunderbird, first know that Mailbird stores everything in a locked Store.db file Thunderbird cannot read. If your accounts are IMAP, just re-add them in Thunderbird and the server resyncs the mail. For POP or local mail, use Mailbird’s Export Tool to save EML, then import it with the free ImportExportTools NG add-on. For a large mailbox, a converter reads Store.db in bulk.
Where Mailbird stores your email
Mailbird keeps all of your messages, contacts and account data in a single SQLite database called Store.db. On Windows it sits at C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Mailbird. Thunderbird cannot read this file directly, which is the real reason a plain copy and paste never works. Every method below is just a different way of getting your mail out of Store.db and into a format Thunderbird understands, usually EML or a resynced IMAP account.
Knowing this tells you which method fits. IMAP accounts keep a copy of the mail on the server, so Thunderbird can pull it back down. POP accounts, plus any mail you moved into local folders, live only inside Store.db, so those need an export or a converter.
Senior Analyst, Corbett Software
“The detail that trips people is that Mailbird keeps everything in one Store.db file, so a copy and paste never works. If your account is IMAP, do not export at all, just re-add it in Thunderbird. Only local and POP mail truly needs an export or a converter.”
Method 1: Re-add your IMAP account in Thunderbird
If your Mailbird accounts use IMAP, this is the quickest path and it stays free. You are not copying files, you are letting Thunderbird download the same mail from the server.
- Confirm IMAP is enabled for the account in your mail provider settings.
- Open Thunderbird, click the menu, the three lines, then choose Account Settings.
- Click Account Actions at the bottom left, then Add Mail Account.
- Enter your name, email address and password, then Continue.
- Choose IMAP when prompted, then Done.
The trade-off. This only brings back mail that still exists on the server. Anything stored locally as POP mail will not appear, nor will messages you deleted from the server but kept in Mailbird. For those, use Method 2 or 3.
Method 2: Mailbird Export Tool plus ImportExportTools NG
Mailbird now ships with its own Export Tool, which older guides on this topic miss. It pulls mail straight out of Store.db and saves it as EML, the single-message format Thunderbird imports cleanly. Paired with the free ImportExportTools NG add-on, it is a no-cost route that also moves local POP mail.
First, export from Mailbird:
- In Mailbird, open Menu and find the Export Tool.
- Pick the account or folder you want to move.
- Choose EML as the output and select a folder on your computer to save the files.
- Run the export and wait for it to finish.
Then import into Thunderbird:
- In Thunderbird, install ImportExportTools NG from the Add-ons manager.
- Right-click the local folder where you want the mail to land.
- Choose ImportExportTools NG, then Import all messages from a directory.
- Point it at the folder of EML files you exported from Mailbird.
This keeps the move free and handles both IMAP and POP mail. Two things to watch: very large mailboxes take a while and import folder by folder. Read or unread status, flags and tags may also not carry across, so check anything you rely on after the import.
Method 3: Convert Store.db in bulk
For a very large archive, a mix of accounts or a Mailbird profile that only holds POP mail, reading the Store.db database directly is the most reliable option.
The Corbett Mailbird Converter reads Mailbird’s Store.db file directly, previews the mailbox and exports it to Thunderbird, EML or MBOX, with the folder hierarchy kept. It auto-detects the profile, filters by date or folder, then converts the first 10 emails per folder in the free demo so you can test the output first.
- Run the tool and click the Open icon in the top left.
- Select Desktop Email Client and pick Mailbird.
- Let it auto-detect your Mailbird profile. You can also point it to the folder that holds Store.db.
- Click Export, choose Thunderbird, pick a location and start the export.
Move your contacts too
Store.db also holds your address book, so the emails alone leave the contacts behind. To carry them over, export your Mailbird contacts to a vCard file, either with the Export Tool or a contact extractor, then in Thunderbird open the Address Book, choose Import and pick the vCard. If you only need the addresses for a list, our guide on how to extract email addresses from Mailbird pulls them into one file. You can also extract attachments from Mailbird on their own.
Frequently asked questions
Can I copy Mailbird’s Store.db straight into Thunderbird?
No. Store.db is a SQLite database that only Mailbird reads. Thunderbird needs EML, MBOX or a live IMAP account, so the file has to be exported or converted first.
Does re-adding my IMAP account move everything?
It moves only what is still on the mail server. Local POP mail, plus anything you removed from the server but kept in Mailbird, will not come across that way.
Where do I find Mailbird’s Export Tool?
Inside Mailbird under the main Menu. It exports your POP3 or IMAP account mail to a chosen format such as EML, which Thunderbird then imports.
Is ImportExportTools NG free?
Yes. It is a free Thunderbird add-on and the current version that replaced the older ImportExportTools.
How do I move my Mailbird contacts to Thunderbird?
Export the contacts to a vCard file from Mailbird, then in Thunderbird open the Address Book, choose Import and select the vCard. The emails alone do not carry the contacts.
Will the folder structure stay the same?
Re-adding an IMAP account rebuilds the server folders. With the EML route you import folder by folder, while a converter that reads Store.db keeps the full hierarchy in one pass.