Home » Blog » Migration » Transfer Zimbra Emails to Mailcow using Best Technique

Transfer Zimbra Emails to Mailcow using Best Technique

Jared Young ~ Modified: February 4th, 2025 ~ Migration ~ 6 Minutes Reading
If you have accounts on both Zimbra and Mailcow and want to move your emails from one account to another. Then, you are in the right place. This article will provide you a way to migrate Zimbra to Mailcow. So, read the guide till the end as we also discuss Mailcow vs Zimbra.

Overview of Zimbra and Mailcow

Zimbra Mail is a part of Zimbra Collaboration Suite which provides support to email and group calendars. Earlier it came with a desktop application called Zimbra Desktop. But now, it is a web client that uses cloud services to manage and store your emails.

Mailcow on the other hand is an open-source email server based on docker. It is a self-hosted email service where you create and manage your own email server. The interface of this program is simple and user-friendly. This means you can easily move your emails into your Mailcow account. In the next section of the blog, we will talk about the migration process, but before that, we will first understand the reasons for exporting Zimbra emails.

Cause of Moving Zimbra Mail to Mailcow

Zimbra is a great application as it provides collaboration features, still many users still want to export their emails. This is because of a variety of reasons which we have explained below.

  • The interface of Mailcow is much easier to use than the Zimbra. So, for business purposes like emails and mailing, Mailcow is a great choice.
  • Compared with Zimbra, Mailcow provides many security measures other than the standard security. Which makes your data more safe.
  • For a small enterprise, Mailcow is more affordable than Zimbra Mail. as it gives the best features at a cheap price.
  • In Mailcow you will get more customization tools than the Zimbra. Also, you can easily integrate your account with other tools.

So, by switching Zimbra data to Mailcow you will get many benefits. So, to do that, we have searched through the internet and found a solution that can help you solve them.

Manually Export Zimbra Files to Mailcow

If we talk about the manual solution then it will be difficult for some users as it requires you to first install the IMAP sync tool then, you have to run commands to transfer your data. This is a lengthy process and a non-technical person couldn’t understand it. However, there is a better option available which you can easily and it gives the desired results.

Transfer Zimbra Mailbox to Mailcow – Expert Method

To simplify your process, the Corbett IMAP Migration Tool will help you. This software is designed in a way where you can directly move your data. It uses an IMAP server which you can use to move emails from one account to another.

Download Now Purchase Now

It is a lightweight software and anyone can navigate through their account. The program can also be used to migrate your Mailcow emails to a new server. You can easily download the software on any Windows OS. Then, follow the steps below.

Steps to Migrate Zimbra to Mailcow

  1. Download the Corbett IMAP Backup Tool on your desktop.
  2. Click on “Open” >> “Email Accounts” >> “Add Account” options.
    open>>email accounts>>add account
  3. Enter your Zimbra email account details. Hit the “Add” button.
    enter zimbra mail account details click add button
  4. After that, your data will be in the software and you preview your emails.
    preview zimbra mail
  5. Click on the “Export” option and then the “IMAP” button.
    select export and imap button
  6. Enter your Mailcow email details and click on the “Save” button.
    click save to migrate zimbra to mailcow

Here are the steps to export your Zimbra data file. In this way, you have your data in your account without any issues. The software also provides additional features which we explained below.

Unique Features of Professional Software

  • By using this software, users can preserve the data integrity, email structure, and folder hierarchy during the process.
  • It allows you to transfer 100+ IMAP-based accounts with attachments.
  • There is an advanced search filter option that helps you to export selective data.
  • A preview option allows you to preview your emails before the export process. It offers different view modes like Hex View, Message Header, Content, and Raw Message.
  • There is a demo version available which you can download for free on your computer. It provides all the features except it allows you to export 10 files per day.

It is a great option to migrate from Zimbra to Mailcow. To know more about this situation, we discuss how Zimbra and Mailcow are different from each other.

Zimbra VS Mailcow

Here, we will compare the two programs and examine their features and capabilities.

Features Zimbra Mailcow
Type of email server It is an open-source server for commercial purposes. It is fully open-source.
Affordability There are two types of applications: Zimbra Open Source editions which are free and Network editions which are paid. Mailcow is completely free.
Set up and Installation You have to manually set up and install the account. Mailcow uses Dockers containers to set up your account which is easier to do.
User Interface Zimbra uses a Web-based email client. The interface of Mailcow is modern and user-friendly.
Resource Usage It needs more system requirements and resources. It is lightweight and efficient to use.
Email servers Zimbra supports IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and ActiveSync Mailcow supports IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and SOGO
Suitability It is suitable for large companies with advanced features. Best for small or medium-sized businesses.
Backup Facility Only paid version has a backup facility. It allows internal backup and restores facilities.

Therefore, for a small business, Mailcow is best and Zimbra is great for large-sized companies.

In Conclusion

Whenever you need to migrate Zimbra to Mailcow you can now easily do this with the help of this article. Here, we have explained an expert solution of how you can move your data using professional software. As the manual solution can be too complicated this method is easy to use. Lastly, we explain Mailcow vs Zimbra to understand their functions.