Convert Thunderbird to EML — Export Thunderbird Emails as Individual EML Files

Thunderbird does not export individual emails as EML files natively. If you need to move messages to another email client, share them as standalone files, or create a portable archive, Total Thunderbird Converter extracts every email from your Thunderbird mailbox and saves it as a separate .eml file. The converter:

• Extracts individual EML files from Thunderbird MBOX storage
• Preserves sender, recipient, date, subject, body, and all attachments
• Exports entire folders or selected messages in batch
• Names output files by sender, date, or subject for easy sorting
• Includes a 30-day free trial with no limitations

Download Total Thunderbird Converter and start exporting your emails to EML today.

 

MBOX vs EML: What Is the Difference?

MBOX is a container format that stores multiple email messages sequentially inside a single file. Thunderbird creates one MBOX file per folder: Inbox, Sent, Drafts, and every custom folder you set up. This is efficient for the mail client, but it means individual messages are buried inside a large binary file and cannot be opened or shared independently.

EML is a single-message format based on the RFC 822 standard. Each .eml file contains exactly one email — headers, body, and attachments. EML files can be opened by virtually any email client: Outlook, Windows Mail, eM Client, The Bat!, and many others. They are also easy to forward, attach to tickets, or store in document management systems.

Converting Thunderbird to EML means splitting each MBOX container into individual .eml files — one per message. The result is a set of portable, self-contained email files that work across all major platforms.

How to Convert Thunderbird to EML

• Step 1. Launch Total Thunderbird Converter. The program detects your Thunderbird profile and displays all mail folders in a tree view.
• Step 2. Select the folders you want to export. Use Check All to process the entire mailbox, or pick individual folders.
• Step 3. Click the EML button in the format toolbar at the top of the window.
• Step 4. Choose a destination folder where the .eml files will be saved.
• Step 5. Set the file-naming template. You can name output files by date, sender, subject, or a combination — for example, [Date]-[Subject].eml.
• Step 6. Press Start. The converter extracts each email from the MBOX file and saves it as a standalone .eml file.

Each EML file contains the full message with headers, body text (plain and HTML), and all inline images and attachments. You can open these files directly in Outlook, Windows Mail, or any RFC 822-compatible client.

Command-Line Conversion

Total Thunderbird Converter includes a command-line interface for scripted exports. Example:

ThunderbirdConverter.exe -sEML "C:\Users\John\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\abc123.default\Mail\Local Folders\Inbox" C:\Output\EML\

Use this in .bat scripts to schedule nightly EML exports or process multiple Thunderbird profiles automatically.

Why Use Total Thunderbird Converter?

Automatic profile detection. The converter finds your Thunderbird profile and shows all folders in a tree. No need to navigate the AppData directory to locate MBOX files manually.

Flexible file naming. Name output EML files using sender name, email date, subject line, or message index. This makes sorting and finding specific emails trivial in a file manager.

Attachment preservation. Every attachment — documents, images, ZIP archives — stays embedded inside the EML file exactly as it was in the original message.

Batch processing. Export an entire mailbox of thousands of emails in one session. Folder structure is replicated in the output directory, so Inbox emails go into an Inbox subfolder, Sent emails into Sent, and so on.

100% offline. All processing happens locally on your PC. No emails are uploaded to any cloud service or third-party server.

Multiple output formats. Besides EML, export Thunderbird emails to PDF, DOC, HTML, TIFF, TXT, or PST from the same tool.

Thunderbird Export: Manual vs Converter

Feature	Manual (drag & drop)	Total Thunderbird Converter
Batch export	One email at a time	Entire folders at once
File naming	Random / generic	Customizable template
Folder structure	Not preserved	Replicated in output
Speed (10,000 emails)	Hours of manual work	Under 5 minutes
Attachments	Preserved	Preserved
Automation	Not possible	Command-line support
Pricing	Free but impractical	One-time $49.90

Windows 7/8/10/11 • 30-day free trial

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Total Thunderbird Converter Customer Reviews 2026

Rate ItRated 4.7/5 based on customer reviews

"We decommissioned a Thunderbird server and needed to archive 80,000 emails as individual files. Total Thunderbird Converter extracted every message as an EML in under 20 minutes. The folder structure was replicated perfectly in the output directory. Exactly what we needed."

Thomas Berger System Administrator

"For case file preparation, I regularly need individual emails as attachable files. Dragging one email at a time from Thunderbird was not an option with hundreds of messages. This tool exports an entire folder to EML in seconds, and the date-based naming makes it easy to locate specific messages."

Sarah Mitchell Paralegal

"I switched from Thunderbird to eM Client and imported my archive via EML files. The conversion was fast and attachments came through intact. The only thing I would add is a filter to export only messages from a specific date range."

Kenji Watanabe Project Manager

Thunderbird to EML Export: FAQ ▼