If you are about to change the email client from Thunderbird to Office 365. The migration required moving and making the file format compatible according to the new email client. Many individuals and organizations are moving from Thunderbird to the Microsoft 365 environment. It provides advanced features, better security, and collaborative tools that Office 365 offers. In this post, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365. Before diving into that, we need to know why users switch to Office 365
Thunderbird vs. Office 365: A Quick Comparison
If you are changing the email client from Thunderbird to Office 365. You need to know what exactly Office 365 offers compared to Thunderbird, and is this migration is worth it.
| Features | Thunderbird | Office 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Email Support | POP/IMAP/SMTP, multiple accounts | Exchange, IMAP/SMTP, Microsoft 365 integration |
| Type | Open-source email client | Cloud-based productivity suite |
| Cost | Free (great for individuals) | Paid (monthly/yearly, best for businesses) |
| Calendars & Tasks | Basic support | Deep integration with Outlook & Teams |
| Cloud Integration | Limited | Seamless with OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams |
| Security | Good (S/MIME, PGP via add-ons) | Enterprise-grade, compliance-ready |
| Collaboration | Minimal | Extensive (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) |
| Best For | Individual users | Businesses & enterprises |
If you are looking at the table above, you will notice Thunderbird is lacking in the features. Thunderbird offers better facilities that make a huge difference. Businesses that require productivity tools, security, and scalability find Microsoft 365 to be the better option.
Methods to Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365
There are two main approaches to moving Thunderbird data into Microsoft 365:
- Manual Method (Free, but limited)
- Professional Tool (Quick, secure, and scalable)
Manual Method: Import Thunderbird MBOX Emails to Office 365
The manual process is divided into two stages. Mimic the steps to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365.
Stage 1: Export Thunderbird Emails as EML Files
- First, open Thunderbird on your computer.
- Next, go to the folder that contains the emails you want to export.
- Select all emails → Right-click → Save As.
- Then, choose a location on your system to save them as .eml files.
Stage 2: Import EML Files to Office 365 via Outlook
- Now, set up an Outlook profile using your Office 365 account.
- Drag and drop the saved EML files into the Outlook mailbox folder.
That’s it! By applying these steps, you can easily migrate Thunderbird to Office 365.
Limitations of the Manual Method
- Users cannot handle bulk migration efficiently.
- Manual migration can not get the filter options for selective migration.
- It takes lots of time if you have a large mailbox.
Considering these points, most businesses and professionals prefer an automated solution to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365.
Professional Method to Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365
If you are looking for the best solution to move Thunderbird to Office 365. Shoviv MBOX to Office 365 Migration software is a professional first choice. It can move data quickly and keep the data integrity as it is. Shoviv Software offers many features and options that make the migration move reliable and selective. Here are the key features of the application:
- It can import multiple MBOX files into Office 365 at once.
- The software can support large mailboxes without size restrictions.
- It provides advanced filters to migrate only selected emails.
- The tool has the option to convert MBOX to PST, MSG, or EML formats.
- A simple interface, suitable for both technical and non-technical users.
Steps to Migrate Using the Shoviv Tool:
- Starting with installing the Shoviv MBOX to Office 365 Migration Tool.
- Now open and click Add to upload MBOX files or folders.
- Select Office 365 as the target.
- Then, enter your Office 365 credentials.
- Apply filters if needed.
- Next, click Finish to start migration.
By applying these straightforward steps, you can easily migrate Thunderbird to Office 365.
Conclusion
When migrating Thunderbird to Office 365 mailboxes, you can use a manual method, which is quite challenging and risky. On the other hand, you can choose the Shoviv MBOX to Office 365 Migration Tool solution that makes the migration easy and risk-free.
If you are looking to switch email clients, you can install the free version of the application. It allows you to migrate the first 50 items per folder for free.
