MailVault vs MailStore Home, Side by Side
If you want a MailStore Home alternative, this page compares the two free tools head to head for one person's mail. MailStore Home is a Windows program that copies mail from Outlook, Thunderbird, Gmail, Outlook.com, IMAP accounts and PST files into one searchable archive. MailVault is a free email app for macOS, Windows and Linux that keeps a copy of your mail as plain .eml files on your computer. If you need an archive for a whole company, read MailStore Server alternatives instead. For a wider list of tools, see MailStore alternatives compared.
Quick answer
On Windows, with PST files or several local mail programs to pull from, MailStore Home is the better fit. On a Mac or Linux, or if you want the archive as plain .eml files inside an app you also read and answer mail in, MailVault fits better.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | MailStore Home | MailVault |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows 10 and 11, with .NET Framework 4.8 or later | macOS 11 or later, Windows 10 and 11, Linux (.deb and Snap) |
| Price | Free for private use at home; companies are pointed to MailStore Server | Free; optional Premium at $4/month or $25/year (early-access price) |
| Source code | Closed | Source live on GitHub |
| Where mail comes from | Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Outlook.com, any IMAP or POP3 mailbox, Outlook 2003 to 2019, Exchange Server 2003 to 2019, Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, Windows Mail, PST and EML files | Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com and any IMAP account; MBOX files such as Google Takeout exports |
| How the archive is stored | MailStore's own archive files in a data folder; export to get EML or MSG files | Plain .eml files in Maildir-style folders, one file per message |
| Search | Full-text search including attachments; optional iFilter packs for attachment indexing | Local full-text index, works offline; attachment search is Premium |
| Read, reply and send | No, it is an archive | Yes, it is a full mail app |
| Remove mail from the mailbox after archiving | Free, per archiving profile: right away, after a set time, or for mail older than a set age, and only for mail confirmed archived | Archive and Delete from Server are free as separate steps; one-step Archive & Delete with a check of each copy is Premium |
| Getting mail back out | Export to Exchange, IMAP, a Gmail mailbox, an address over SMTP, a mail client, or a folder of EML or MSG files | The .eml files themselves, a ZIP export, MBOX export, and MBOX restore to an IMAP server |
| Portable from a USB drive | Yes, free | Windows only, Premium |
| Recent updates | 26.1 (January 2026), 26.2 (April 2026), 26.3 (July 2026) | 2.19.1 on 7 October 2026; several releases a month |
| Help | Online manual and community forum | FAQ, setup guide, GitHub Discussions and Discord |
Last checked: October 2026, on mailstore.com and help.mailstore.com. Check MailStore's site for current details.
Where MailStore Home wins
- More sources, especially on Windows. It reads Outlook profiles, PST files, Exchange Server mailboxes, Windows Mail and Thunderbird profiles. MailVault cannot read PST files at all.
- Attachment search at no cost. MailStore Home indexes attachments for free. In MailVault, searching inside PDF and Office attachments is Premium.
- Free delete rules. An archiving profile can remove mail from the mailbox once it is archived, after a waiting period, or by age, and it only removes mail it has confirmed is in the archive. Flagged messages are kept unless you turn on the option to delete them too. In MailVault, automatic cleanup rules and the one-step Archive & Delete are Premium.
- Portable for free. It runs from a USB drive without installing. MailVault's portable mode is Windows-only and Premium.
- More ways to put mail back. It can export archived mail into Exchange, an IMAP mailbox or Gmail, which also makes it a migration tool.
- A long track record. MailStore's products have been on the market since 2006, and Home still received updates in 2026.
Where MailVault wins
- It runs on a Mac and on Linux. MailStore Home lists only Windows 10 and 11. MailVault runs on macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows and Linux. The MailStore alternative for Mac guide covers the Mac case.
- Your archive is plain files. Each message is a standard
.emlfile in Maildir-style folders that Apple Mail, Thunderbird or a text editor can open without MailVault. MailStore Home keeps mail in its own archive files, and you export to get standard files out. - One app to read and keep mail. MailVault is a full mail client: read, search, reply and send, then archive what you want to keep. Each row shows whether a message is on the server, in your vault, or in both.
- Microsoft 365 is a listed source. Microsoft 365 accounts sign in with OAuth2, and personal Outlook.com, Hotmail and Live.com accounts connect through Microsoft Graph. MailStore Home's product page lists Outlook.com and Exchange Server 2003 to 2019, but not Microsoft 365.
- Source live on GitHub. The code is on GitHub, so you can check what it does with your mail.
Where the archive lives
In MailStore Home, the archive sits in a data folder that you back up with its built-in backup or by copying the folder while the program is closed. MailStore warns against keeping that folder in a sync service such as Dropbox, because the service can touch the files while MailStore Home is using them.
In MailVault, the archive is a folder of .eml files. Settings, Backup & Restore shows where it is, opens it in your file manager, and can move it to another drive. You can add a second copy on an external drive or a NAS share, written during each backup run.
Moving from MailStore Home to MailVault
MailVault cannot open MailStore's archive files directly. The simplest route is to connect MailVault to the same accounts and archive what is still on the server. For mail that now exists only in MailStore Home, export it from MailStore Home to an IMAP or Gmail mailbox, let MailVault archive it, then remove it from the server again. Check your mailbox quota first, because the export puts that mail back on the server for a while.
Who should pick which
- Pick MailStore Home if you are on Windows, have PST files or Outlook and Thunderbird profiles to pull from, want free attachment search and free delete rules, and are happy with an archive-only tool.
- Pick MailVault if you are on a Mac or Linux, want your archive as plain files you can open anywhere, use Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com or IMAP, and want one app to read, search and keep your mail.
- Pick neither if your company needs retention policies, legal hold or audit logs. That is server territory.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a MailStore Home version for Mac?
No. MailStore lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 as the system requirements for MailStore Home. On a Mac you need a different tool, such as MailVault or one of the other Mac options.
Can MailVault import a MailStore Home archive?
Not directly. MailVault cannot read MailStore's archive files. Export the mail from MailStore Home to an IMAP or Gmail mailbox and archive it with MailVault, or connect MailVault to the original accounts.
Can MailVault open PST files?
No. MailVault imports MBOX files and connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com and IMAP accounts. If your old mail is in PST files, MailStore Home on Windows can archive them.
Is MailStore Home really free?
Yes, for private use at home, according to MailStore. For commercial use it points companies to the paid MailStore Server.
What to do next
If you are on Windows with PST files, try MailStore Home first. If you are on a Mac or Linux, or you want plain files, download MailVault free, connect one account and archive a single old year to see how it works. The Archive & delete page shows what is free and what is Premium.
Also compare MailVault with Thunderbird and Apple Mail, or read about local search.