Email Archiving on Mac: Simple, Local, No Subscription

Anyone who is self-employed, runs a business, or manages an association knows the problem: over the years, thousands of emails accumulate. Invoices, quotes, contracts, and important correspondence eventually disappear into overflowing inboxes. At the same time, there are legal retention obligations in many cases.

That is exactly why I developed the app Mail Archive.

The Problem with Email Archiving

Many users rely entirely on Gmail, Outlook, or other cloud services. This usually works fine in everyday life, but comes with some disadvantages:

• Dependency on the respective provider
• Risk of accidentally deleted messages
• Limited storage space
• Difficult long-term archiving
• High costs of many cloud solutions

Particularly the self-employed and businesses often need a way to retain business emails long-term and quickly find them when needed.

Why I Developed Mail Archive

When looking for a simple solution, I found that many existing systems:

• are complicated to set up
• cause high ongoing costs
• rely exclusively on cloud services
• are often oversized for small businesses

That is why Mail Archive was created.

My goal was software that:

• is easy to use
• works locally on your own computer
• can be used without a subscription
• remains affordable even for smaller businesses

How Mail Archive Works

After installation, the desired email account is set up.

The following are supported, among others:

• Gmail
• Outlook
• Microsoft 365
• IMAP accounts
• Own mail servers

The setup is done step by step using a wizard.

Users can then choose:

• Which folders should be archived
• From which date emails will be imported
• Where the data should be stored

Local Storage Instead of Cloud

A key advantage of Mail Archive is local storage.

Emails are stored directly on your own Mac. This means users retain control over their data at all times and are not dependent on a cloud provider.

Optionally, attachments can also be saved separately.

Free Trial Version

Before purchasing a license, the software can be tested for free.

This allows you to check:

• Whether the connection to the email provider works
• Which folders are available
• How the archiving process works

An upgrade is only required once everything works as desired.

The Pricing Structure

Pro Version

For a one-time fee of €14.99, an unlimited number of emails can be archived.

No monthly fees.

No subscription.

Business Version

The Business version is aimed at companies and professional users.

Additional features:

• Bulk export of emails
• Extended archiving options
• Business-grade usage

New: Mail Archive Now Also for Windows

Mail Archive was originally developed for macOS.

The application is now also available for Windows, enabling even more users to enjoy simple local email archiving.

Watch the Video Tutorial

In my YouTube video I show the complete setup step by step:

• Installation
• Account connection
• Folder selection
• Synchronization
• Email export
• Pricing options
• Backup settings

Download Mail Archive

What Mail Archive is for, and what it isn't

Mail Archive is a local archiving app. It saves emails with their attachments on your own disk and makes them searchable.

It is not a certified archive system and does not replace advice. Whether and how emails must be retained for tax or commercial law depends on the business. Clarify that with your tax advisor.

Local storage is a copy. Back up your archive as well, for example with a regular backup to an external drive.

You can find the current Mac version directly in the App Store:

Get it for Mac

Conclusion

With Mail Archive I wanted to create a simple and affordable solution for permanently archiving emails locally.

Without complicated servers.

Without expensive cloud subscriptions.

Without monthly fees.

Especially for the self-employed, associations, and smaller businesses, Mail Archive offers a simple way to securely store important emails long-term and find them again at any time.

If you have questions, requests, or suggestions for improvement, I look forward to your feedback.