Best Email Archiving Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Google Drive is ranked #1 of 28 as of 6 October 2026, ahead of VM Backup and Open Archiver Enterprise. The best-ranked option with a free plan is VM Backup. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Intradyn Email Archiving at $0.25/mo.
Keeping email records accessible can matter when you need to find, preserve, or review messages over time. Compared on deployment, journal capture, retention period, search and export, eDiscovery tools, and legal hold, these products can be assessed against your organization’s record-handling needs. Free-plan availability and paid starting prices add cost context. Google Drive, VM Backup, and Open Archiver Enterprise are among the options shown. Consider how records enter an archive, how long they need to remain available, and whether your review process requires particular search, export, or preservation capabilities.
28 email archiving software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
3 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google DriveWindows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $1.99/mo | 6.7 | |
| 2 | VM BackupWindows · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 3 | Open Archiver EnterpriseWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 4 | MessageSolution Enterprise Email ArchiveWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · iPhone · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 5 | OpenText Retain Unified ArchivingWeb · Windows · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 6 | Jatheon CloudWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 7 | MailArchivaWeb · Windows · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 8 | Mimecast Data Leak PreventionWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 9 | Proofpoint Enterprise ArchiveWeb · Windows · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 10 | AnyMeetingWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | $27.99/mo | 5.3 |
| 11 | Global Relay ArchiveWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 12 | Netmail ArchiveWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | €165/mo | 5.3 |
| 13 | Proofpoint Email DLP and EncryptionWeb · Windows · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 14 | DArcMailWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 15 | Mimecast Cloud ArchiveWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | Smarsh Email ArchivingWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | SYNAQ ArchiveWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | Zoho eProtectWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | ArcTitanWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | CryoserverWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | Intradyn Email ArchivingWeb · Windows · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $0.25/mo | 5.1 |
| 22 | MailVaultWeb · Windows · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | MailStore ServerWeb · Windows · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 24 | VaultasticWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | ₹1124.58/mo | 5.0 |
| 25 | Google VaultWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $22/mo | 4.8 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Retention period | Legal hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Drive | 6.7 | Free plan | $1.99/mo | No | 22 /user/mo | unlimited | Yes |
| 2 | VM Backup | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | No | — | 10 years | — |
| 3 | Open Archiver Enterprise | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 4 | MessageSolution Enterprise Email Archive | 5.7 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 5 | OpenText Retain Unified Archiving | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 6 | Jatheon Cloud | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 7 | MailArchiva | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | 10 years | Yes |
| 8 | Mimecast Data Leak Prevention | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 9 | Proofpoint Enterprise Archive | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 10 | AnyMeeting | 5.3 | No | $27.99/mo | No | 3.52 /user/mo | unlimited | Yes |
| 11 | Global Relay Archive | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 12 | Netmail Archive | 5.3 | No | €165/mo | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Proofpoint Email DLP and Encryption | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 14 | DArcMail | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | Mimecast Cloud Archive | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 16 | Smarsh Email Archiving | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 17 | SYNAQ Archive | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | 10 years | Yes |
| 18 | Zoho eProtect | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 19 | ArcTitan | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 20 | Cryoserver | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 21 | Intradyn Email Archiving | 5.1 | No | $0.25/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
| 22 | MailVault | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | — | Yes |
| 23 | MailStore Server | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | unlimited | Yes |
| 24 | Vaultastic | 5.0 | No | ₹1124.58/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
| 25 | Google Vault | 4.8 | No | $22/mo | No | 22 /user/mo | unlimited | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which email archiving software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Google Drive is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 6.7. VM Backup is second and Open Archiver Enterprise third.
How many of these have a free plan?
3 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Intradyn Email Archiving has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.25/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.