Google Takeout Converter: 4 Tools Compared
Most tools sold as a Google Takeout converter do one job: they take the Gmail archive inside your export and turn it into another mail format, such as Outlook PST. TakeoutReader does a different job: it reads the whole export and tells you, in plain English, what Google has recorded about you. If you need your email in Outlook, buy a converter. If you want to understand your data, a converter will not help.
This page compares four tools people find when they search for a Takeout converter or viewer: TakeoutReader, 4n6 Google Takeout Converter, Corbett Email Converter, and RecoveryTools Google Takeout Converter. Prices and limits are as each vendor publishes them on its own site, checked in October 2026. They change, so confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
The four tools side by side
| Tool | What it is for | Runs on | Price | Free version | Local processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TakeoutReader | Reading the whole export: location, searches, YouTube, Chrome, Photos metadata, ad profile, Gmail count | Any browser (Windows, Mac, Linux, phone) | $9 one-time per report | Free preview of your own report | Yes, parsed in the browser |
| 4n6 Google Takeout Converter | Converting Takeout email (MBOX) to PST, EML, PDF, HTML, CSV, Gmail, Office 365 | Windows desktop app | $29 full version | Trial exports 10 messages per folder; separate free viewer | Yes, offline |
| Corbett Email Converter | Converting Takeout ZIP or MBOX mail to PST, PDF and other formats | Windows desktop app (no Mac or Linux build) | $99 lifetime licence | Demo capped at 10 output files; separate free viewer | Yes, offline |
| RecoveryTools Google Takeout Converter | Converting Takeout email to 35+ formats and mail services (PST, PDF, Thunderbird, Office 365, IMAP) | Windows and Mac desktop apps (separate licences) | $29 Standard, $49 Pro, $99 Migration (Windows, one-year licence) | Demo converts 25 emails per folder | Yes, standalone app |
Prices in US dollars as published by each vendor, checked October 2026. The short version: three of the four are Windows email converters, and one is a browser reader for everything else in the export.
Converter or reader: which one do you need?
Start from what you want to end up with, because the two kinds of tool barely overlap:
- Your Gmail in Outlook, Thunderbird, or another account. You need a converter. Google exports mail as MBOX files, and Outlook cannot open them. A converter rewrites them as PST or imports them into the new account.
- Your old emails as PDFs for a record or a legal file. Also a converter. All three offer PDF output.
- What Google knows about you. You need a reader. Where you have been, how many searches you made, what you watched on YouTube, which sites you visited in Chrome, how your photo library spreads over the years, and which interests Google has inferred for advertising. None of the converters summarise any of this, because they only handle mail.
- Just looking at a few old emails. A free viewer is enough. See below.
For more on the Gmail part of an export, see our guide to Google Takeout Gmail and MBOX files.
TakeoutReader
TakeoutReader opens the Takeout ZIP in your browser and builds a report from it: location history (countries, cities, most active years), search activity, YouTube watch history, Chrome browsing, Android app usage, the metadata of your Google Photos library (counts per year, places, albums), your ad profile, and the number of emails in your Gmail archive. The file is parsed with JavaScript on your device and is not uploaded.
What it does not do: it does not convert mailboxes, open individual emails, or export to PST. If that is your goal, one of the converters below is the better choice. The report is free to preview and costs $9 one-time for the full version.
Want to know what is in your export, not convert it?
Drop your ZIP. It stays in your browser. Free preview. $9 for the full report.
4n6 Google Takeout Converter
A Windows program that converts the email in a Takeout archive to EML, PST, PDF, HTML, CSV, or straight into Gmail or Office 365. The full version is $29. The trial exports 10 messages from each folder, which is enough to check that it reads your archive. 4n6 says the software works offline and never asks for your Google credentials. 4n6 also publishes a separate free Google Takeout Viewer for reading the mail without exporting it. Details on the 4n6 converter page.
Corbett Email Converter
Corbett's converter loads a Google Takeout ZIP directly, without unzipping it, alongside PST, MBOX, EML, and other mail formats, and converts it to PST, PDF, and other formats with date, sender, and folder filters. It runs on Windows only. The licence is $99 one-time, for life. The demo unlocks every feature but caps the output at 10 files. Corbett states that conversion runs offline and nothing is uploaded. There is also a free Corbett Google Takeout Viewer for Windows. Details on the Corbett converter page.
RecoveryTools Google Takeout Converter
The widest set of outputs of the three: more than 35 formats and destinations, from PST, PDF, and MSG to Thunderbird, Office 365, and IMAP accounts. It is the only converter here with a Mac edition, sold under a separate licence. On Windows there are three one-year licences: Standard at $29 for two machines, Pro at $49 for five machines with batch conversion and PDF output, and Migration at $99 for ten machines with direct imports into Office 365, Exchange, and IMAP. The demo converts 25 emails from each folder. RecoveryTools also offers a free Google Takeout Viewer for Windows. Details on the RecoveryTools converter page.
What about privacy?
Your Takeout archive is one of the most sensitive files you own, so where it gets processed matters more than the price. All four tools here process the file on your own device: the three converters as installed desktop programs, TakeoutReader inside your browser tab. The tool to avoid is any website that asks you to upload the archive to its server. Our guide on whether Google Takeout is safe covers how to store and delete the file afterwards.
If you would rather not install or use anything, you can open many of the files by hand. See how to open Google Takeout files and our guide to Google Takeout JSON files.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Google Takeout converter?
A Google Takeout converter is a desktop program that takes the email in your Takeout archive, which Google delivers as MBOX files, and rewrites it into another format such as Outlook PST, EML, or PDF, or pushes it into another mail account. It is a migration tool. It does not summarise your location history, searches, or YouTube activity.
How do I convert Google Takeout Gmail to PST for Outlook?
Use a converter that outputs PST, such as 4n6 Google Takeout Converter, Corbett Email Converter, or RecoveryTools Google Takeout Converter. All three run on Windows and process the files locally. TakeoutReader does not convert mailboxes, so it is not the right tool for that job.
Is there a free Google Takeout viewer?
Yes, several. 4n6, Corbett, and RecoveryTools each offer a free Windows viewer for the email in a Takeout archive, with exports limited until you buy a licence (as published, checked October 2026). TakeoutReader gives a free preview of your full report in any browser, and the complete report is $9 one-time.
Do these tools upload my Google Takeout?
The three converters are desktop programs and their vendors state that conversion runs offline on your own computer. TakeoutReader runs in your browser and parses the ZIP locally with JavaScript, so the file is not sent to a server. Whatever you choose, avoid any tool that asks you to upload the archive to its website.
Which tool works on a Mac?
TakeoutReader works in any browser, including Safari and Chrome on a Mac. RecoveryTools publishes a Mac edition of its converter, sold under a separate licence. The 4n6 and Corbett converters are Windows only.
Read what Google has on you
Drop your Google Takeout ZIP. It is parsed in your browser and never uploaded. Free preview in 60 seconds. The full report unlocks for $9 one-time. No subscription. No account.
100% private. Processed in your browser. Nothing uploaded. TakeoutReader is not affiliated with Google.