How to Migrate from Zoho Mail to Office 365?

• 08 August 2025
• Office 365 Migration
• Written by Justin Greaves

• Introduction
• Why Migrate from Zoho Mail to Office 365?
• Common Business Reasons to Move from Zoho to Microsoft 365
• Preparing for Your Zoho Mail to Office 365 Migration
• How Can You Migrate from Zoho Mailboxes to Office 365?
• Common Errors in Manual Migration
• Post-Migration Tasks After Moving to Office 365
• Automate Your Zoho Mail to Office 365 Migration with Apps4Rent
• Frequently Asked Questions

Zoho Mail has earned a stellar reputation thanks to its impressive array of features in the world of email and productivity suites. From tailored email addresses to ingenious tools fostering integration and collaboration, Zoho Mail caters adeptly to the requirements of smaller enterprises. Furthermore, it goes the extra mile with its intricate filters, advanced search capabilities, and robust eDiscovery functions.

However, as your business expands, Zoho Mail may lack some of the advanced functionalities that Office 365 brings to the forefront. You’re not alone in this realization. Numerous companies are migrating to Office 365, enticed by its robust features and amalgamation with other Microsoft products. Let’s understand more about Zoho to Office 365 migration.

Why Migrate from Zoho Mail to Office 365?

Zoho Mail can be an excellent productivity solution if you’re part of a minor or rapidly growing organization. However, as your organization expands its operations, migrating Zoho Mail to Office 365 becomes increasingly beneficial.

Office 365 offers a range of Business plans, all with OneDrive access and a generous 1 TB of storage space. In contrast, WorkDrive, Zoho’s alternative, provides varying storage space, starting at just five GB per user. This limitation may need to be revised for businesses needing more extensive storage options.

Common Business Reasons to Move from Zoho to Microsoft 365

Businesses often choose to migrate from Zoho to Office 365 to gain access to a more secure, integrated, and scalable productivity environment. Microsoft 365 offers enterprise-grade features and deeper platform alignment that better support long-term growth. Key reasons to consider a Zoho to Office 365 migration include:

• Seamless Microsoft Integration: Microsoft 365 works natively with Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive, offering tighter interoperability than Zoho, especially for organizations already using Microsoft apps.
• Stronger Collaboration Tools: Features like co-authoring, advanced Teams meetings, and automation with Power Automate enhance team productivity once you migrate Zoho Mail to Office 365.
• Advanced Security and Compliance: Microsoft 365 offers robust protections like DLP, Microsoft Defender, and compliance certifications that go beyond Zoho’s capabilities, making it a preferred choice for regulated industries.
• Flexible Licensing and Scalability: Microsoft’s tiered plans and add-ons make it easier to scale and customize services after a Zoho to Office 365 migration, regardless of business size.
• Extensive Support and Partner Network: From onboarding to training, Microsoft’s global support ecosystem simplifies operations for those looking to migrate email from Zoho to Office 365.
• Reliable Backup and Recovery: Built-in retention, recovery, and threat protection tools reduce the risks of data loss when you migrate Zoho email to Office 365.
• Centralized Identity and Device Management: Integration with Azure Active Directory and Intune enables secure, policy-based access and mobile device management across the organization.
• Future-Proof Technology: Businesses benefit from Microsoft’s continuous innovation in AI, automation, and cloud services, which is an added advantage when deciding how to migrate from Zoho Mail to Office 365.
  

For organizations consolidating platforms or modernizing IT infrastructure, the decision to migrate from Zoho to Office 365 often brings long-term strategic and operational benefits.

Also Read: How to Migrate from Zoho WorkDrive to SharePoint Online?

Preparing for Your Zoho Mail to Office 365 Migration

It’s crucial to take these pre-migration steps to ensure a successful transition from Zoho Mail to Office 365:

For Zoho Mail

• Admin Rights & Backups: Ensure you have admin rights in Zoho and back up all user data, configurations, and messages.
• CSV File for Multiple Users: Prepare a CSV file with user mailbox details if needed.
• IMAP Connection Details: Note the server name or find IMAP connection details in Zoho.

For Office 365

• Role Assignment & Licensing: Assign the Organization Management role and create mailboxes with suitable licenses for your users.
• Public Folders: Set up Public folder mailboxes for migration.
• Impersonation Rights: Ensure your admin account has the necessary impersonation rights.
• Custom Domain Setup: If you have a custom domain, add and verify it in Office 365.
• Extensive Message Handling: Configure Office 365 to handle large messages.

Following these steps will make your Zoho to Office 365 migration well-prepared and hassle-free.

How Can You Migrate from Zoho Mailboxes to Office 365?

There are two methods to consider when migrating Zoho Mail to Office 365:

1. Migrate Email from Zoho to Office 365 for a Single User.
2. Migrate Multiple Mailboxes from Zoho to Office 365 Manually.

Let’s run through the steps involved in the migration process while manually performing the Zoho to Office 365 migration.

1. Migrate Email from Zoho to Office 365 for a Single User

When dealing with a minor team of employees, opting for a hands-on approach to migrate your Zoho emails to Outlook within Office 365 is a savvy choice. This method ensures a seamless transition for each user, and the process can be accomplished with the following steps:

• • Log in to your Zoho Mail account and access the Import/Export option in settings.
  • Configure the export settings, specifying date ranges or opting for the entire mailbox export as needed.
  • Zoho Mail will generate your data in the .eml format compatible with Outlook.

Using the above procedure, you can ensure precision and control in Zoho to Outlook migration for each user within Office 365.

2. Migrate Multiple Mailboxes from Zoho to Office 365 Manually

When there are several Zoho mailboxes to be migrated simultaneously or the volume of mail is large, the better option would be to import PST files to Office 365. There are, again, two ways of doing this.

The network upload technique involves uploading the PST files to a temporary Azure account. Users use the SAS (Shared Access Signature) URL, a unique SAS key, and the Azure AzCopy tool to move the PST files to Office 365.

Alternatively, they can use the drive shipping technique, which involves copying all the PST files onto a hard drive and shipping it to Microsoft for them to upload the contents to an Azure drive through which you can import them into Outlook.

Limitations of Manual Zoho to Office 365 Migration

The manual method offers a fair bit of control over the migration process and can be done free of cost. However, it has several drawbacks.

• There is a high chance of loss of data integrity, especially in the case of attachments.
• The more the data, the slower the migration process.
• Higher probability of data corruption when inbuilt filters are used.

Considering these drawbacks, using tools that can perform the migration might make more sense. The features, effectiveness, and success rate vary for each tool.

Common Errors in Manual Migration

While attempting to migrate email from Zoho to Office 365 manually, businesses often encounter serious challenges that can result in data loss, failed transfers, or extended downtime. Without proper technical expertise, manual Zoho to Office 365 migration can quickly become risky and inefficient. Below are some of the most common issues that arise:

• Partial or Incomplete Transfers: Manual methods can overlook messages or attachments, leading to only portions of a mailbox being moved during attempts to migrate Zoho email to Office 365.
• Corruption and Metadata Loss: Converting email files from Zoho’s .eml format to PST or other supported formats may corrupt email content or strip essential metadata such as timestamps, sender information, and flags.
• Incorrect Permissions or Roles: A lack of required permissions, such as impersonation rights or global admin access in Office 365, can cause authentication errors that interrupt the Zoho to Office 365 migration process.
• Login and Security Conflicts: Entering incorrect user credentials or encountering Multi-Factor Authentication, legacy authentication settings, or conditional access restrictions can block login attempts during manual migration.
• Blocked IP Addresses: Microsoft 365 may deny access to connections originating from Zoho Mail IPs unless these are whitelisted in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
• Slow Transfers and Timeouts: Migrating large mailboxes manually can lead to timeout errors and slow performance, especially without the use of throttling controls or batch processing.
• User Errors and Misconfigurations: Manual migrations often involve multiple steps across platforms. Mistakes in configuration, skipped steps, or incorrect file mapping are common, particularly for those unfamiliar with how to migrate from Zoho Mail to Office 365.

To avoid these challenges, many businesses choose Apps4Rent’s professional services to migrate from Zoho to Office 365. Our team ensures a seamless, secure, and fully supported transition without the risks associated with manual methods.

Also Read: How To Migrate from Office 365 Commercial Tenant to Government Tenant?

Post-Migration Tasks After Moving to Office 365

Completing the Zoho to Office 365 migration is just the beginning. To ensure your operations continue without disruption, follow these essential post-migration steps:

• Verify Data Accuracy and Completeness: After you migrate email from Zoho to Office 365, review all user mailboxes to confirm that emails, attachments, folders, and contacts transferred successfully without corruption or loss.
• Update DNS and Mail Flow Settings: Update your DNS records, especially MX and Autodiscover, to make sure all new emails are directed to Microsoft 365. This helps prevent delivery issues after you migrate from Zoho to Office 365.
• Assign Licenses and Confirm Access: Ensure that each user has the correct Microsoft 365 license. Verify that everyone can access their new mailboxes and services after the Zoho to Office 365 migration.
• Enable Security and Compliance Measures: Set up features like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), retention policies, and compliance rules. These protections are important when you migrate Zoho Mail to Office 365 in a business environment.
• Train and Communicate with End Users: Let users know the migration is complete. Explain any major changes and provide basic training to help them use Microsoft 365 tools effectively after they migrate Zoho email to Office 365.

These post-migration tasks help complete the transition and prevent avoidable issues. Apps4Rent provides end-to-end support to help businesses migrate from Zoho to Office 365 smoothly and securely.

Automate Your Zoho Mail to Office 365 Migration with Apps4Rent

Are you seeking guidance on automating the migration of your Zoho Mail to an Office 365 account? While manual and automated migration options are available, knowing the potential risks associated with data integrity and loss during the process is essential. Furthermore, preparing for contingencies and accessing reliable support when navigating these intricacies is vital.

As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, Apps4Rent is here to guide you through Office 365 migration 24/7 via phone, chat, and email. Contact us today for an effortless migration experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to migrate Zoho Mail to Microsoft 365?

   Manual methods are available, but are often slow and prone to errors. Apps4Rent simplifies your Zoho to Office 365 migration by securely transferring emails, calendars, and contacts with minimal disruption.

2. How do I transfer my Zoho email to Outlook?

   Instead of managing file conversions, Apps4Rent performs a direct migration of your Zoho emails into Outlook as part of a complete Office 365 migration, maintaining folder structure and data accuracy.

3. How do I transfer my email to Office 365?

   Apps4Rent handles the entire process to migrate from Zoho to Office 365, eliminating the need for complex PST exports and ensuring a smooth and accurate transition.

4. How do I add Zoho Mail to Outlook 365?

   While IMAP setup is an option, full Outlook functionality requires complete migration. Apps4Rent takes care of both the transfer and configuration to provide a seamless user experience.

5. Can I migrate Zoho Mail to Office 365 without downtime?

   Yes. Apps4Rent carefully plans your Zoho to Office 365 migration to keep mail flowing, minimize user impact, and perform the switch during off-hours to avoid disruptions.

6. Is there a free tool to migrate from Zoho to Office 365?

   Free methods are limited and often unreliable for larger or business-critical migrations. Apps4Rent offers a dependable and affordable way to migrate email from Zoho to Office 365 with expert assistance throughout.