Open PST File · Free PST Viewer Without Outlook
A PST is the data file where Outlook keeps a whole mailbox. When you need to open a PST left behind by a former employee, or an old backup, without Outlook, drop it here. The folder tree appears first and each email is read when you select it. No install or account, and the file never leaves your device.
No upload
Drop your files here
Drop .eml, .msg, .pst, .ost, .mbox or .emlx files, a folder or a ZIP to browse them like a mailbox. Files open only inside this browser.
How to open a PST file
- 1
Drop the .pst file
Drag the PST in or choose it. Even a file of several GB is not loaded whole; only the parts needed are read.
- 2
Pick a folder and an email
The folder tree (Inbox, Sent Items and so on) appears on the left. Pick a folder to see its emails, then an email to see its body and attachments.
- 3
Search and save
Search by sender, date range, attachment name or body text. Save emails as PDF or .eml, attachments one by one or as a ZIP, and the list as CSV.
About PST files
Where PST files come from
Exporting mail from Outlook to an "Outlook Data File" produces a .pst, and so does Archive, which moves older mail out of the main mailbox. For POP3 accounts, the mailbox itself is a .pst.
So a PST is usually mail that was moved or kept: a departing employee's mailbox handed over to a colleague, the leftovers of an old computer, or the mail you need to search for a legal case or audit.
Why large PST files still open
PST files often run to several gigabytes. This viewer never loads the whole file into memory; it reads only the parts it needs, when it needs them. First comes the folder tree, and an email's body and attachments are read when you select it.
There is no limit on the number of emails, either. The list is drawn in pieces, so a folder with tens of thousands of messages still scrolls smoothly.
| Importing into Outlook | This viewer | |
|---|---|---|
| Outlook | Required | Not needed |
| Your own mailbox | Gets the PST contents mixed in | Untouched |
| Large files | Import takes a while | Folder tree right away |
| Original PST | Unchanged | Read only, never modified |
Finding emails in a former employee's PST
To find only the emails exchanged with a particular client, enter their address as sender or recipient and set a date range. The number of results shows at once, and messages sharing a subject can be grouped into conversations.
Save what you find as one merged PDF, or as one PDF per email in a ZIP. Export the list as CSV to get sender, subject and date in a spreadsheet.
Common questions
Can I open a PST without Outlook?+
Yes. The browser reads the PST itself. No Outlook install and no account needed.
Does a multi-gigabyte PST work?+
Yes. The file is not loaded into memory all at once; only the parts needed are read. The folder tree comes first and emails load as you select them.
Is the PST sent to a server?+
No. The file never leaves your device, so a PST full of company mail stays where it is.
What about a password-protected PST?+
A password-protected PST is not opened; the viewer tells you it is protected. Remove the password in Outlook and try again.
Will my original PST be changed?+
No. It is only read, never written to.
Can I save emails as PDF?+
Yes. Merge the selected emails into one PDF or get one PDF per email in a ZIP. No print dialog involved.
The characters in some emails look wrong.+
Each email is read using the code page and encoding it declares. If one still looks wrong, choose an encoding yourself from the encoding menu.
What about .ost files?+
They open too. The "Open OST file" page explains what is different about OST.