Compared · checked 2026-10-24
The best free EML viewers
An .eml file is one saved email: headers, the body and the attachments in one file. You do not need a mail account to read one. Here are three free viewers that run in the browser, and Outlook, which opens .eml too.
We make Email Viewer, one of the tools on this page. Every fact about the other tools comes from their own pages, linked under each one, as they read on 2026-10-24. Prices and features change: check each site before you choose.
How we compared them
- Free to use, with no account
- Whether the email stays on your device or is sent to a server
- Safe preview: remote images, tracking pixels and scripts kept out
- What you can do with it: attachments, print, PDF, several messages
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Runs where | Account needed | Where the file is read | Opens .msg too |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email Viewer ours | Free | In the browser on any device | No | On your device | No |
| Hypermatic EML Viewer | Free | Browser | No sign-up | On your device (parsed locally) | Not stated |
| Loops EML Viewer | Not stated | Browser | Not stated | On your device (FileReader, not uploaded) | Not stated |
| Outlook (new Outlook and Outlook on the web) | Not stated | New Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web | Not stated for .eml; .msg and .oft need a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription | Not stated | Yes, with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription |
| Feature | Email Viewer ours | Hypermatic EML Viewer | Loops EML Viewer | Outlook (new Outlook and Outlook on the web) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works in a browser, no install | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partly |
| File stays on your device | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| No account or sign-up | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Opens .msg (Outlook) files | No | Not stated | Not stated | Partly |
| HTML and plain-text body | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| Remote images and tracking pixels blocked | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Not stated |
| Scripts blocked in the preview | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Not stated |
| Embedded (cid) images shown | On request | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Save attachments | One, or several as a ZIP | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| Preview attachments | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Raw source view | No | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | |
| Save as PDF | Text only | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Several messages at once | Tabs | Not stated | Not stated | Bulk import to a mailbox |
1. Email Viewer (ours)
Best for: Reading, printing or saving an email and its attachments safely, with nothing uploaded and no account.
Good
- The file is read in the page; nothing is uploaded
- The HTML body is shown in a sandboxed frame with no scripts, and remote images cannot load
- Switch between the HTML and plain-text body; show the message’s own embedded (cid) images on request
- Preview attachments (pictures, PDF, text, spreadsheets) and save one, or several as one ZIP
- Print keeps the layout; Convert to PDF makes a text PDF with page numbers
- Several messages open in tabs
- Works on your phone, tablet and computer in the browser, even offline
Not so good
- Opens .eml only, not Outlook .msg files
- The PDF keeps the text, not the HTML layout or images (use Print for that)
- No view of the raw source
- Still being built
2. Hypermatic EML Viewer
Best for: Inspecting an email’s headers, rendered HTML and raw source in the browser, for example while designing email.
Good
- Free, no sign-up
- Parsed locally; its page says the contents are not uploaded
- Shows headers, the rendered message, the source and attachments, which you can download
- Also opens .html email files
Not so good
- Its page calls the preview an inspection aid, not an exact Outlook or Gmail rendering
- Its page does not mention print, PDF or blocking remote images
Hypermatic EML Viewer website · Sources: Hypermatic EML viewer
3. Loops EML Viewer
Best for: A quick, private look at one email’s HTML and text versions and its attachments.
Good
- Read in the browser with FileReader; its page says the file is not uploaded
- Shows From, To, Subject and Date, and the HTML and plain-text bodies on tabs
- HTML preview is sandboxed: scripts, forms, tracking pixels and remote content do not load
- Lists attachments and saves any one
Not so good
- A small free tool on an email-marketing company’s site
- Its page does not mention print, PDF or opening several messages
Loops EML Viewer website · Sources: Loops EML viewer
4. Outlook (new Outlook and Outlook on the web)
Best for: People who already use Outlook and want the email in their mailbox, or need to open .msg files too.
Good
- Drag an .eml file onto the reading pane, or use Open with
- Also opens .msg and .oft files (with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription)
- Bulk import of a folder of .eml files into a mailbox folder
Not so good
- Bulk import needs an active internet connection, takes only top-level files and has a 14 MB limit per .eml file
- Microsoft’s pages do not say whether the file stays on your device
- You need Outlook set up first
Outlook (new Outlook and Outlook on the web) website · Sources: Microsoft Support: open .eml, .msg and .oft files in new Outlook, Microsoft Support: bulk import .eml files in new Outlook
Which one to choose
Email Viewer is our pick to read, print or save an email without an account and without sending it anywhere: a safe preview with remote images and scripts kept out, attachment previews, a ZIP of attachments, print and PDF. It installs from the browser and works offline. It opens .eml only and has no raw source view.
Choose Hypermatic if you want the raw source as well, or Loops for a clean, private quick look. Choose Outlook when the email belongs in your mailbox, or when you have .msg files, which the browser viewers here do not say they open.
Questions
How do I open an .eml file without Outlook?
Drop it on a browser viewer such as Email Viewer, Hypermatic or Loops. All three say the file is read in your browser, so nothing is installed and nothing is uploaded.
Is it safe to open an .eml file online?
It depends where it is read. The three browser viewers here read it on your device. Email Viewer and Loops also keep remote images, tracking pixels and scripts from loading, so opening the email does not tell the sender.
Can I save an .eml file as PDF?
Email Viewer has Convert to PDF, which keeps the text with page numbers, and Print, where the browser’s Save as PDF keeps the layout and images.
What is the difference between .eml and .msg?
.eml is the standard format most mail apps save. .msg is Outlook’s own format. Email Viewer opens .eml only; Microsoft says new Outlook opens both, with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription for .msg.
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