Ensure compliance, reduce risk & optimize storage in Google Workspace. Top 5 tools (and key selection criteria) that IT professionals should evaluate when designing their Gmail archiving strategy.
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Archiving data in Gmail is no longer just about freeing up inbox space — for IT operations teams and compliance professionals, it’s about retaining records, meeting regulatory requirements, maintaining data sovereignty, and controlling costs. In most cases, archiving Gmail is also a part of the employee offboarding process. Therefore, the right archiving tool must support volume, scalability, and strategic workflows in enterprise Google Workspace environments.
Here are the top 5 tools (and key selection criteria) that IT professionals should evaluate when designing their Gmail archiving strategy.
How We Selected the Best Tools To Archiving Gmail
To identify the top archiving platforms, we anchored our evaluation in real-world feedback and rigorous criteria. First, we surveyed 30 Google Workspace–certified partners Zenphi is partnering with, asking about the archiving tools they deploy, what challenges their clients face, and which features drive success. We also interviewed 150 IT and Ops leaders from our Zenphi users community — exploring what works (and what doesn’t) when archiving Gmail at scale. We then assessed every solution against a structured framework of six core criteria, drawing on best-practice archiving research.
The Six Criteria We Used
- Archiving completeness & fidelity — Does it capture Gmail messages including metadata, attachments, timestamps, and retain lawful-hold compliance?
- Destination & data residency flexibility — Can you choose where the archive lives (region, store, your own cloud)?
- Trigger-based automation — Can archives be initiated from HR/IT signals (offboarding events, API calls, group changes, forms, email) rather than manually?
- Auditability & compliance readiness — Are logs, traceability, legal-hold functionality and audit reports built in?
- Cost model & scalability — Is pricing based on workflow operations (not simply per user), and can it scale to high volumes without cost explosion?
- Hosting & control — Can the archive be hosted inside the client’s own cloud or chosen location to maintain data sovereignty?
The #1 Employee Offboarding & Data Archiving Solution Forr Google Workspace
Zenphi is a go-to platform for employee offboarding and data archiving automation for the teams operating within a Google Workspace environment. Companies like Google, Gordon Food Service, Emerson College and more have chosen Zenphi to automate crucial Google Admin tasks.
Top 5 Gmail Archiving Tools for 2026
1. Zenphi
Why it stands out: A no-code workflow automation platform built for Google Workspace, Zenphi supports Gmail archiving as part of a holistic offboarding and data governance workflow.
Key capabilities:
- Archive Gmail (alongside Drive and Chat) to custom destinations including your own cloud environment
- Integrates with Google Vault exports for unified archival repositories
- Event-driven triggers tied to offboarding workflows
- Event-driven triggers tied to offboarding workflows
Best for: Companies with high-volume Gmail archiving, integrated offboarding, device and sharing cleanup, and compliance automation. Read more: Zenphi vs CloudM and Bettercloud: Which platform is better for offboarding and data archiving
2. CloudM Automate
Why it matters: A lifecycle automation solution that supports Google Workspace offboarding and archiving.
Key capabilities:
- Automate suspension of users
- Archive leavers’ Gmail data to designated storage,
- Integrate data transfer in offboarding flows.
Best for: Organizations focused primarily on user lifecycle tasks with moderate archival needs.
3. BetterCloud
Why it matters: SaaS operations management platform that includes archiving and lifecycle features across multiple applications including Gmail.
Key capabilities:
- Automate archival workflows triggered by user status changes or policy events
- Integrate across SaaS stack.
Best for: Environments where Gmail archiving is part of a broader SaaS governance strategy spanning many applications.
4. Google Takeout
Why it matters: A built-in Google service that allows export of Gmail (and other Google product) data for archiving.
Key capabilities:
- Export Gmail data manually (or on schedule) to ZIP/JSON formats for storage or archiving.
Best for: Small teams, ad-hoc archiving, or supplementing primary archiving strategy, as it implies manual process, not designed for enterprise automation or retention policy enforcement.
5. Mail Backup X
Why it matters: A dedicated backup/archiving tool targeting Gmail, allowing export and storage of Gmail messages and attachments.
Key capabilities:
- Archive Gmail to local or cloud storage
- Preserve folder structure and attachments
Best for: Smaller organizations or those looking for focused Gmail archiving without full lifecycle automation.
Comparison Chart
Choosing the Right Tool for Your 2026 Archiving Strategy
Ask yourself:
Bottom line
Gmail archiving has matured from a simple inbox management tool to a critical piece of enterprise data governance. While basic tools like Google Takeout or Mail Backup X still serve niches, the enterprise demands holistic automation, retention, compliance and integration. Tools like Zenphi lead this space because they combine Gmail archive with workflow automation, data residency control, and full user lifecycle management in Google Workspace.
Pick a tool that aligns with your volume, triggers, storage destination and compliance model — and you’ll set your organisation up for scalable, automated archiving success.
Read More On Google Workspace User Lifecycle Management Automation
Offboarding Automation At Google
Shared Drives Audits
Employee Offboarding Tools Comparison
Case Study: Save $800K On Offboarding Workflows
Offboarding Checklist
