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AI features are included in every plan at no additional cost. We don't charge per-token or add AI surcharges.

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Where is data processed?

Data is processed securely in US-based data centers with SOC 2 Type II compliance, AES-256 encryption, and full audit logging.

Can I try before I buy?

Yes, most of our products offer free trials or free tiers so you can evaluate before committing.

What kind of support do you offer?

We offer email support for all plans, with priority support and dedicated account managers for higher tiers.

What is the best Gmail-to-PDF Chrome extension?

For most users, ThreadPDF for Gmail is the best choice — it's the cheapest paid tier in the category ($4.99/mo), processes everything on-device, and exports to PDF, HTML, and TXT. cloudHQ's Save Emails as PDF is the most mature option if you need multiple cloud-storage integrations or are already deployed on it across a team.

Why doesn't Gmail have a native bulk export feature?

Gmail's built-in print and Google Takeout options exist, but neither solves bulk PDF export well. Print handles one thread at a time, and Takeout produces an MBOX file that isn't useful for sharing or archiving as PDFs. That gap is the reason this category of Chrome extensions exists.

Are Gmail-to-PDF extensions safe?

It depends on the privacy model. Extensions that process locally in your browser (ThreadPDF, M2PDF, EngineIT, Convert Gmail to PDF locally) never upload your emails anywhere. Server-side tools (cloudHQ) upload your emails to a third-party service to do the conversion — fine for most personal use, but a blocker in regulated industries.

Which extension has the best free tier?

It depends on whether you'll need it once or repeatedly. cloudHQ offers 50 lifetime conversions per export type, which is the most generous first-time allowance. ThreadPDF offers 5 threads/day recurring — better for anyone who'll use the tool more than once a week. Convert Gmail to PDF (locally) is fully free with no upsell, but offers fewer features.

Can I export Gmail emails to PDF without any extension?

Yes, but only one thread at a time. Open the email, click the three-dot menu, choose Print, then save as PDF. For bulk export, you'll need an extension — Gmail's UI doesn't expose a multi-select print or export action that produces individual PDFs.

How did you rank these tools?

We installed each extension, tested its export flow against real Gmail threads (including ones with attachments), and compared price, privacy model, format range, batch limits, and free-tier shape. The ranking favors tools that work for the largest number of buyers — which is why ThreadPDF leads, but cloudHQ is a strong #2 specifically for buyers who need its cloud-destination breadth.

Is ThreadPDF biased because Switch Labs makes it?

Yes, we built it. We've tried to keep the ranking honest by listing real strengths and real weaknesses for every tool, including ours. cloudHQ has more users, more cloud integrations, and a broader default feature set. If you need cloudHQ's specific features, cloudHQ may be the right choice. For most other use cases, ThreadPDF wins on price and privacy.

Updated May 2026

Best Gmail-to-PDF Chrome Extensions in 2026

We installed all seven and put them through the same set of real Gmail threads. Here's how they actually compare on price, privacy, format range, and batch limits — including an honest take on where each one wins.

7 tools tested

6 evaluation criteria

Real Gmail threads, including attachments

Why this category exists

Gmail has no native bulk export to PDF. The built-in Print option handles a single thread at a time; Google Takeout produces an MBOX archive that no one outside of mail clients can read. For anyone who needs to convert dozens of email threads into shareable PDFs — invoice records for tax season, contracts for a deal close, correspondence for a legal matter — neither option works.

That gap created a small but real Chrome extension category. Most tools live inside Gmail as a floating button, let you tick the threads you want, and produce a PDF (or a ZIP of PDFs) in a few seconds. Where they differ is in how they handle your data — some process everything in your browser, others upload to a server first — and in what they charge for the convenience.

We're Switch Labs, the team behind ThreadPDF. We obviously have a horse in this race, and we've tried to keep the ranking below honest. Every tool gets a real “best for” and a real weakness. If a competitor is a better fit for your workflow, we've said so.

How we evaluated

Six criteria, weighted by what actually matters when you're moving email out of Gmail.

Price

Both the headline number and how it scales. A $12/mo tool sounds reasonable until you multiply by 10 seats.

Privacy model

On-device vs server-side. For legal, healthcare, and finance buyers, this isn't a preference — it's a procurement requirement.

Format range

PDF is the floor. HTML, plain text, and EML matter for searchable archives and downstream tooling.

Batch limits

Per-operation caps and free-tier conversion limits. A 100-email cap is fine for one-offs and frustrating for archives.

Free tier shape

Lifetime credits feel generous once, then expire. A recurring daily allowance keeps casual users on the free plan indefinitely.

In-Gmail UX

A floating button inside the Gmail interface beats a separate tab or app. All seven extensions land here, but the polish varies.

The ranking

Seven tools, ranked by who they're best for — not by who paid for the placement.

ThreadPDF for Gmail

by Switch Labs

Strengths

Cheapest paid plan in the category — roughly 2.5x less than cloudHQ.
Everything runs in your browser. Emails never touch a third-party server.
Free tier resets daily, so casual users rarely need to upgrade.
Exports PDF, HTML, and plain text, with optional attachment ZIP.

Honest weakness

Smaller user base than cloudHQ. Direct Google Drive save is not shipped yet.

Best for

Individuals, small teams, regulated industries, and anyone price-sensitive.

Install ThreadPDF — free

Save Emails as PDF

by cloudHQ

Best for enterprises already deployed on cloudHQ or teams that specifically need Box, Egnyte, or OneDrive integration.

Price

$149.90/user/year (~$12.49/mo)

Free tier

50 lifetime conversions per type

Privacy

Server-side processing

Formats

PDF, HTML, TXT, EML

Strengths

100,000+ users and 4.3 stars over 608 reviews. Mature, well-known product.
Five cloud destinations: Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Egnyte.
Feature-complete: merge-to-PDF, password protection, condensed mode, page-size control, EML export.
Enterprise admin tooling and Google Workspace domain install supported.

Honest weakness

Roughly 2.5x more expensive than ThreadPDF, and conversions happen on cloudHQ's servers — which can be a non-starter for regulated industries (legal, HIPAA, finance).

Best for

Enterprises with existing cloudHQ deployments and complex cloud-destination requirements.

View on Chrome Web Store

M2PDF

by M2PDF

Best for users who want a clean PDF-only workflow with a transparent free tier and no surprises.

Price

Pricing not publicly disclosed

Free tier

20 lifetime conversions, all features included

Privacy

On-device (browser)

Formats

PDF only

Strengths

On-device processing — emails never leave your machine.
20 free conversions is the most generous one-time free tier of the local-only tools.
Smart file naming and folder organization out of the box.
Clean, single-purpose interface — no distracting upsells.

Honest weakness

PDF only. If you also need HTML or TXT exports, this isn't the right tool. Paid pricing isn't disclosed on the listing — you have to install and hit the paywall to find out.

Best for

PDF-only workflows where simplicity and a generous-feeling free tier matter more than format range.

View on Chrome Web Store

Gmail Bulk Print Selected

by EngineIT

Best for print-first workflows and teams that want everything bundled in a dated ZIP archive.

Price

$7.99/mo

Free tier

10 lifetime uses

Privacy

On-device (appears local)

Formats

PDF, HTML (in ZIP), Print

Strengths

The dated ZIP export — one folder per thread, attachments in original formats — is genuinely clean for archive workflows.
Built-in bulk print path for teams whose final step is a physical printer.
Attachments saved in their original file formats alongside the email HTML/PDF.

Honest weakness

More expensive than ThreadPDF, no plain-text export, and the free tier is 10 lifetime uses — you'll hit the wall fast if you're evaluating it.

Best for

Accountants, bookkeepers, and operations teams whose end state is a printed file or a date-stamped archive folder.

View on Chrome Web Store

Save Emails from Gmail as PDF

by Independent

Solid free option for one-off use, with broad page-size support and a 50-email batch cap.

Price

Free / freemium

Free tier

Up to 50 emails per batch

Privacy

On-device (browser)

Formats

PDF

Strengths

Lightweight and full versions — strip images and attachments for smaller files, or include everything.
Wide page-size support (Letter, Legal, A0-A8, B0-B8).
Local processing; data stays in the browser.

Honest weakness

Less polished than the top three, fewer ongoing updates, and 50-per-batch will frustrate anyone with a real archive job.

Best for

Occasional users who need to archive a single batch and don't want to commit to a paid plan.

View on Chrome Web Store

Convert Gmail to PDF (locally)

by Independent

The closest ideological cousin to ThreadPDF — on-device, free, no paid tier. Good if you'll never need more than the basics.

Price

Free

Free tier

Free-only (no paid tier)

Privacy

On-device (browser)

Formats

PDF

Strengths

Genuinely free — no paywall, no upsell.
Local processing; aligns with the on-device privacy story.
Single-purpose: install, click, get a PDF.

Honest weakness

No paid tier means no roadmap pressure. Don't expect new features, support, or fast bug fixes. PDF-only.

Best for

Users who only need PDF, refuse to pay anything, and don't mind a thinner feature set.

View on Chrome Web Store

Save Emails and Attachments

by cloudHQ (Workspace add-on)

Best for Google Workspace administrators who need a domain-install rather than a per-user Chrome extension.

Price

Tied to cloudHQ subscription

Free tier

Limited (matches cloudHQ free tier)

Privacy

Server-side processing

Formats

PDF, HTML, attachments

Strengths

Installs from the Google Workspace Marketplace — works on mobile Gmail and inside the Gmail sidebar.
Domain Install lets admins push it to every user in the org with one click.
Same backend as cloudHQ's flagship extension, so feature parity is high.

Honest weakness

Inherits cloudHQ's server-side processing model and pricing. If on-device privacy matters, this isn't the right pick.

Best for

Workspace admins doing a domain rollout where a sidebar add-on is preferable to a browser extension.

View on Chrome Web Store

Which one should you actually use?

Pick the row that sounds like you.

If you need...

Pick

Why

Cheapest paid Gmail export plan

ThreadPDF

$4.99/mo, on-device, supports PDF, HTML, and TXT.

On-device privacy + a paid roadmap

ThreadPDF

Local processing, transparent pricing, and active development without routing email through a conversion server.

Most mature product, multiple cloud destinations

cloudHQ Save Emails as PDF

100K+ users, integrations with Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, and Egnyte.

PDF-only, no other formats, no extra knobs

M2PDF

PDF-focused with the cleanest minimum-viable interface.

Print-first workflow or dated ZIP archives

EngineIT Gmail Bulk Print Selected

Built specifically around print and dated ZIP exports.

Truly free, never need it again

Convert Gmail to PDF (locally)

Free, on-device, no paywall — but no roadmap either.

Google Workspace domain install

Save Emails and Attachments (cloudHQ add-on)

Domain Install via the Workspace Marketplace for org-wide rollout.

How and when we tested

Testing was performed on May 12, 2026 against a standard Gmail account containing threads with text-only messages, threads with multiple attachments (PDF, images, and Office documents), long reply chains, and labels with 100+ messages. Pricing, install counts, and ratings are public-listing snapshots and may change.

The ranking is based on the version of each extension we tested, with public store listings and vendor pages used for pricing and social-proof context.

ThreadPDF for Gmail Save Emails as PDF M2PDF Gmail Bulk Print Selected Save Emails from Gmail as PDF Convert Gmail to PDF (locally)Save Emails and Attachments

Why ThreadPDF leads the list

Three things compound to put it at #1 for most readers.

Cheapest paid plan

$4.99/mo or $49.99/yr. cloudHQ's effective monthly is roughly 2.5x higher. EngineIT is 1.6x higher. For a 10-person team, the cloudHQ delta is $900/year.

On-device, paid

One of the few paid tools in the category built around on-device processing. cloudHQ is server-side, while ThreadPDF keeps the conversion in the browser and publishes simple monthly and annual pricing.

Three output formats

PDF for sharing, HTML for web-friendly archives, plain text for grep-able backups. M2PDF and most free tools are PDF-only.

Where we lose: cloudHQ has 100,000+ users and a longer feature list. If direct Google Drive save or cloudHQ's broader destination list are dealbreakers, cloudHQ is the honest pick. For everyone else, the price and privacy story is the reason ThreadPDF leads this list.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Gmail-to-PDF Chrome extensions and how we ranked them.

Skip the tab-by-tab grind

ThreadPDF installs from the Chrome Web Store in one click, adds a button to your Gmail inbox, and converts your selected threads into PDFs without sending anything to a server. Free tier lets you export five threads a day, every day.

Install ThreadPDF — free See the full feature list

Free to install. No credit card required. Works with personal Gmail and Google Workspace.

Best Gmail-to-PDF Chrome Extensions in 2026

Why this category exists

How we evaluated

Price

Privacy model

Format range

Batch limits

Free tier shape

In-Gmail UX

The ranking

ThreadPDF for Gmail

Strengths

Honest weakness

Best for

Save Emails as PDF

Strengths

Honest weakness

Best for

M2PDF

Strengths

Honest weakness

Best for

Gmail Bulk Print Selected

Strengths

Honest weakness

Best for

Save Emails from Gmail as PDF

Strengths

Honest weakness

Best for

Convert Gmail to PDF (locally)

Strengths

Honest weakness

Best for

Save Emails and Attachments

Strengths

Honest weakness

Best for

Which one should you actually use?

How and when we tested

Why ThreadPDF leads the list

Cheapest paid plan

On-device, paid

Three output formats

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Gmail-to-PDF Chrome extension?

Why doesn't Gmail have a native bulk export feature?

Are Gmail-to-PDF extensions safe?

Which extension has the best free tier?

Can I export Gmail emails to PDF without any extension?

How did you rank these tools?

Is ThreadPDF biased because Switch Labs makes it?

Skip the tab-by-tab grind

Tell us what you're building and we'll get in touch fast