Best Outlook Alternative

Due to PC crash & re-build I have had been without Outlook for a few months, and just can' get used to gmail, and non storing/filing of emails, I am thinking Thunderbird, but it seems OTT.

Please suggest best alternative to Outlook, for gmail IMAP emails, that also:
Will let me import .pst and/or ,ost archives
Import and/or synch contacts from google/gmail (but not to manage there)
Store/file emails in folders
Serach for emails
Hopefully free, and remain so
Export emails if moving to another program in the future
NOTE: that i don't have outlook at present, but do have old archive to import.

 

Sadly you cannot import Outlook.pst files in current versions of Thunderbird, great email client that it is.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Import_.pst_files

However gmail IMAP works perfectly in Thunderbird.

 

If you mean Microsoft Office OUTLOOK - that is a mail program. Gmail is an email PROVIDER - two totally different things.
Windows 10 has its own free mail program that you can use, (that may well allow import of .pst which you can research easily) just like many many others like Thunderbird, which isn't 'OTT' at all, it is exactly the same as Outlook - almost exactly the same features - but you cannot import a .pst file.

 

As far as I can see Max there is no import facility in Mail in Win 10.

 

Ok, best option seems to be (from link provided above), try to import into temporary version of Outlook, then transfer into......Thunderbird.