UserNest vs PCmover: which migration tool?

PCmover Professional is Laplink's main product. It moves applications, files, settings and user profiles from an old PC to a new one. Most applications arrive installed and ready to use, so you don't have to track down the original installation media. Laplink notes that some applications may require you to re-enter a licence code or reactivate them on the new PC.

PCmover is installed on both computers. The transfer runs over the network (Wi-Fi or wired), through a Laplink USB or Ethernet cable, over a Wi-Fi Direct connection, or through a transfer file saved to external media. It supports Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11, and the publisher states that nothing is modified on the old PC.

PCmover Express is the entry-level edition: it moves files, settings and user profiles, but not applications. Laplink offers it free of charge when the destination PC has an Intel Core Ultra processor, until February 28, 2027, under the conditions listed on its page.

UserNest is a Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) application that backs up a user's profile to a folder of your choice (external drive, USB stick or any other location), then restores it. There is no direct connection between the two PCs: the backup sits in between. No account or cloud service is needed, and your data stays on the storage you picked. You tick each item you want:

• User folders (Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, Downloads), folders pinned to Quick access, and Internet Explorer Favorites.
• Chrome, Edge and Brave (bookmarks, history, extensions, settings and profiles, caches excluded) and the full Firefox profile.
• Classic Outlook, from 2010 to Microsoft 365 (PST data files, Outlook profiles, signatures, AutoComplete), Thunderbird with its profiles, and personal Office files such as AutoCorrect lists or Word templates.
• Wallpaper, Sticky Notes, printers, saved Remote Desktop connections and any extra folder you add.

On restore, Outlook PST files return to the same relative location, the Outlook profile is re-imported and its PST and OST paths are updated automatically. Network printers are reconnected and the default printer is set again. A final report states whether the job completed cleanly or with errors, with access to the detailed log.

UserNest does not move installed applications or their licences: software has to be reinstalled on the new PC. Passwords saved in Chrome, Edge and Brave are encrypted for the original Windows account and cannot be read anywhere else: sync them with your browser account or export them from the browser's password manager before the migration. For Firefox, check them after the restore or use Firefox Sync.

"Not detailed on the product page" means that Laplink advertises moving applications, files and settings without going into each program, not that the item is left behind. For a specific program, check with Laplink.

With Laplink, one PCmover Professional licence covers a transfer from one old PC to one new PC, with unlimited attempts; each additional computer requires its own licence. The prices checked on October 26, 2026 are listed in the table above.

UserNest comes in two editions. The Consumer edition is a one-time purchase on Microsoft Store and updates automatically. The Pro edition, designed for technicians, managed service providers (MSPs) and IT departments, is a portable executable sold as a 12-month licence, either per counted seat (packs) or unlimited with the Technician offer. Prices are on the Pricing page, and a trial is available on the Pro version page.

For someone replacing a single computer, both tools come down to a one-off purchase. The difference shows when you migrate many machines: PCmover is counted transfer by transfer, UserNest Pro by seat pack or without limit for 12 months.

• You need your installed software on the new PC without reinstalling it program by program, for example because you no longer have the installers. This is PCmover Professional's key strength, and UserNest does not cover it.
• You prefer a direct transfer between the two computers, over the network, a cable or Wi-Fi Direct, without going through an external drive.
• The old PC still runs Windows 7, 8 or 8.1: PCmover supports them, whereas UserNest is designed for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11.
• You are migrating a single PC and want one wizard that carries over applications, files and settings in a single run.

• You are a technician, an MSP or an IT department migrating many machines: the Pro edition runs from a USB stick without installation, and its licence is counted by seat pack or without limit with the Technician offer.
• You are reinstalling Windows on the same PC: back up the profile to an external drive, reinstall, then restore. PCmover also offers a file-based transfer, but backing up to a drive is how UserNest normally works.
• You want to keep a backup of the profile on a drive: each backup is stored in a folder named after the user and the PC, and several profiles can sit side by side on the same drive.
• You want to choose exactly what goes across (folders, browsers, Outlook, Thunderbird, Sticky Notes, printers, Remote Desktop connections) and check the outcome with the report and the detailed log.
• Your software is easy to reinstall from each publisher's website: UserNest then puts the profile data back in place.

For personal use, the Microsoft Store version is available from the Download page. To migrate computers for clients or across a company, see the Pro version.