What's the difference between POP3 and IMAP? Print

If you are hosting email with us, there are two ways to access email through an email client (eg. Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc.)

The two main types are POP3 and IMAP. Here are the differences:

 

POP3: This allows your email client to download email to your computer (and you can set the client to delete the emails off the server). This method downloads all email before it allows you to make changes or to delete them.

 

Pros:
-This method is good for if your server space is limited, you can conserve space by having your client download emails to your local computer's harddrive and purging the emails from the server.

-After that, you can disconnect from the internet and manage your email offline, and sync later when you have internet again. (Although many clients can do this with IMAP as well nowadays).

 

Cons:
-This method is only recommended if you have one device that connects to this mailbox.

 

IMAP: This allows your email client to connect directly to the server to manage your email. (If you delete an email in the email client, it will be deleted off the server directly).

 

Pros:
-As the emails are all stored on the server, you can connect multiple devices to the server and all messages will be synced on all devices.

 

Cons:
-Since email is stored on the server, if you have a small mailbox, and do not regularly manage/clean out your email, the space can be used up. (Although, to circumvent this, many email clients allow you to download or archive your email to your personal computer).

-Furthermore, if your internet connection is lost, you cannot retrieve email (although many clients do keep a copy just in case this happens).

 

Recommendations for either IMAP or POP3 will differ depending on what your purpose for managing your email services are.
Although for most people, IMAP works best.