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What are the differences between IMAP and POP3?

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and POP3 (Post Office Protocol - Version 3) are both protocols which define how your emails are being delivered to its intended recipient through the internet. They differ in a few crucial details. This article intends to give a brief overview of the main features of each protocol so that you can quickly and easily determine which is the right one for you.

IMAP

Using IMAP will keep your messages synchronised between your server and your devices. All messages will be kept on the server until you delete them on your device or inside the online web access (Webmail).

Pro

  • Ideal if you would like to use multiple devices for email messaging (e.g. smartphone, desktop computer, tablet etc.)
  • In case you lose access to your device you may still access and keep your messages through the use of other devices and/or webmail.
  • All messages and folders automatically synchronise between devices.

Contra

  • Uses more memory space on the server than POP3 does.

POP3

Using POP3 will download the message directly to the harddrive on the device that is connected to the mail server. Unlike IMAP, the default behaviour of POP3 is to not keep a copy of your messages on the server. Thus they will be deleted.

Pro

  • Uses less memory space on the server than IMAP does.

Contra

  • Should you lose access to your device (theft, damage, malware etc.) all messages and other data will be lost unless you have made a backup on another device.
  • Unsuited for use on multiple devices. Does not synchronise between devices.
  • This means that each message will only be kept on a single device. Accessing your mail account through different hardware will inevitably lead to a inconsistent experience.

Recommendation

For most average users of email services we recommend using the IMAP protocol. Nowadays, memory capacity on servers is highly abundant. This way, any concern about of overusage of available memory space is negible.

If you are using multiple devices to access your emails, we highly recommend using IMAP over POP3 as your mail protocol of choice.