IMAP
What is IMAP? IMAP and POP3 email
IMAP, which stands for Internet Message Access Protocol, is a protocol used for sending and receiving emails. In other words, it’s used to access email hosted on a web server from a local email client.
The main advantage of the IMAP protocol is that email is managed directly on the server itself, meaning your messages always stay on the server and aren’t downloaded to your local device.
1. Differences between IMAP and POP3
IMAP and POP3 are the two most widely used protocols for setting up an email account, and both are compatible with modern email clients.
IMAP allows you to manage your email directly on the server, as messages will always remain there instead of being downloaded locally to the email client. IMAP enables access from multiple email clients, making it the best choice when accessing your email from different locations or if the same mailbox is going to be managed by more than one user.
In contrast to IMAP, the POP3 protocol downloads emails to your local computer and deletes them from the server. This allows users to read their messages even without an active server connection.
If you access your mailbox from different locations or devices, this won’t be the best choice. However, POP3 does reduce the server’s workload and saves storage space by downloading emails straight to the user’s client.
By default, the IMAP protocol works on ports 143 and 993. Port 143 is the default for unencrypted IMAP, while port 993 is used to connect to IMAP securely (encrypted).
By default, the POP3 protocol works on ports 110 and 995. Port 110 is the default for unencrypted POP3, whereas port 995 is used for secure POP3 connections (encrypted).
2. Advantages and disadvantages
Let’s break down the advantages and disadvantages of using IMAP and POP3.
IMAP
Advantages:
- Emails can be accessed simultaneously from any internet-connected device.
- It allows you to work directly on the email server. Any changes made are visible across all devices with access to the mailbox.
- If a device connected to the mailbox malfunctions, your emails aren’t lost since they are stored directly on the server.
Disadvantages:
- Since all emails are saved on the server, it’s much easier to run out of storage space.
- Any IMAP folders you create won’t be accessible from POP3 setups.
POP3
Advantages:
- The email server frees up space because messages are downloaded to your local device and deleted from the server.
- Users can access their email history on their local device even without an internet connection.
Disadvantages:
- Emails aren’t accessible from multiple devices. Sent emails can only be accessed locally.
- It consumes storage space on the local device where the emails are downloaded.
- Emails can be lost and become inaccessible if the local device breaks down.