Difference between POP and IMAP

Post Office Protocol (POP):


- Best of you use only one computer to check email (Office users)
- Downloads your email to the particular computer you are checking it on.

- Allows you to keep a large size of email messages only limited by the size of your computer.

- Does not have web interface

- New messages are downloaded in their entirety ; you have to wait for the message to download.

- Clients connect to email server only for the time it takes to download any new messages. 

- Assumes that the currently connected client is the only client connected to the mailbox.

- Simple protocol and easy to configure.

- Less server loads and less costs for ISP and end users.

- Searching through mailbox does not depend on mail server resources.

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Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP):

  - Best if you use many different computers to check your email (mobile users)

- Your mail is always on the server

- You are limited by your mailbox size quota for how many messages you keep, although you can archive old messages and save them onto your computer manually.

- New message headers are downloaded so you see all your mail faster, the messages you want to read is not downloaded to your computer until you click on it.

- Users stays connected till the user interface is active.

- Allows simultaneous access by many users to the mail box.

- Protocol is complicated for both client and server implementation and more difficult and prone to error than POP3

- Higher server loads and higher costs for ISP and end users.

- Searching through mail boxes utilizes a lot of server resources.