POP vs IMAP

POP vs IMAP

If you have ever setup an email account on app than you have came across these terms POP and IMAP.But what they really means ?? How they effect your e-mail account ?? 

IMAP - Internet Message Access Protocol
POP- Post Office Protocol

POP was creted in 1984 as a means to download emails from remote server.IMAP was designed in 1986 to allow remote access to emails stored on a remote server.
Actually the main difference between them is that POP downloads emails from the server for permanent storage on the other hand IMAP leaves them on the server and just caches (temporarily stores) emails locally. In other words, IMAP is a form of cloud storage.

Working of POP   

• Connect to server
• Retrieve all mail
• Store locally as new mail
• Delete mail from server*
• Disconnect 

Working of  IMAP

• Connect to server
• Fetch user requested content and cache it locally, e.g. list of new mail, message summaries, or content of explicitly selected emails
• Process user edits, e.g. marking email as read, deleting email etc.
• Disconnect

What Are The Advantages Of POP?

Being the original protocol, POP follows the simplistic idea that only one client requires access to mail on the server and that mails are best stored locally. This leads to the following advantages:
Mail stored locally, i.e. always accessible, even without internet connection
Internet connection needed only for sending and receiving mail
Saves server storage space
Option to leave copy of mail on server
Consolidate multiple email accounts and servers into one inbox

What Are The Advantages Of IMAP? 

As mentioned in the introduction, IMAP was created to allow remote access to emails stored on a remote server. The idea was to allow multiple clients or users to manage the same inbox. So whether you log in from your home or your work computer, you will always see the same emails and folder structure since they are stored on the server and all changes you make to local copies are immediately synced to the server.

As a result, IMAP has the following advantages:
Mail stored on remote server, i.e. accessible from multiple different locations
Internet connection needed to access mail
Faster overview as only headers are downloaded until content is explicitly requested
Mail is automatically backed up if server is managed properly
Saves local storage space
Option to store mail locally

What should you choose ? ? 

It depends on your need .

Go with POP if

• you want to access your mail from only one single device
• you need constant access to your email, regardless of internet availability
• your server storage space is limited

Go with IMAP if

• you want to access your email from multiple different devices
• you have a reliable and constant internet connection
• you want to receive a quick overview of new emails or emails on the server
• your local storage space is limited
• you are worried about backing up

By above you can feel that you will go with IMAP because it is more modern protocol.Your emails are automatically backed up within server, space in not a big deal now days on servers.

                                                                                                                       Source:MUO
*If there is still any query Contact Us