How Do IMAP, POP, and Exchange Differ

Your email accounts can be set up in different email protocols. Email protocols determine how an email client handles your emails.  Email clients like Outlook, MacMail, among others ask for your preferred email protocol when you add your email account. You can only choose one email protocol per email client. Know the differences of each email protocol below.  

IMAP – Internet Message Access Protocol 

This email protocol is the safest to use if your email account is hosted with Vodien cPanel or basic email hosting and if you are using multiple devices.  

Pros:

• Synchronises emails across all devices and all email folders  
• Mirrors whatever emails are in the server  
• When you delete an email on one device, it deletes it everywhere else  

Cons:

• Consumes storage space from the server  
• Needs an internet connection to see the emails since it only caches the emails and does not download them. 

POP – Post Office Protocol  

This email protocol downloads the emails from the mail server to the email client or device. This is not advisable especially if you are using multiple devices for the same email address. The device where the email is first opened downloads the email and removes it from the mail server. Thus, the other devices can no longer see the email.  

Pros 

• Saves server storage space since the emails are deleted from the mail server  
• You can ensure that no other devices can see your email for security purposes  
• You can still view your emails without an internet connection since they are downloaded 

Cons  

• You lose your emails if the device gets lost or corrupted  
• You need to keep a backup of your emails from time to time  
• When you delete an email on one device, it doesn’t get deleted on the others  
• Your email client or device also downloads the malware sent to your Inbox if there is any 

EAS - Exchange ActiveSync 

This email protocol not only mirrors the emails from the mail server but it also includes contacts, calendars, and tasks. Exchange is the most suitable email protocol to use for Exchange mailboxes and Office 365. With this email protocol, you are reading your emails directly from the Exchange server.  

Pros  

• Synchronises emails across all devices and all email folders  
• Mirrors whatever emails are in the server  
• When you delete an email on one device, it deletes it everywhere else 
• Allows access of emails even if offline through Cached mode 

Cons  

•  Consumes storage space from the server  
• Needs an internet connection to see the new emails 
• Can only be used with email addresses whose hosting providers have Calendars and Contacts Server enabled. Unfortunately, this protocol cannot be used with Vodien basic email hosting.