IMAP or POP: which should you choose?
What's it about?
IMAP and POP (often called POP3) are both protocols: agreements by which a mail program fetches your messages from the server. At first glance they do the same thing, but they handle where your mail lives very differently.
- IMAP keeps your messages on the server and shows them to every device you link. If you read a mail on your phone, it also shows as read on your laptop. More in what is IMAP.
- POP downloads your messages to the device you fetch with, and by default removes them from the server. The mail then lives locally, on that one device. More in what is POP3.
The third protocol, SMTP, stands apart from this: that's for sending mail, not for fetching it.
IMAP vs POP at a glance
| IMAP | POP | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your mail is | on the server, synchronized | on one device, locally |
| Multiple devices | yes, the same view everywhere | tricky: each device separately |
| Read/deleted | syncs everywhere | only on that device |
| Storage on the server | uses your server space | keeps the server empty |
| Reading offline | recent mail available | all fetched mail locally |
| Backup | the server (and the hosting backups) | you, on your own device |
When do you choose what?
- You email on multiple devices (phone, laptop, occasionally webmail): choose IMAP. Your folder and read status stays the same everywhere, and if you lose a device, your mail is still safe on the server.
- You use only one fixed device and want to keep everything locally, for example to save server space or to have a full archive offline: then POP can fit. Bear in mind that you take care of backups yourself, because once POP fetches the mail from the server, that copy is the only one.
- You're unsure: take IMAP. For most people that's the simplest, safest choice, and you can switch devices without hassle.
A common mistake is setting up POP on multiple devices. Then messages disappear "randomly" from one device because another already fetched them. Anyone who emails on more than one device is simply better off with IMAP.
Our advice
Choose IMAP, unless you have a distinct reason for POP. IMAP fits how people work today: you start a mail on your phone and finish it on your laptop, and webmail shows exactly the same thing. Your messages are safe on the server, with backups, and you're not dependent on a single device.
If you want to set up a mail program, you need the right server addresses and ports. You'll find those in the IMAP and server settings. Rather no settings at all? Then webmail is simplest: log in and email, without configuring anything.
In short
- IMAP keeps your mail on the server and syncs everything; POP fetches it to a single device.
- For multiple devices: IMAP. For one fixed device with a local archive: possibly POP.
- When in doubt, IMAP is the safest, simplest choice.
With Mailflux both work: every plan supports POP, IMAP and SMTP, and you also have webmail that works right away on any device via webmail.mailflux.eu. That way you email on your own domain however it suits you. Want to know what that looks like in practice? Then read email on your own domain.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between IMAP and POP?
IMAP keeps your messages on the server and synchronizes them with all your devices, so you see the same thing everywhere. POP fetches your messages to a single device and usually removes them from the server. So IMAP is made for multiple devices; POP for keeping locally in one place.
Is IMAP or POP better for multiple devices?
IMAP. Because your mail stays on the server, you see the same inbox on your phone, laptop and in webmail, with the same read and folder status. POP fetches the mail to a single device, so messages may be missing on your other devices.
Can I switch from POP to IMAP later?
Yes. You set up your account again with IMAP instead of POP. Mail that POP already fetched locally is on that device; new messages then stay neatly on the server and synchronize across all your devices. When in doubt, start with IMAP right away.