Email Clients vs Webmail Before we explain the different protocols used to download emails, let’s take a few minutes to understand the simpler stuff—the difference between email clients and webmail.If you’ve ever started a Gmail, Outlook.com, or other online email account, you’ve used webmail. POP3 also doesn't support public folder access. In the networking arena, there have been many conflicting protocol suites. Both POP3 and IMAP are protocols used between mail clients and email servers to access messages.

POP3 and IMAP are 2 different methods used to access mail from a third-party email client or software. As the name suggests, it allows you to use your email inbox like a post office – emails are downloaded onto your computer and removed from the mail server.
Email servers across the Internet use protocols for sending and retrieving emails. POP3 can't synchronize multiple folders on the email server with multiple folders on the client computer. On the other hand, SMTP is used for sending emails. POP3 stands for Post Office Protocol. Each method downloads email data from AOL to your device or software, however, they differ in where the emails are stored. SNMP vs SMTP . Sending emails still requires separate configuration of SMTP services. Every email service listens to a specific port to deliver services.

IMAP, POP3 vs SMTP. IMAP and POP are used to read mails from a remote server. IMAP is more advanced protocol than POP3. However, as of now, TCP / IP is the most used protocol stack in the world.

SMTP’s shortcomings, have given rise not only to spam, but a host of other more malicious enterprises, such as virus transfers. Depending on your personal requirements and preferences, you can narrow down your choice: If you only need to access your Inbox from a limited number of devices, POP3 is a good choice.

IMAP4 clients are much more flexible and generally offer more features than POP3 clients.

IMAP, POP3 and SMTP are three different protocols that are used to deal with emails. In this tutorial, you’ll learn most commonly used Email protocols and port numbers such as POP3, IMAP and SMTP on the Internet for email services. If a program can search an inbox and send a virus as an attachment to everyone on a certain person’s contact list, using that person’s name, it is more likely to be opened by the recipient, who trusts the person they think it is coming from. These protocols allow people to use programs like Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail and mobile devices to manage their email. When accessing your emails using the POP3 protocol, a copy of the emails is created and stored locally on your computer. Review the differences and choose the protocol that's right for your needs. POP3 client programs download messages to a single folder on the client computer (typically, the Inbox). Which protocol should I use: POP3 vs IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync? POP3 explained.