POP3, IMAP or Microsoft Exchange, which one is better?

pop-imap-exchange

POP3

POP3 or POP (Post Office Protocol) was the first major email protocol that garnered universal adoption when the Internet became pervasive in the 1990s. A POP based email service is simple, by default your email client connects to the mail server, download the emails to the computer and delete the emails from the server, unless you configure to leave the messages on the server.

PROS:

  • Cheap and most of the time no licenses required.
  • Universal adoption, supported by virtually all devices.

CONS:

  • When a message is downloaded, it is removed from the server (if you save messages to the server, you may end up downloading the same email multiple times).
  • When a message is sent, there is no server copy.
  • If you access your mail on different devices, you’ll see different emails depending on what was downloaded to which device.
  • More susceptible to viruses via attachments due to local messages and the protocol
  • No way to organize your folders
  • Largely obsolete, hasn’t had a major update since 1988.

SHOULD I USE POP/POP3?

No, you should use IMAP or even better Exchange/Mapi.

 

 

IMAP

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) It has all the functions of POP3, but also has one major benefit that matters to most users: email syncing between multiple devices. This allows you to have the same email experience between devices because all your email (incoming and outgoing) are stored directly on the server, rather than downloaded directly to your computer. For this reason, IMAP supplanted POP3 and has largely made it obsolete. If you use Gmail, you’re using IMAP.

PROS:

  • Cheap or no licenses required.
  • Universal adoption, supported by virtually all devices.
  • Compatibility, if your server supports IMAP, it most likely supports POP3.

CONS:

  • Folders on the server can get duplicated if not set up properly.
  • Easy to run out of inbox space if you never delete emails or have small storage.
  • Mail is only on the server side, your email client doesn’t store local copies, so if you are not connected you have no email.

SHOULD I USE IMAP?

As a POP3 replacement maybe, but better to use Exchange/Mapi, if you use IMAP remember to keep local archives/copies and good backups.

 

Microsoft Exchange

Microsoft Exchange / Microsoft Office 365 is a proprietary platform developed by Microsoft. It requires the purchase of user or server licenses. Traditionally, it has been marketed to the Enterprise-level consumer and offers all the functionality of IMAP but also has other features to help businesses and organizations better collaborate among employees and staff.

Features such as shared address books & calendars, shared file storage, and native integration with other Microsoft products like SharePoint and Office. Microsoft Office 365 – a relatively new offering – competes directly with Google Apps for Business – and is geared to make Enterprise-level functionality found in Exchange more cost-effective for small to medium-sized businesses.

PROS:

  • Email syncing: instead of downloading an email, a copy is created on your device while the original stays on the server.
  • Folder support to organize emails.
  • Sent messages are saved on the server.
  • Native integration with most Microsoft products.
  • Offers many collaborative tools to enable team members to share resources like calendars and documents.
  • Licenses can be purchased per-user or per-server to help scale cost.

CONS:

  • More expensive, licenses required.
  • Upgrades aren’t free on Exchange: Microsoft releases a new version every 1 to 3 years and requires you to purchase new licenses to use it. You can avoid this by purchasing Microsoft Office 365 accounts instead which is a hosted email solution can include licenses for the software, office package and the provider is responsible for the server upgrades and maintenance

WHO SHOULD USE MICROSOFT EXCHANGE

  • Companies who want more features and control  of their email server.
  • Those working in a team environment and require collaborative tools such as shared contacts and calendars, shared file storage, use many other Microsoft products.
  • Organizations with the expertise to manage and maintain the email infrastructure or a reliable technical support company.

SHOULD I USE MICROSOFT OFFICE 365?

  • If you want the benefits and functionality of Exchange server, but a more simple, streamlined experience.
  • Avoid the licensing costs of full Exchange server infrastructure and only want to pay on a per-user basis.

ITGLOBAL offers managed services for our clients for all email service platforms, including Microsoft Exchange server or Microsoft Office 365. We offers email redundancy, as well as real-time backups, email deletion recovery, best-in-class 3-layer spam, malware, and virus protection.

 

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