IMAP, POP3, and Exchange: An Explanation

POP (We don’t suggest this method in most cases)

When you check your email with a POP connection, new email messages are downloaded to your computer and are then deleted from the email server.

• Access: Since your email is stored on your computer, you must be at your computer to access your email.
  You can access your email from Outlook, Web Portal, Mobile Devices, or other email clients.

• Storage: You don’t need to worry about running out of online storage space. Since you’re downloading your emails to your computer, you can keep as many emails as your computer can store.

• Backup: You should implement an effective backup system for your computer, in case you need to retrieve lost or deleted emails.

• Internet Connection: You will need an Internet connection to download email, but you can view your downloaded email offline (i.e., without an Internet connection).

IMAP (Standard Email)

When you check your email with an IMAP connection, you are accessing and managing your email directly from the email server.

• Access: Since the emails are stored on the email server, you can access and manage your email and email folders from multiple computers or mobile devices.
  You can access your email from Outlook, Web Portal, Mobile Devices, or other email clients.

• Storage: If you have limited online storage space, you may need to delete some emails periodically to avoid exceeding your storage capacity.

• Backup: Email is automatically backed up every evening; so, if you accidentally delete an email, your email administrator can retrieve it—even up to 14 days later.

• Internet Connection: If you do not have an Internet connection, you cannot access your email. Though email that has been already downloaded and available in your computers cache can be viewed offline.

Note: By default, email software applications (e.g., Outlook, Thunderbird) store your sent, draft, and trash email on your computer, rather than storing it on the email server (as it should with an IMAP connection). You may need to make some adjustments to your email software setup so that sent, drafts, and trash email will be stored in your online Sent, Drafts, and Trash folders.

Important!Outlook 2007 and lower do not support IMAP very well. If you are using anything prior or including Outlook 2007, we recommend you upgrade to at least Outlook 2010 or even 2013 to gain full IMAP support.

Exchange

When you check your email with an EXCHANGE account, you are accessing and managing your email, contacts, calendar, todo list directly from the server. IMAP and POP are email only protocols.

• Access: Since the emails are stored on the email server, you can access and manage your email and email folders from multiple computers or mobile devices. You can also access and manage your contacts, calendar, and todos from any computer or mobile device that supports Exchange.
  You can access your email from Outlook, Web Portal, Mobile Devices, or other email clients.

• Storage: If you have limited online storage space, you may need to delete some emails periodically to avoid exceeding your storage capacity. However each account gets 100GB of space so you probably will have plenty of room.

• Backup: Email, Contacts, Calendar are all backed up daily and can be retrieved for upto 14 days. Deleted mailboxes can be retrieved upto 30 days.

• Internet Connection: If you do not have an Internet connection, you cannot access your email, contacts, and calendar. Though email, contacts, and calendar that has been already downloaded/synced with your device can be viewed offline without an Internet connection.

G-Suite (Gmail)

When you check your email with a G-Suite/Gmail account, you are accessing and managing your email directly from the server.

• Access: Since the emails are stored on the email server, you can access and manage your email and email folders from multiple computers or mobile devices. You can also access and manage your contacts, calendar, and todos from any computer or mobile device that supports G-Suite/Gmail.
  You can access your email from Outlook, Web Portal, Mobile Devices, or other email clients.

• Storage: G-Suite provides 1TB of storage for each user. Email and files are all allocated to this storage, so running out of email box space is quite difficult.

• Backup: Email, Contacts, Calendar, and files are stored with multiple copies on Googles servers and can be retrieved for upto 25 days. Third party backup solutions are also available at an additional cost.

• Internet Connection: If you do not have an Internet connection, you cannot access your email, contacts, and calendar. Though email, contacts, and calendar that has been already downloaded/synced with your device can be viewed offline without an Internet connection.