---
title: "What’s the difference between IMAP and POP3?"  
description: "What’s the difference between IMAP and POP3?"  
author: "Sanjay Goenka"  
published: 2022-05-10  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97239/what-s-the-difference-between-imap-and-pop3  
category: "troubleshooting"  
tags: ["troubleshooting", "email"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# What’s the difference between IMAP and POP3?

What’s the [difference](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/5016/chia-vs-basil-seeds-what-s-the-difference) between [IMAP](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/99339/why-my-imap-gmail-is-not-responding-on-my-ipad) and POP3?

## Answers

### Answer by Hitesh Vohra

- **IMAP (Internet Access Message Protocol)** is a simple email protocol for maintaining and retrieving [**email**](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/96151/how-can-i-find-someone-s-username-on-reddit-using-their-email-address) messages from a receiving server.
- You will not be able to send email using the IMAP protocol because it deals with message retrieval. IMAP will be utilised instead to receive messages.
- **POP3** transfers email from a server to a specific machine before deleting it from the server. IMAP, on the other hand, saves the message to a server and syncs it across various devices.
- IMAP is one of the most widely used email protocols. IMAP keeps all of your mails in sync.
- Another method for getting email on a single device is POP3. Your email will be available offline and erased from the server if you use POP3.

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## Read More: [Which email is best?](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97238/which-email-is-best)


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97239/what-s-the-difference-between-imap-and-pop3

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