Comparing IMAPS and POPS

Email programs can use the POPS or IMAPS protocols to manage your Netinfo/Interchange mail - both are equally secure. However, each protocol has certain advantages and disadvantages.

Secure IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)

IMAPS keeps all of your email messages and folders on the server. You can easily switch between different computers and myUBC Webmail - you are managing the same messages and folders from all locations. And because your mail messages remain on the server, you will not lose important email if your computer fails.

Secure POP (Post Office Protocol)

POPS stores all of your mail messages and folders on the computer you are using. This provides fast access to your messages, and they are always available - even if you are offline. However, if you use multiple computers, your messages and mail folders will vary from machine to machine. You also risk losing your email if your computer suffers from a disk drive failure.

POPS vs. IMAPS Summary

	IMAPS	POPS
Messages are stored on the server	Yes	No
My messages are restricted by a quota	Yes	Yes *
Email can be access from many locations	Yes	No
Must be connected to the internet to read messages	Yes	No **
Mailbox folder structure is always the same, even on different computers	Yes	No
Messages are unavailable/lost if your computer fails	No	Yes
* For POPS the quota still applies to all messages left on the server. No quota applies to messages which have been downloaded to your computer.
** Some email clients can be configured to support IMAPS in offline mode.

POPS and IMAPS are functionally equivalent to POP and IMAP - differing only in their use of secure communications (much like HTTPS and HTTP for web communications).

For a more detailed comparison, read Comparing Two Approaches to Remote Mailbox Access: IMAP vs. POP .

Recommendations

Use the following guidelines to help determine if POPS or IMAPS will work best for you:

Use IMAPS if... You mostly check and manage your mail from different computers and locations You want access to all of the folders and messages kept on the server from those locations You can comfortably manage your email within the available server quotas (200mb for Interchange, 120mb for Netinfo) or can purchase more quota to accommodate your server storage needs.

Use POPS if... You primarily use one host (e.g. your office computer) for reading/responding to email. You only occasionally check for new messages in your inbox from other locations. You frequently receive large messages or large numbers of messages that would quickly fill your mailbox quota on the server.