What Is the Difference Between POP and IMAP?

When you set up Zealder Email in an email program such as Outlook or Thunderbird, you choose how to receive your messages — using a POP connection or an IMAP connection. IMAP is the recommended choice for most people, because it keeps your email and folders in sync across all your computers and mobile devices.

POP

With POP, new messages are downloaded to one computer and then removed from the server.

• Access: Your mail lives on that one computer, so you generally read it from there.
• Storage: You are limited only by your computer’s storage, not by server space.
• Backup: Keep your own backups in case messages are lost or deleted.

IMAP

With IMAP, your messages stay on the server and you manage them from any device.

• Access: Read and organize your email and folders from multiple computers and devices.
• Storage: Your mailbox has a storage limit, so you may occasionally need to clear out old messages.
• Sync: Your folders stay consistent everywhere you check your mail.

Tip: Some email programs store sent, draft, and trash messages locally by default. You may want to adjust your settings so these are saved in your online folders when using IMAP.