IMAP and POP3 are two different methods (protocols) for downloading email from a mail server to your email client. Choosing the right one affects how your email syncs across devices and how much server storage you use.
When You Would Use This Guide
Read this before setting up an email client (Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, phone, etc.) so you can make the right choice for your situation.
Please note: Screens and options may vary slightly depending on your cPanel version and hosting plan.
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
IMAP keeps your email stored on the server and syncs it across all your devices.
How it works: When you read, delete, or move an email on your phone, that change is reflected on your computer, tablet, and webmail — and vice versa. Your mailbox looks the same everywhere.
Best for:
- People who check email on multiple devices (phone, laptop, tablet).
- Teams or situations where you need webmail access as a backup.
- Most users — this is the recommended option.
Things to be aware of:
- Email stays on the server, so it counts towards your mailbox quota. You'll need to manage your storage by deleting old emails or increasing your quota.
- Requires an internet connection to access your full mailbox (though most clients cache recent messages for offline viewing).
POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3)
POP3 downloads email to your device and can optionally remove it from the server.
How it works: Your email client connects to the server, downloads new messages to your device, and (depending on settings) deletes them from the server. Once downloaded, the email lives on that device only.
Best for:
- People who only check email on a single device.
- Situations where you want a local archive of all email and don't need server-side access.
- Accounts with very limited server storage — downloading and removing frees up space.
Things to be aware of:
- Email downloaded via POP3 is only on the device that downloaded it. If you check email on your phone via POP3, those messages won't appear on your laptop.
- If the device fails or is lost, emails that were removed from the server are gone unless you have a local backup.
- Sent emails are only stored on the device you sent them from.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | IMAP | POP3 | |---------|------|------| | Email stored on server | Yes | Optional (can be removed) | | Syncs across devices | Yes | No | | Uses server storage | Yes | Only if you leave copies on server | | Offline access | Limited (cached messages) | Full (all downloaded) | | Best for multiple devices | Yes | No | | Recommended for most users | Yes | Only for specific use cases |
Our Recommendation
Use IMAP unless you have a specific reason to use POP3. IMAP gives you the flexibility to access your email from anywhere, keeps everything in sync, and is the standard expected by modern email clients and mobile devices.
If server storage is a concern with IMAP, periodically archive old emails to a local folder in your email client, or increase your mailbox quota in cPanel.
Tips
- You can't easily switch between IMAP and POP3 on an existing account in your email client. It's best to choose the right protocol when you first set up the account.
- If you currently use POP3 and want to switch to IMAP, add the account again as IMAP in your email client, then drag emails from the old POP3 account to the new IMAP folders.
