Email is very basic functionality that we have now a days.

We email data or media to someone for viewing it , and for doing this protocol needs to be used.

We use the mail server for mailing to someone or accessing our mails so we have three main protocols used in email  SMTP, POP, and IMAP

SMTP

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is the basic protocol used for sending e-mail efficiently and reliably over the internet.

• SMTP is the protocol that works on the application level.

• SMTP  is mainly conenction oriented protocol.

• SMTP is only text based protocol.

• It provides the exchange of messages over the TCP/IP network.

• SMTP also provides the notification functionality.

• When you send email it is first sent to the email server and then to the client or user.

• It consists of the sender and the receiver address along with the message body.

IMAP

IMAP stands for Internet Mail Access Protocol.

• IMAP provides the flexibility to manipulate/changing email messages without downloading it.

• The e-mail in this case is totally hold/stored by remote server.

• It enables us to do any action on the email like downloading deleting starring and saving to draft.

• IMAP enables users to provide searching in emails.

• It allows concurrent access to multiple mailboxes on multiple mail servers.

POP

POP stands for Post Office Protocol. It is generally used to support a single client.

• POP is an application layer internet standard protocol.

• Since POP supports offline access to the messages, thus requires less internet usage time.

• POP does not allow search facility.

• In order to access the messaged, it is necessary to download them.

• It allows only one mailbox to be created on server.

• It is not suitable for accessing non mail data.

• POP commands are generally abbreviated into codes of three or four letters.