29 June 2020

Difference Between SMTP and POP3

Both SMTP and POP3 are the message protocols that are required for sending and receiving the message between the mail servers. On the basis of nature and the task for which these protocols are designed, we can distinguish between them.

What is SMTP?

SMTP stands for simple mail transfer protocol. This type of protocol allows applications to transmit email messages over the internet. SMTP handles your own outgoing mail. Your email application connected to your mail server via SMTP and sends the message.

What is POP3?

POP3 stands for post office protocol revision 3. This protocol handles the receiving of an email message from your mail server. It is important to know that if you access your email account via POP3, once your message are download to your local computer, they are removed from the server. This makes it impractical if you would like to read your email in more than one place.

The main key difference between SMTP and POP3 are listed below:

  • SMTP stands for simple mail transfer protocol, While the POP3 stands for post office protocol version 3.
  • SMTP is used for sending messages, while POP3 is used for accessing messages.
  • The number of SMTPS is 25, The port number of POP is 110.
  • It is MTA for sending the message to the receiver, while in POP3 MAA for accessing the message from the mailbox.
  • SMTP is message transfer agent and POP3 is a message access agent.
  • SMTP is also known as PUSH protocol, POP3 is also known as the POP protocols.
  • SMTP transfer the mail from the sender's computer to the mailbox present on the receivers mail server, POP3 allows us to retrieve and organize mail from the mailbox on the receiver mail server to the receiver computer.
  • SMTP is also known as PUSH, POP3 also known as the POP protocol.
  • SMTP implied between the sender mail server and receiver mail server, While POP3 implied between receiver and receiver mail server.
  • SMTP is the protocol n general use at the moment, POP gives a basic standardized way for people to use their own mailbox and be able to download message to their own computers.
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