IMAP Insights | Sumble

What is IMAP?

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is an email protocol used for accessing email on a mail server. It allows users to access and manage their emails from multiple devices, with changes synchronized across all devices. Unlike POP3, IMAP typically leaves messages on the server until the user explicitly deletes them.

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What other technologies are related to IMAP?

IMAP Competitor Technologies

POP3

POP3 is an alternative protocol for retrieving emails from a mail server. It downloads emails and typically deletes them from the server, unlike IMAP which keeps emails on the server.

mentioned alongside IMAP in 55% (810) of relevant job posts

POP

POP (usually POP3) is an older protocol, like POP3, which is an alternative to IMAP for retrieving emails and differs in that it typically downloads and deletes emails from the server.

mentioned alongside IMAP in 40% (800) of relevant job posts

MAPI

MAPI is a Microsoft proprietary protocol used by Microsoft Outlook to access Exchange Server. It offers email, calendaring, and contact management services, similar to IMAP.

mentioned alongside IMAP in 28% (75) of relevant job posts

Exchange

Microsoft Exchange is a mail server, calendaring server, and contacts server. It can use its own protocols (like MAPI) which serve a similar purpose to IMAP.

mentioned alongside IMAP in 0% (324) of relevant job posts

IMAP Complementary Technologies

SMTP

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used for sending emails. IMAP is used for receiving emails, so SMTP complements IMAP.

mentioned alongside IMAP in 7% (2k) of relevant job posts

Dovecot

Dovecot is an open-source IMAP and POP3 server. It's a complementary technology as it provides the server-side implementation of the IMAP protocol.

mentioned alongside IMAP in 16% (90) of relevant job posts

Postfix

Postfix is a Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) that routes and delivers electronic mail. While Postfix handles sending emails (SMTP), IMAP is for retrieving emails, thus Postfix complements IMAP usage.

mentioned alongside IMAP in 6% (225) of relevant job posts