POP3
Pros
Cons
- Easy to setup
- Widely used
- Emails download to one location
Cons
- Emails can only be downloaded on one device
- Messages do not sync
- No contact or calender syncing
IMAP
Pros
Cons
- Emails can be downloaded on multiple devices
- Data syncs between devices
- Easy to use
Cons
- More processing power
- Not supported by all mail services
- Storage issues can arise with the data being stored on the server
Exchange
Pros
Cons
- Emails can be edited or un-sent to accounts hosted by the exchange server
- Majority of email clients support exchange
- Contacts, calenders and message sync between clients
Cons
- Difficult to setup
- Expensive to maintain
- Owner of exchange server can view emails and control devices connected to the network