“Types of email” can mean different things: the kind of email account you use, how you open your mailbox, or the purpose of a message. There is no single fixed number that covers all three.
If you are choosing email for yourself or your business, start with two decisions: which address and service you need, and how you want to read and manage your messages.
Email types at a glance
An address or account
Examples: A provider-issued address or an address on your business domain
What the choice affects: The name people see and who provides the service
A way to access email
Examples: Webmail, an IMAP connection or a POP3 connection
What the choice affects: How you read, store and synchronise messages
A way to send email
Examples: SMTP when using a mail application
What the choice affects: How outgoing messages reach the mail service
A purpose for a message
Examples: Personal correspondence, business enquiries, receipts or newsletters
What the choice affects: What the message is for
These categories can be combined. A business-domain mailbox can be opened in webmail and in a compatible email application; a receipt or newsletter is a type of message, not a different mailbox protocol.
Provider-issued and business-domain email addresses
A provider-issued address uses the email service’s domain. A business-domain address uses a domain associated with your business, such as accounts@yourbusiness.co.za.
The address does not tell you whether the mailbox is configured with IMAP or POP3. Those are access methods, and availability depends on the service you use.
For free-account options, read our free email address guide. If you are deciding whether to use your own business name, see why a domain email address matters.
Webmail and email applications
Webmail lets you sign in to your mailbox through a web browser. An email application is software on a computer or phone that connects to a mail service. Examples include Outlook and Apple Mail.
These are not necessarily competing account types. You may use webmail on a borrowed computer and a compatible application on your own device to access the same mailbox.
IMAP and POP3: two ways to retrieve email
IMAP for a mailbox used across devices
IMAP lets a compatible application work with messages and folders on the mail server. It is generally the more practical option when you use the same mailbox on a phone and a computer, because changes such as read status and folder organisation can synchronise.
Applications may also keep local copies for offline use. Synchronisation is not an independent backup: changes or deletions can be reflected across connected devices.
POP3 for downloading messages to an application
POP3 downloads messages from the server to an email application. Whether a server copy remains depends on the application’s settings and the provider’s retention policy. Downloading a message does not invariably mean that it is immediately deleted from the server.
POP3 does not provide the same server-folder and read-status synchronisation as IMAP. Consider it when you deliberately want a download-based setup and understand where your mail is stored and backed up.
Where SMTP fits
SMTP handles outgoing mail. When an application uses IMAP or POP3 to retrieve messages, it commonly uses SMTP separately to send them. SMTP is therefore not a third alternative to IMAP or POP3 for reading your inbox.
Use the server names, authentication and encrypted-connection settings supplied for your own account. Do not copy an unrelated provider’s settings simply because it uses the same protocols.
Types of email messages
People also use “email types” to describe what a message does. Examples include:
- Personal correspondence: messages between individuals.
- Business correspondence: enquiries, quotations, project updates and support discussions.
- Transactional messages: receipts, order confirmations or password-reset messages triggered by an action.
- Marketing messages: newsletters, product announcements and promotional campaigns.
These are examples of purposes, not a universal numbered classification. Sending a newsletter does not turn an ordinary mailbox into a bulk-email platform; use a service suitable for the volume and task.
A practical business-email example
Consider an illustrative business using accounts@yourbusiness.co.za. The domain identifies the business. Staff might open that mailbox in webmail or connect a compatible phone and computer using IMAP. SMTP handles outgoing messages from their applications. An invoice sent from that address is business correspondence.
The address, access method and message purpose describe different parts of the same setup.
Which setup should you choose?
- If you need the same mailbox on several devices, consider IMAP where your provider supports it.
- If you mainly work in a browser, webmail may meet your access needs.
- If you choose POP3, check server-copy settings, existing local mail and backups before changing accounts or devices.
- If you want your business name in your address, choose a suitable domain and email-hosting service, then decide how to access the mailbox.
Rhino Hosting offers domain-based email without requiring a website hosting package. View the email-hosting service for the current offer and setup-request form. If you need help choosing an access method or moving an existing mailbox, contact Rhino Hosting before changing your setup.