Difference Between Email and Webmail

Table of Contents

Main Difference

Email and Webmail are the services on internet, which are used for sending and receiving of emails. The confusing is that if the functions of both are same, then why there are two different terms? The fact is that although both are associated with the task of electronic mail communication, but yet the differences arises on how they perform their functions. Look down for the brief introduction of email and webmail before analyzing the difference.

What is Email?

Email is an electronic or digital message, in shape of text, documents, images and files, which is communicated to other users via internet. Email service is being used since 1993 in different forms. In past it was necessary for both the sender and recipient to be online at the same time for the purpose of sending and receiving the email. Latest email system are entirely different from the past. You can store and forward the email anytime. The system which controls the email system is called email server, which is assigned with the task of storing, receiving and forwarding of messages. It is not required for both the sender and recipient to be online at the same time. With the invention of email system, the cost of carrying on the important messages has been reduced. In fact, there is no cost of email. The cost is just of having an internet connection.

What is Webmail?

Webmail is an application, server or email client which is used for the carrying of email through a web server. Outlook, Gmail and Yahoo are some common examples of webmail providers. The main advantage of webmail is that now you can send, receive, make folders, reply, forwards, filter and store the emails anytime from a web browser by having an internet connection. All you need is just an user account and password of any webmail service prescribed above. All the records of your emails remain saved from whatever ISP you used the webmail account. Most advance functions of webmail is that it saved the all record of your emails without allowing for downloading. This enhances the feature of accessing the account anytime from anywhere. With the multiple advantages of webmail, there is a great disadvantage of webmail is that because mostly webmail server belongs to USA, so according to Patriot Act of USA these services are bound to provide the all record on demand.

Key Differences

  • First difference is about the accessibility. Email programs gives the options of sending and receiving the email without any web browser. While webmail always required a web browser to perform its functions.
  • In email program system you can download the record of emails while there is no such feature available by webmail.
  • Webmail is a wider term than email because without having webmail or email client program you cannot send and receives the message.
  • Virus can be easily inserted in an email but today with latest functional webmail servers it becomes difficult to carry on these kinds of emails. Webmail scans the email while uploading it and reduce the chances for transmission of a corrupt email.
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