What are the Differences Between Email Accounts, Email Clients, and Email Service Providers?

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This article discusses the differences between email accounts, email clients, and email service providers.

An email client is an application that is used to access emails. Examples of email clients include Apple Mail, Gmail, Thunderbird, and Microsoft Outlook. The client provides the user interface (UI) that allows a user to read an email message.

An email account is a user's specific address – johnsmith@email.com – that the user accesses using the login credentials (username and password) in their client.

An email service provider is a service that provides the technology enabling the sending and receiving of email messages. Examples of email service providers include Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. The service provider uses an email server, which in effect functions as an electronic postal service. The server performs the actual sorting, routing, and delivery of messages to the intended destinations.  If the server is not operating, the messages will not be delivered.

In some instances, the email client and the email service provider are one and the same, as is the case with Gmail. However, this is not always the case.

The email client and the email service provider serve different functions. An example from the world of marketing illustrates this point. In the marketing realm, an email service provider serves as the entire suite of tools needed to run an email campaign. The client simply ensures that electronic messages can be communicated. 

Sometimes, the functions between the client and provider overlap. The email client typically has rules regarding email deletion (e.g., for how long will the email be stored), email archiving, and threading of emails. The provider may also have rules about deletion, archiving, and threading.  If the client rules and the service provider rules conflict, the provider rules typically take precedence.  

It is not uncommon for someone to use an email client on a device, to access service provider emails. Example: A user has an iPhone.  The user likes using the Apple mail app, (client)  so the user uses it to access emails stored in its email service provider account - their Gmail account (provider).  Other times, a user may use the same mail app (client)  and service provider.  For example, a user may install the Gmail app on their iPhone. Upon installation, the user may then access their Gmail account (service provider account). 

Not every email client provides an email address for users. Mozilla Thunderbird is an email client - an app that can run on a device. However, Thunderbird neither provides email addresses, nor service provider services (the “technology enabling the sending and receiving of email messages,” mentioned above).  Thunderbird can be used with an existing email address and email service provider, to send and receive email messages.