Updated: July 11, 2020 (October 2, 2000)
Charts & IllustrationsInstant Messaging Compared to Chat and E-Mail
| E-Mail (Exchange 2000 or SMTP) | Internet Relay Chat (IRC) | Instant Messaging | |
| Recipient must be online for sender to send message | No | No – messages are posted to a “room,” not to a user. However, IRC also supports a “whisper” feature that permits sending a message directly to a specific recipient in a room. | Yes |
| Sender can detect recipient is online | No | Yes (can only see who is connected to a virtual chat room) | Yes |
| Message is stored at final destination | Yes, until deleted | No | No |
| Server resources used | Medium | Low | Low |
| Can be used for immediate dialogue | Not reliably, cumbersome | Yes, if sender and recipient are connected to virtual chat room | Yes, if IM client is logged in |
| User gets receipt when message is read | Not with SMTP, optional with Exchange only | No | No |
| Security | High | Nil | High |
| Typical message length | Any length |
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