Javax.mail vs jakarta.mail

javax.mail and jakarta.mail are both Java APIs for sending and receiving email, but they have a significant difference in their origins and compatibility.

javax.mail

javax.mail is a Java API for sending and receiving email, introduced in Java 1.4 (2002). It is part of the Java Standard Edition (SE) and is included in the Java Development Kit (JDK). The API provides a simple and easy-to-use interface for sending and receiving email, including support for SMTP, POP3, and IMAP protocols.

jakarta.mail

jakarta.mail is a Java API for sending and receiving email, introduced in 2001 as part of the Jakarta Project, an open-source project that aimed to provide a set of Java-based APIs for web development. The jakarta.mail API was designed to be a more comprehensive and flexible alternative to javax.mail. It provides additional features, such as support for SSL/TLS encryption, MIME messages, and internationalized email addresses.

Key differences

Here are the main differences between javax.mail and jakarta.mail:

  1. Origin: javax.mail is part of the Java Standard Edition (SE), while jakarta.mail is an open-source project.
  2. Compatibility: javax.mail is included in the JDK and is compatible with all Java platforms, while jakarta.mail is not included in the JDK and requires a separate download and installation.
  3. Features: jakarta.mail provides additional features, such as SSL/TLS encryption, MIME messages, and internationalized email addresses, which are not available in javax.mail.
  4. Namespace: javax.mail uses the javax.mail namespace, while jakarta.mail uses the jakarta.mail namespace.

Conclusion

In summary, javax.mail is a part of the Java Standard Edition (SE) and provides a simple and easy-to-use interface for sending and receiving email. jakarta.mail is an open-source project that provides additional features and is not included in the JDK. If you need to send and receive email in a Java application, you can use either javax.mail or jakarta.mail, depending on your specific requirements and compatibility constraints.