Email provider suggestions?

RainbowsInTheSpray

My brother, who is even more IT ignorant than me, has been having enormous problems with Microsoft email accounts which, it seems, are insisting on ever more layers of verification and back-up phone numbers/alternative accounts, not to mention pushing sales and AI like there's no tomorrow

I've told him to walk away from them, as they deserve, and find another provider. I've suggested Tuta and Proton but those are all I know. Are there any other straightforward account name + password email providers out there who are 1.free and 2. reasonably easy to register with? Any suggestions gratefully received.

dnpark38

Well I've used google mail for as long as I can remember with no problems.

Frozen_up_north

Gmail from Google is straightforward if you don't mind Google knowing your business and passing details to 3rd parties. Tuta are much more private and based in Germany, Proton Mail is based in Switzerland and is the most secure and private email service I know.

They are all basically free.

RumRat

Email account @gmx : Register now ➤ Safe, easy & free | GMX

As easy and straightforward as you can get IMO

flaneurs_lobster

If all you do with your email account is exchange pleasantries with your friends and family then a "straightforward account name + password email" will be fine.

Tried Gmail? Or Yahoo?

Getting an account for free means you will have to put up with ads and marketing, don't want ads? - paid-for services are available.

If the email address is being used for anything more serious (banking, mobile account, insurance, benefits, HMRC, health service, Amazon etc) then I'd be looking for an email provider that has all the security that they can give me. Pretty much every identity fraud incident starts with the victim's email account being compromised.

My Microsoft email accounts are as secure as I can make them, and none of them have passwords.

EDIT : Email fraud reported on here this afternoon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6655607/email-scam-for-airbnb-vouchers-via-amazon

RainbowsInTheSpray

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81887160#Comment_81887160

I have heard that GMX has its problems with reliability.

debitcardmayhem

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81887203#Comment_81887203

Not in my circa 15years of use

mebu60

gmail would be my first suggestion.

I also use zohomail regularly though some sites object to the .eu suffix!

And I have a protonmail account which is there if required.

Neil_Jones

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6655616/email-provider-suggestions

I've had my Hotmail/Outlook account since 1998.
What "pushing sales" stuff would these be then?

As for the AI… what AI would that be then? Co-Pilot I believe isn't part of the free Outlook.com/Hotmail offering, its primarily for Microsoft 365 customers (and even then you can turn that off) - and I haven't anything of the sort waved at me on my Hotmail account.

As for verification and back-up numbers and security this is a double edged sword because people complain about them when they aren't available and the account gets taken over/lost, and then claim they are intrusive and a PITA when they are used. Can't win.

RumRat

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81887203#Comment_81887203

I've found it more reliable than Gmail over the many years I've been using it…..

Heedtheadvice

I keep telling folks about it...

So just a link to the home page this time, lots of info there https://mailfence.com/