Not all e-mail providers are created equal. Free e-mail providers like Gmail and Outlook make their money off of selling your personal data. So what options are there if you want to keep your data private and ensure your email stays secure?
ProtonMail
Protonmail describes their service as, “…the world’s largest secure email service, developed by CERN and MIT scientists. We are open source and protected by Swiss privacy laws.”
Features:
– Data security and neutrality.
– End-to-End encryption; even ProtonMail themselves cannot access your e-mail.
– Built-in GPG e-mail encryption support.
– Calendar and encrypted cloud storage.
– Mobile clients for iOS and Android.
– “Secure bridge” software for use with desktop e-mail clients.
Tutanota
Tutanota is an end-to-end encrypted e-mail software service headquartered in Germany. Rather than relying on advertisements they rely solely on donations and premium subscriptions.
Features:
– End-to-end encryption for e-mail sent between tutanota e-mail addresses.
– Calendar and contact list support.
– Mobile and desktop e-mail clients.
– Business domain e-mail hosting.
Lavabit
Lavabit is the e-mail provider of choice for the (in)famous Edward Snowden. As the other providers listed here they offer end-to-end encryption and is dedicated to e-mail privacy.
Features:
– Comprehensive spam and virus filtering.
– Consumer and corporate e-mail hosting.
– Open source software to host your own e-mail server.
Temporary E-Mail Services
Sometimes you may encounter services where you don’t wish to provide your personal e-mail, whether to avoid spam, by-pass a sign-up wall to access an article or document, or sign-up for a temporary free-trial subscription without providing personal information. This is already a built-in feature to Apple’s iOS known as “hide-my-email” that you can utilize on Apple products, but there are also web-based alternatives.
TempMail
Temp Mail provides temporary, secure, anonymous, free, disposable email address, that self-destructs after after a set time period.
Features:
– Randomized or customized e-mail address.
– Private and secure e-mail box.
– Premium service with additional features.
TempMail
Email On Deck is another service that offers temporary, disposable, email accounts. The accounts they offer are more time limited in their lifespan than TempMail, but can be recovered if necessary.
Features:
– Randomized or customized e-mail address.
– Paid subscription payable with bitcoin.
– “Pro” paid subscriptions allow for both receiving and sending e-mails anonymously.