While it can save you some money, it may have hidden costs as well. For people who travel a lot and need to communicate from remote areas, free e-mail is definitely handy. You can have as many identities or accounts as you want. There are thousands of free e-mails suppliers to choose from, many offering custom features. There are free Internet service providers, however, such as Netzero, Lycos, AvantGo, Excite and many others.
Free accounts are usually slower and less reliable than standard commercial accounts.
E-mails can take hours to arrive to destination and they might even get lost. Last August, Microsoft temporarily shut down its free Hotmail e-mail system after the discovery of a security flaw left millions of accounts vulnerable to unauthorized access. By using a free e-mail, you might be more exposed to security risks. If it is free, it's because the provider relies on advertisements. And in many cases, the e-mail user has to submit details about his life and buying habits in order to register.