EDIT: Apologies for possibly breaking rule 7 ("avoid closed-source and centralized software"), as Atomic doesn't appear to be FOSS. I'd still appreciate any additional info that the community might have.
Atomic Mail is a relatively new (latter half of 2024) email provider, based in Estonia, that says it's privacy-focused and offers a ton of features for free — 10 email aliases, no ads or data mining, unlimited messages / storage, E2EE, expiring messages, no personal data (including phone number) required to sign up, zero-access messages etc., etc.
So of course I'm looking for the catch. From the "about us" page, I'm guessing the company will make its money via a freemium model ("We’re also expanding our offerings to include new tools and features that empower you to take control of your digital life. From secure file storage to encrypted messaging, we’re building a suite of privacy-focused solutions designed to keep you safe in an increasingly connected world.").
I searched this and the privacy subreddit (where I'll be cross-posting) but didn't find anything. Does anyone have experience with this provider? Does it raise any red flags apart from a general "too good to be true" suspicion?
I found it randomly claiming it's one of the most private email provider for free with no paid plans. It's really suspicious like how do big email providers have a pricetag for more complex features but they apparently have more secure features for free? Additionally my extensions (privacy budger, ghostery, ext.) detect a fair amount of trackers on their website. Plus their sites have buzzwords like crypto, blockchain, web3, ai stuff like that. Everywhere I searched it seems to be legit and they are gdpr compliant since they are based in Estonia but still I can't fully trust it.
Link: https://atomicmail.io
The service seems well polished, but I want to know what’s under the hood. Is this email provider trustworthy and privacy-oriented?
I also want to know if people have used this service before. If so, what was your experience? (If you choose to leave your experience, please also leave your verdict on wether or not Atomic Mail is private)
Thank you!
Edit: Thank you to everyone who replied! Here’s the gist of the comments as per this edit:
The encryption methods can either be bypassed in some way, or aren’t future-proofed enough compared to available alternatives.
They offer unlimited free storage, which is either a temporary loss-leader tactic or something more sinister
Overall, it’s either best to not use them at all, or possibly wait a few years to see if they turn out good.
Was really satisfied and sent over all my logins to this, no storage limit on my end. Fairly new software, from 2024. End to end encrypted as well, and I haven’t seen any issues with it yet. Strongly recommend!