“Free” means YOU are paying with YOUR INFO
Get the email your ISP provides. If you pay for internet service then you have an expectation of privacy with that email.
Apple email. I’ve been using it for years, started back when it was still @me.com. never paid a dime for it. Now it’s @icloud.com which still allows me to use my old @me address. Still free, never had any problems with it. since it’s Apple it’s pretty secure, at least I’ve never had any security issues with email.