I've had no trouble with Hotmail and Gmail. Hotmail lets more spam through but it puts in a folder which you can empty with one click (after you've made sure it really is spam). Gmail does the same, but either it lets less spam through or less gets sent to it in the first place.
Been with Hotmail since 1997, now its Outlook but much the same. It can be opened worldwide! Rarely have problems except occasional virus emails from contacts. Hotmail send codes by mobile txt to reset account. Excellent service, highly recommend.