You could have best of both worlds: Hook up a private domain to GSuite. If Gmail starts sucking the next 30 years you can move it to the next best thing :)
GSuite isn't free anymore for most though (only for grandfathered in domains). For some the cost is negligible, but it depends.
But ya for me the piece of mind is worth it. The serious risk, as you allude, is probably not gmail disappearing, it's gmail getting worse in any number of ways.
But ya for me the piece of mind is worth it. The serious risk, as you allude, is probably not gmail disappearing, it's gmail getting worse in any number of ways.