Computer Help and Support

I've managed my own email server (and domain) for the last twenty years or so. I don't really recommend it. It's hard enough to arraign for pet-sitters when we go on vacation, but I've also had to think through how to remotely keep our email server running too (power and internet outages in the mountains are routine).

Without knowing a little about why gmail doesn't work for you, it's tough to guess what you might find acceptable.

E.g. for the last year or more I've been a happy customer of linode.com. If you're a linux hacker, you can bring up an email server (smtp and imap) pretty quickly and for $5/month it's a good deal.

If security is your primary concern, google 'secure mail servers' and you'll find several reviews of the top few sites. This one seems reasonable: https://itsfoss.com/secure-private-email-services/

One thing to be aware of is that some ISP's find it within their rights to block connections to email services (tcp ports for smtp). I.e. they think it's ok to try and force you to use their email. These problems can usually be gotten around, but it's something to be aware of when shopping for a mail provider.