The easiest way to have control of your email is probably to buy a domain name (such as example.com) and then use this on an account from an independent email provider.
If you're ever unhappy with a provider, you can switch to a different one without changing your email address because the domain still belongs to you.
There are lots of independent email providers, all of them let you use your own domain. For example @Tutanota, @fastmail and @protonmail are very popular.
Good point.
Some services support importing emails, but not all. It would be something to check when deciding on a provider.
For example @fastmail supports importing old emails:
https://www.fastmail.help/hc/en-us/articles/360058753594-Import-your-mail
@homegrown @jawnsy @fastmail
Agreed, don't host your own SMTP server: get the experts (e.g. @beasts) to do that.
But nothing prevents you running your own IMAP server as a homegrown email archive. Strictly speaking IMAPS, as I use dovecote with a Let's Encrypt certificate.
An email client like @thunderbird lets you create IMAP profiles for your old account, your new one and your home archive. You can then move your existing email between them as required.
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Jonathan Yu
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