Custom email domain, Yes? No? Cheapest alternative?

For sure, the minute I see a free email I take the person less seriously (sorry, but it's true!). Gsuite is great, it's pretty cheap and gives you everything you need.

Yes, definitely. GSuite is the best, I guess, I think Zoho might have a free solution.

I particularly like the Proton Suite although I'm not a heavy user of anything other than Email and Calendar.

iCloud+ allows 5 custom domains starting at just $1/month.

It's super easy to setup and works like a charm if you're an Apple user.

Thank you all for the tips