Comment by input_sh

When you sign up for a Google account, there's a label called "use your existing email", which will give you everything Google usually offers minus Gmail.

Without Gmail, I have yet to stumble upon a single use case which would require me to pay a subscription. I can use Docs, join Meets, use my phone, have a YouTube channel, click on "sign in with Google" buttons... no subscription to Google necessary. I notice no differences between my completely-free personal account and a Workspace work account.

I pay $5 a month to Fastmail to have a custom domain in my email, best of both worlds for a third of the price!