Getting AWAY from gmail

I'm migrating ALL my data away from google services and thought I'd finally found an acceptable email service. I used my gmail address to verify the zoho account, planning to delete the gmail after I'd decided to stick with zoho--and now they're linked. I can't sign into zoho separately. This is unacceptable. I thought I was signing up for an email service, not another way to access gmail. What a disappointment. Can zoho be used on its own? If so, how? If not, I'll be deleting my account.