First BTC buy: ~$5K DCA over 12 months is the plan. Help me understand where to start.

I’m ready to make my first bitcoin purchase. The plan is to dollar-cost average small amounts over the next year, up to about $5,000 total. I’ve done some initial research, but there are so many options that I’d appreciate input from people who’ve been through this.

Where I’ve landed so far:

• ETFs (IBIT/FBTC): Easiest and lowest effort. But I want to learn self-custody eventually, so I don’t want to rely only on ETFs.
• Kraken vs Coinbase: Kraken looks cheaper if you use Kraken Pro instead of the simple buy button. Coinbase has the stronger brand and regulatory profile though.
• Robinhood: Easy to use and it now allows BTC withdrawals, but crypto feels secondary for them
• River / Strike: Bitcoin-only apps that seem built for recurring buys and easy withdrawals to your own wallet. They’re probably the best fit for learning the wallet side. But credibility? Any other cons that I'm missing?
• Cash App: Very convenient and widely used. It only offers bitcoin, and it supports auto-invest and withdrawals. But I’m not sure how its fees and spreads compare for regular small buys.

Where I’d love input:

1. For small recurring buys, which platform has actually worked well for you in terms of fees, withdrawal holds and reliability?
2. Does the ETF + real BTC split make sense, or would you just go all-in on owning BTC directly?
3. Finally, how to choose among all these platforms?