If you know there are options, it is easy to switch. So, first, I set out to find the type of services which provide me with options.While I can never be anonymous on the internet, I can share fewer details about me and my data with the services I use.I would say both free and premium options justify their use-cases to replace Gmail and Google Calendar for me.📋And, finally, giving open source a better chance.
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Why The Move Away From Google’s Ecosystem?
With the options mentioned above, I might have reduced my Google-centric usage by 70%, but it is not a 100% yet. I hope to reach that mark some day.Here, the relevant service to use with the email is Proton Calendar:If you want to switch away to get better privacy, you can try Brave, Mullvad, or LibreWolf (a hardened version of Firefox).Without a surprise, the first reason for the switch is privacy.I would love to know about your plans to do the same. Are you on the same boat with me? Have any other plans? Let me know in the comments below!The goal is not to aimlessly move away from Google, but pick meaningful alternatives. So, with the above-mentioned categories in mind, I tell you about the best options that I use along with some suggestions for you.Next up is tough, a replacement for Google Photos.
Email + Calendar: Proton Mail
However, there are better (and lighter) Google Analytics alternatives out there that respect the privacy of your visitors/customers, and still give you plenty of useful insights.While I believe their products require no introduction, as a formality, I should mention some of them as Gmail, YouTube, Google Chrome, Google Drive, Google Search, Google Photos, and Google Gemini.Finally, we need a replacement for Google Maps?
So, choosing a document suite, map, and photo/video platform to replace Google services will be an inconvenient endeavor.You can also try some privacy-focused search engines like Ecosia, Startpage, and searx.For me, I have been using Proton Mail since its early days. So, it makes sense to stick with it, along with the potential of using Proton’s other services (which we will also touch upon as you read on).
Cloud Storage
You can try open source alternatives like Organic Maps (for Android phones), and OpenStreetMap (web-based). However, it may not give you the same details and experience. Considering I am an Android user, and prioritize my convenience, I have been using Google services for a long time now.Now that we know what kind of alternatives we need, I just need to narrow down the options that are capable enough.
AI Chatbot
I just set up Ollama to use one of the best open source LLMs and a web UI to easily access it without the terminal.Google Chrome holds more than 65% of the market share as per Statista.
As much as we could hate Google, I can never object to its usefulness and integration capabilities with every car out there.
Video Conference
For more options, you can refer to our article as well:
📋And, for my work at It’s FOSS, we have a visionary (paid) account, so we get more storage, and all the perks of premium Proton services available.
Website Analytics
You can opt for Jitsi Meet if you want enhanced security and privacy. It is open source, and end-to-end encrypted. If needed, you can self-host it to meet your custom requirements.Sure, it is one of the most convenient options. However, it does not offer good privacy protection features.A replacement to Google Gemini? That’s easy.
Web Browser
Before I tell you my strategy to make the move to alternative options, let me tell you why.Considering I already use Proton Mail (and its calendar), it is a no-brainer choice to go with Proton Drive, being an end-to-end encrypted (E2E) option.I will tackle all of them, but let us focus on the easy ones first.
Documents, Photos, Videos, and Map
And, here are the ones that are a bit tricky to move away from:
In my case, I have tried to use CryptPad as much as possible. But, other alternatives haven’t worked out well for me. The catch is most of them are paid. I understand not everyone can afford to switch to a paid alternative, but you can start with the free ones (or self-host them), and choose to invest in paid options later. Explore all the alternatives here:
Please note that the alternatives I am using or suggesting may not be an exact replacement of a Google service. They might be good enough for me but perhaps they won’t suffice your need or preference. Try them on your own and see if you are comfortable with the alternatives.There are some affiliate links in the article. Please read our affiliate policy for more details.
You can choose to self-host it, and explore other self-hosted Google Photos alternatives. But, of course, you will need to spend some time and money there as well.For instance, you will not get a Google Docs like experience with Nextcloud Office (self-hosted) or CryptPad or Proton Docs, but they are manageable to some extent. So, you need to try them out and see if it fits your requirements.Honestly, there are no easy replacements to this. So, you will have to decide if you would like to adjust, and willing to pay a lot more (in some cases).Google Meet is a dominantly used option for all kinds of meetings/interviews, but it is not open source, nor end-to-end encrypted.For instance, I use DuckDuckGo’s Privacy Essentials browser extension to get rid of trackers, and to generate free email aliases. I can also integrate the email aliases with Bitwarden. Not to forget, they also have a privacy-friendly AI chatbot providing access to AI models like Gpt-4o mini, and a browser for Windows/macOS.
Final Thoughts
Yes, I can list countless alternatives, but it is useless if it cannot do half of the things Google services let me do.Google’s ecosystem includes several products and services. It is one of the prominent ecosystems on the internet with a dominating market share.
