So far, I’m only using cost-free alternatives:
Gmail -> web.de
Android/Google Play -> LineageOS/FDroid
Google Search -> DDG/Qwant/Ecosia
Google Maps -> Openstreetmap/Organic Maps
Windows/Office -> Linux/LibreOffice
Netflix -> 🏴☠️streaming sites
Spotify -> internet radio/digitizing CDs bought directly from the band at concerts
The only service I haven’t replaced is YouTube (AdBlocked without account), which I use a lot, also for music. And I don’t see an alternative for it either.
Thanks. Didn’t know about web.de. Shall have a look.
Here’s a treat to add to your websearch shortlist: https://searx.neocities.org/
What you need to know about web.de is that they offer a free tier e-mail, but try to push you into their paid tier with predatory measures.
Every time you log into the web interface, you get a popup that signs you up for it if you click on the shiny OK button.
If you dispute it, they cancel it no questions asked, cause that’s the law.
But a lot of tech-illiterate people enter their payment details and just take it, cause they fear losing access to their email.
If you’re tech-literate, and use a third-party tool to access your email and an ad-blocker, your free mail account is basically subsidized by the people who don’t.So I can’t recommend them as an ethical option (you’d need to pay for any ethical option), but at least they are independent from the US (they’re one of the biggest mail providers in Germany), and I’ve been with them for 26 years, so I know it stays free long term.
Nebula instead of Youtube ($36/year), Kagi instead of Google search ($10/month), Soundcloud instead of Spotify (12/month), Bear instead of Apple Notes (35/year if I remember correctly). And I’ll probably move my email over to Proton at some point and start paying for that.
Somewhere around $12. Covers email, VPN, and non-KYC data. Might jump up several dollars if I get around to making a personal website with a custom domain.
The only streaming media I consume regularly is on Youtube and I don’t see a good alternative on the horizon. uBlock and Pipepipe it is for now.
A domain that isn’t hotly contested (basically anything over 10-12 characters), usually goes for under 8 USD a year. So probably wouldn’t jump up that much.
I’m in the process. Right now about $13 a month for a VPS which hosts email, video / audio / text chat, nextcloud, gps tracking, and others.
I need to do something about my android phone, and I’m looking at that too. I have a phone running ubports, but I’m scared to daily it just right now.
its not quite the same but as a YT-alt i use Nebula. It’s owned by some of my favourite creators and pretty cheap considering what you get. (~36$/y)
instead of iCloud/GDrive i use pCloud - which is a one-time payment-which i prefer instead of a recurring subscription (otp/400$)
and technically i am paying for ‘streaming-services’ by having a VPN. (~3$/m)
if you listen to a lot of radio/music you should give radio.garden a try!
it not much, but it is a start.
Nothing.
- Photos -> Immich
- Documents -> Seafile
- Gmail -> Proton Mail
- Android -> GrapheneOS
- Google -> Kagi
I have my own mini PC on which I host most stuff myself, using Tailscale to connect to it from outside. So my only subscriptions are Kagi and my VPN provider, in total 15 USD per month.
A VPN is the quickest, easiest way for me to avoid having my data sucked up by my ISP and Google. I’m using Thunderbird for email instead of Google. I use DuckDuckGo for searches, and it allows you to block search results on a per-site basis. I mostly use that feature to block AI-generated search result sites.
a VPN does not prevent the fingerprinting google does.
Also I heard a bunch of them got some sketchy Israel connections…
47 eur for my vps setup
The amount of time and money I spend to avoid them makes me want to take them to small claims court.
It seems like web.de is still tracking me, I was getting round to hosting my own email server but I’m to broke to buy a hard drive for my banana pi.
Try posteo.de - pretty high-ranked in Privacy and costs just a buck a month, which ist fair and payable even by post last time I checked - you charge your Account there in advance. And you get to choose alias E-Mails in many different country Domains, which you can also send from, but only the first two extras are free, rest ist 10cents/alias/month. I now spend 2 Euros/month in my Mail.
Moved calendar and addressbook there from Google as well, was pretty much painless, but not automatic. I am using these Apps with it: Thunderbird, DAVx5 from f-droid, FOSS calendar App, …
Thanks for the tip though. But AFAIK if these servers are in Germany the amerikaner schweine can still get to you, but the whole ethos of the company seems very cool.
I’d rather just get a hard drive buy some weed and waste a bunch of time configuring my own email. Paying for a domain only costs me 10 euro a year. I’ve just been lazy I basically don’t use my email for anything anyways.
In terms of money, nothing. In terms of time? Several hours per week using offline methods. Keep in mind, I don’t own a phone at all, and only use my computer for an hour or 2 a day at most. I do as much as I can in person.
