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.