1
Stabilize your digital home
Move email, passwords, and file storage first. Those three systems affect account recovery, identity, and everyday access.
A practical migration plan
The easiest way to get stuck is to try to replace everything at once. A better approach is to switch in layers.
2
Replace habits, not just apps
Switch the defaults in your browser, phone, and laptop so you naturally use your new tools instead of falling back.
3
Move communication and work
After the basics are stable, switch calls, documents, hosting, and collaboration so your full workflow follows the same direction.
EU alternatives to start from
These are not the only good options. They are examples that can give you a realistic first shortlist.
| Need | Common US choice | EU direction | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search | Qwant (France), Ecosia (Germany) | Easy first switch. It changes a daily habit without forcing a full platform migration. | |
| Gmail, Outlook.com | Tuta (Germany), mailbox.org (Germany) | Email controls resets, notifications, and your long-term digital identity. | |
| Cloud files | Google Drive, Dropbox | Koofr (Slovenia), Nextcloud with an EU host | Storage is where sovereignty and hosting location become important fast. |
| Office and docs | Google Docs, Microsoft 365 | ONLYOFFICE (Latvia), Nextcloud Office with an EU host | Document workflows are often the second-biggest lock-in after email. |
| Hosting and cloud | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure | Hetzner (Germany), OVHcloud (France), Scaleway (France) | If you run websites or apps, this is where your infrastructure strategy changes. |
| VPN | NordVPN US site, consumer VPN bundles | Mullvad (Sweden) | A privacy tool should not create another giant dependency you do not understand. |
| Passwords | 1Password, LastPass | Psono (Germany), local-first managers where they fit | Password migration is high-impact because it touches every other service you use. |
| AI assistant | ChatGPT, Claude | Mistral (France) | It is worth thinking early about where your prompts, files, and work context are stored. |
Note: software and hosting are different layers. An open-source platform can still be hosted in the wrong place for your goals, so check both.
How to switch with less pain
A good migration is mostly about sequencing and cleanup, not heroics.
Export before you change
Download your mail, contacts, files, passwords, and bookmarks before turning anything off. Keep one clean backup outside the old platform.
Change the defaults
Set your new search engine, mail app, storage folder, and browser start page immediately so the switch actually sticks.
Review subscriptions
After two or three weeks, cancel the tools you no longer need. Keeping unused US subscriptions is how migrations quietly fail.
Ownership map
Use the ownership map to see selected US companies, products, and source links in one place. To keep it focused, it only shows companies with more than one tracked program.
OVHcloud and OpenStack guide
Read the new guide on how to reduce vendor lock-in when building on OVHcloud and OpenStack.
Program pages
Open generated pages for individual services and programs, each with ownership information and sourced comparison notes.
Ownership map
Open the standalone ownership page if you want the map without the rest of the homepage around it.
Structured data
The diagram is driven by a machine-readable file so it can be extended without rebuilding the page by hand.
Source-first approach
Each connection in the map links back to a source so the site stays useful as a research tool instead of just a claim wall.