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Cutting Google out of your life (2019)

I don't have anything to hide, but I don't have anything to show you either.

Introduction

Hello all! Last year, I posted a "de-google" megathread on cutting Google out of your life. It can be found on this sub's Wiki. However, much can change in a year, so I thought I'd come back and do it again.

Huge thanks to AlternativeTo. Without them and their users, this project would be significantly more difficult, if not impossible.

Contributing

If you want to help out with the project, here are some ideas:

  • Clean up and improve the Markdown
  • Provide more information on services with little info
  • Suggest new services
  • Hosting a mirror or cloning the repo
  • Literally anything relating to any part of this guide, whether it's Google related or not

You can do these by:

Please specifiy if you wish to remain anonymous or if you want your Reddit username added to a contributors list.

If you host a mirror, let me know and I can add it to a mirrors list on GitHub or Pastebin.

Want to help out in another way?

  • Share this guide with your friends, family, and coworkers. Let them know why privacy matters and why they should care about it. Don't force it on them, but carefully ease them into it and don't scare them away from staying secure.
  • Donate to non-profit organizations that support online privacy and security (see the r/privacy sidebar)

Browser extensions

These Firefox extensions can help prevent connections to Google domains and also improve your privacy/security online.

Replacements/alternatives

Notes, disclaimers, and rules

Please read: Instead of last year where any replacement I found was included, I will specifically focus on privacy-focused replacements this year.

  1. Once again, replacements are based off this Wikipedia article
  2. Currencies in USD unless otherwise stated
  3. This year I've decided not to include products from companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, Amazon, etc. This includes companies/apps/services they own.
  4. Controversial services will have a disclaimer attached if needed.
  5. 5-eyes, 9-eyes, and 14-eyes services will be listed, and marked as such. This means the company, not the server IP.
    • 5: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, USA
    • 9: Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway
    • 14: Germany, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Spain
  6. I will still be adding personal notes if I want to.
  7. Google offers a ridiculous amount of small services. I'm only focusing on the important ones for now.
  8. If you see Help requested!, it means I couldn't find any privacy-focused services and am asking for suggestions.

Web-based products

  • Search (web, images)
    • DuckDuckGo - 5-eyes - One of the best privacy-focused search engines. Domain is hosted in USA which could potentially be problematic for some. Editor note: I've used this for the past ~5 months and haven't had any major issues. Instant Answers are incredibly helpful for programming).
    • Startpage - Another privacy search engine, also seemingly hosted on a USA domain.
    • searx.me - Open-source (need clarification) privacy search engine. Domain hosted in Germany.
    • Qwant - Major improvements since 2018's guide.
  • Images
    • See above. All provide some form of image search.
  • YouTube
    • PeerTube - Decentralized video hosting network. Still quite small, but is growing and has a dedicated community.
    • BitChute - Also decentralized/P2P. Powered by WebTorrent.
    • DTube - Looks very similar to YouTube. Advertised as "first crypt-decentralized video-platform". Built on Steemit and IPFS.
    • Hooktube - A slightly better way to use actual YouTube.
  • News
    • r/news - Includes both USA and International.
    • r/worldnews - International news. Typically excludes new specific to the USA.
    • Most country/state/provine subreddit's act as local news hubs as well.
    • Help requested!
  • Groups
    • Use other forum sites relating to specific topics. This is a very broad service.
  • Translate
    • DeepL - 14-eyes - DeepL is an artifical intelligence translation service. Editor note: The site server seems to be hosted in Finland, yet the company lists itself as a company based in germany in the Data Protection section.
    • Help requested!
  • Google Ads/AdMob/AdSense
    • Help requested!
  • G Suite
    • Zoho - Zoho was included in 2018's thread as well, and they've only improved since then. They offer a full enterprise business suite that can easily rival G Suite or MS Office 365.
  • Blogger
    • Joomla - Self-hosted and open-source content management system (CMS).
    • Write.as - Self-advertised as privacy-focused.
  • Photos
    • Piwigo - 9-eyes (self-hosted) - Self-hosted and open-source cloud photo manager. You can also sign up for an "as a service" account.
    • Help requested!
  • Calendar
    • Lightning Calendar (Thunderbird)- Developed by Mozilla Foundation and open-source. Integrates into Thunderbird and SeaMonkey.
    • Fruux - 14-eyes - Open-source calendar using "sabre/dav" (open-source WebDAV, CardDAV, and CalDAV). They mention privacy quite a bit on their site. Very large number of features, and supports nearly every device: Windows, iOS, Linux, Android, BlackBerry, SailFish, and also a Webapp for browsers.
  • Docs/Sheets/Slides (cloud collaboration)
    • Zoho - I mentioned Zoho above for G Suite, so here they are again.
    • CryptPad - 9-eyes - Open-source "zero knowledge" collaborative cloud editor. They offer Rich Text, Code, Presentation, Sheet (beta), Poll, Kanban, Whiteboard, and CryptDrive. 100% Client side encryption. Tons of useful features.
    • Etherpad - Self-hosted collaborative editor. Does not use the browser. Not the greatest interface, but it's open-source and you have full control over who can see your data.
  • Docs/Sheets/Slides (offline)
  • Domains
    • Help requested!
    • Editor note: Domains is difficult because nearly all of them require lots of information for legal reasons
  • Drive
    • ownCloud - 14-eyes - Open-source and self-hosted. Provide your own storage.
    • Nextcloud - 14-eyes - Also self-hosted. Spin-off of ownCloud.
    • Syncthing - 9-eyes - An interesting take on cloud storage: decentralized. Peer-to-peer between only your devices. Software is open-source and available on GitHub.
    • Editor note: I'm not including MEGA. I do not recommend MEGA. It's far too controversial and far too difficult to figure out who actually owns the service. Also, it's a 5-eyes.
  • Hangouts
    • Telegram - 5-eyes - Telegram is one of the biggest names out there for secure communication.
    • Signal - Whistleblower and privacy advocate Edward Snowden recommends Signal.
    • Tox - Tox is unique as it uses P2P technology to ensure the network never goes down, as long as there are users to keep it alive. They specifically say on the website "Tox has no central servers that can be raided, shut down, or forced to turn over data".
    • Wire - 14-eyes - Uses end-to-end encryption. Looks to be more of a corporate service with tiered plans.
    • Editor note: See this article for why I didn't include WhatsApp and why you should NOT use it (if someone has a better Outline link, that would be much appreciated).
  • Gmail
    • Protonmail - One of the top privacy-focused email providers. Servers are in Switzerland in an underground guarded bunker that they claim can "survive a nuclear attack". I've used this frequently and it's pretty good.
    • Tutanota - 14-eyes - Also one of the top privacy-focused email providers. Located in Germany.
    • Zoho Mail - Zoho comes back yet again with a mail solution.
    • Posteo - 14-eyes - Completely anonymous mail provider located in Germany.
    • mailbox.org - 14-eyes - Paid email provider, also located in Germany.
    • Disroot - 9-eyes - Decentralized email service.
    • This is just for the Gmail service, not a client
  • Keep
    • Joplin - Open-source notes/todo app. Available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Also offers a terminal version. It can import Evernote .enex files if you use that. It can also sync with Nextcloud (mentioned above).
  • Play Music
  • Play Movies and TV
  • Sites
    • Help requested!
    • Depending on your usecase, some of the suggestions from Blogger may work as well.
  • Fonts
    • Open Font Library - 5-eyes - Lots of Serif and Sans-Serif fonts that can be directly embedded into a website.
  • Classroom
    • Help requested!
  • Maps/Street View
    • OpenStreetMaps 9-eyes - Collaborative project to create a free, editable map of the world (from Wikipedia). Completely crowdsources. Very strong alternative to Maps.
    • Editor note: I've seen OsmAnd: it's a mobile app. I've seen HERE WeGo: It's on malvertising filter lists.
  • Transit
    • Help requested!
  • Trends
    • Help requested!

Operating systems

  • Android/Fuchsia
    • Note: You'll either need a rooted device with an unlocked bootloader, or a specific device depending on which OS you like.
    • Ubuntu Touch - Ubuntu, but for phones.
    • LineageOS 5-eyes - Open-source and based on Android, but without the crap.
    • SailfishOS - Help requested!
    • CopperheadOS - 5-eyes - A "secure" version of Android from Canada.
    • Plasma Mobile - 5-eyes - Looks a bit like older versions of Android (before 7.0). Open-source and runs Linux. Very dedicated team, definitely worth trying out.
    • Replicant - 5-eyes - Free Android distribution. Puts the emphasis on "freedom and privacy/security".
  • Chrome OS
    • Qubes OS - "A reasonably secure operating system", at least according to their website. Edward Snowden recommends it.
    • Tails - For the uber-paranoid. Runs live and the entire OS is routed through Tor right from boot. Built on Debian.
    • Knoppix - Another Live OS, runs from CD/DVD/USB. Can also be installed if desired.
    • PureOS - The OS of Purism Laptops (mentioned in the Hardware section). Very clean UI. Editor note: I could not get this working on a UEFI Dell laptop. The group behind PureOS does not provide any UEFI support.
    • Any other form of Linux should work fine too.
  • Wear OS
    • AsteroidOS - 14-eyes - The cleanest (and only) open-source alternative for Wear OS. Make sure you buy a watch that supports it!
  • Android Auto
    • Help requested!
  • Google TV/Android TV
    • Kodi - It's incredibly powerful. Backed by one of the strongest communities around. Tons of plugins to do nearly anything you want.
    • OSMC - Free, open source media center. Strongest competitor to Kodi.

Desktop applications

  • Chrome
    • Firefox - Built by Mozilla. Huge extension library; great for privacy.
      • Waterfox - Based on Firefox, but specifically 64-bit only with an emphasis on speed and privacy. Has a "classic" version built off older Firefox for legacy extension support and also an "alpha" version built off Quantum. It doesn't collect any telemetry and also removes Pocket from the alpha release. Project is run by Alex Kontos and is constantly in active development.. Looks very clean and fast. Android versions are in the works too. Editor note: This is the browser I primarily use
    • Vivaldi - Privacy-focused browser. Appears to be very customizable and feature-rich.
    • Brave - Another very popular privacy-focused browser. Boasts "up to 8x faster than Chrome and Safari". Automatically blocks ads and trackers so you don't have to.
    • Tor Browser - Firefox-based browser routed through the onion network. Automatically has a few privacy extensions installed (such as HTTPS Everywhere). Be careful using it in public though, as it can look like a pretty suspicious piece of software. Available for Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android.
    • Ungoogled Chromium - Chromium (which Chrome and countless other browsers are built on top of) is one of the cleanest and light-weight browsers available. This version cuts out all the Google crap. Editor note: I've used it for a work project and it's ridiculously fast.
  • Earth
    • Different from Maps Satellite in the sense that Earth has tons of complex features that require desktop software to be installed.
    • Help requested!
  • Android Studio

Mobile applications (mobile apps installable from stores)

When searching for replacements, check the alternative stores (such as F-Droid) before checking the Play Store.

  • Play Store
    • F-Droid - Catalogue of FOSS apps for Android. Easy to install and keeps track of updates. Also has a browser version if you don't want to install the app.
    • Aptoide - Marketplace for Android apps. Publishers/developers manage their own stores rather than a centralized market such as Google Play Store.
    • Yalp Store - Yalp downloads Play Store apps as APK files. Helpful if you want to stay away from the Play Store, but require an app that is only available there.
    • APKMirror - An online library of user-uploaded APK files. Helpful if you need a specific older version of an app or don't want to download it through Google Play.
    • Aurora Store - Aurora Store is simply a fork of the Yalp Store, but with an updated, cleaner UI. It can also utilize microG if you wish to use very minimal Google Play services.
    • Fossdroid - Uses the same library as F-Droid, but with a modern UI similar to that of the Play Store and the ability to view apps by popularity.
    • G-Droid - Also uses the F-Droid repo but with a different UI.
  • Calculator
  • Calendar
    • Fruux (mobile app) - Same service from above provides an Android app.
    • Etar - Open-source material design Calendar that integrates with the Android Calendar API. If you have a CalDAV/CardDAV server, I recommend using DAVx5 to sync with it. Available from F-Droid. Editor note: this is the one I am using
  • Clock
    • Clock + - Open-source Alarm clock, timer, and stop watch. Available from F-Droid.
    • Simple Alarm Clock - Exactly as it's name says; simple alarm clock yet adds many improvements over other apps. No dock mode or world clock.
    • Insane Alarm! - Developer states that he had "spent a night out with the boys and drank a bit too much but needed to be up in the morning". So, he made the loudest alarm clock possible based off an emergency alarm from when he was in the military. This app doesn't mess around, use it wisely.
  • Contacts
  • Android Messages (specifically SMS, not IM)
    • QKSMS - Open-source. Very clean and feature rich SMS app.
    • Silence.im - Open-source and utilizes Signal's encryption protocol. Seamlessly works with SMS. End-to-end encryption with other Silence users.
    • Both Messages replacements are available on F-Droid
  • Gboard
    • AnySoftKeyboard - Open-source keyboard.
    • Hacker's Keyboard - Also open-source. Very useful for developers or sysadmins on the go.
    • kboard - Open-source. Has features for phrases, "lenny faces", macros and more.
    • AnySoftKeyboard is available on F-Droid
  • Drive
  • Gmail
    • Protonmail - Can be downloaded from the Play Store, but may work with one of the store replacements above (such as Yalp).
    • Tutanota - Client available from F-Droid.
    • Zoho Mail - Also on the Play Store but other stores may work too.
    • Posteo - Any open-source mail client. I use FairEmail from F-Droid.
    • Mailbox.org - Help requested
    • Disroot - Available from F-Droid.
  • Keep
    • Notepad - Open-source and available from F-Droid. Supports Markdown and HTML. Very clean and feature-rich. Offline only.
    • Joplin for Android - Scroll down on the GitHub page until you reach the Android download links. No F-Droid repo, but you can download the APK directly instead of using the Play Store.
  • Maps/Waze
    • Don't use Waze. It's owned by Google.
    • Maps - Available from F-Droid. Open-source navigation app based on MAPS.ME. Searching for addresses doesn't always work and finding businesses can be a slight hassle, but overall one of the better apps I've used.
  • News
  • Photos
  • Pay
  • YouTube
    • NewPipe - Powerful open-source YouTube alternative available from F-Droid. Supports audio only; background playback; picture-in-picture; no ads.
    • YouTube Vanced (if you are desperate) - Please read the XDA post before deciding to use this.
  • Authenticator
    • andOTP - Open-source 2FA app available from F-Droid. Editor note: I use this one
    • FreeOTP - Available from F-Droid (or GitHub for an iOS version). Last update was in December 2017 so it's unclear whether or not the project is still active.
  • Play Music
    • Help requested!
  • Play Movies and TV
    • Help requested!
  • Hangouts
    • Help requested!
  • Assistant
    • Help requested!

Android launchers:

  • Shade Launcher - Open-source Android launcher styled after the Google Pixel launcher. No F-Droid, but you can download the APK from GitHub.

Hardware

  • Nexus/Pixel
    • This list shows compatibility for rooting Android devices.
  • Chromebook
    • Literally any other laptop with some form of Linux, or
    • Purism Laptops - Privacy-focused laptop running PureOS. Good designs and decent hardware.
  • Chromecast
    • Microsoft Wireless HDMI adapter - The only reason I'm recommending this Microsoft product is because there is no possible way for it to extract any data and ship it off to Microsoft. I use it and it works great.
  • Google Home
    • Help requested!

Useful links, tools, and advice

Everything you need to become Privacy Wizard.

The lighter side

All that reading got you tired out? Or super interested in nerdy stuff? Awesome, now go watch/listen/look at these.

  • Movies and TV I recommend:
    • Snowden (2016) - Based on the true story of Edward Snowden, the CIA/NSA/etc whistleblower. I've seen it about 30 times. Directed by Oliver Stone.
    • Deep Web (2015) - Documentary (narrated by Keanu Reeves) about Ross Ulbricht aka. Dread Pirate Roberts and the infamous "Silk Road" dark market. Directed by Alex Winter.
    • Mr. Robot - Hacker-drama starring Rami Malek. Producers hired actual hackers as consultants to ensure the show is as accurate as possible; real-world tools used in the show.
    • Silicon Valley - Satirical tech comedy about a compression startup struggling to take off in Silicon Valley, California. My personal favourite show. Episodes are pure genius, tech humour is actually funny and not forced.
  • Podcasts:
    • Darknet Diaries (by Jack Rhysider) - Beautifully crafted, bone-chilling episodes highlighting real-life hackers and their stories. Covers privacy topics a fair bit.
    • The WAN Show (Linus Tech Tips) - Not specifically privacy, but they cover all sorts of tech news.
  • Other:
    • xkcd - They have comics for everything.
    • System32 Comics Instagram and Reddit - Comedic computer comics.

Closing remarks

It's a shame that Google, with their immense resources, power, and influence, don't see the benefits of helping people secure themselves online. Instead, they force people like us to scour the web for alternatives and convince our friends and family to do the same, while they sell off our data to the highest bidder.

Hopefully this guide can serve as a starting point for those new to privacy, or be a good refresher for the experts.

Good luck and stay safe!