More and more people are wondering how to stop using Google or, at least, reduce their dependence on its services. Whether for privacy reasons, ecosystem saturation, geographical or political limitations, or simple curiosity about other options, there are now viable alternatives for almost all the tools Google offers, both on mobile and desktop.
Why look for alternatives to Google?
These are some common reasons:
- Privacy: Google collects enormous amounts of user data.
- Technological independence: avoiding reliance on a single company for everything, as relying on one company leaves us at the mercy of their price increases or elimination of products and services.
- Regional restrictions or blocks: some countries limit access to Google services.
- Digital minimalism: fewer integrated services mean fewer distractions and more control.
Alternatives for the most used Google services
The easy way would be to replace Google's services with those of another large American tech company like Microsoft or Apple, but in this article, we will focus on alternatives from independent companies or outside the United States that respect our data privacy.
Search engine: alternatives to Google Search
- DuckDuckGo: does not track, offers fast and clean results. It uses a combination of sources, including Bing (its main provider of web search results), Yahoo, Yandex, and other engines, its own crawler (DuckDuckBot), which indexes part of the web, and specialized sources like Wikipedia, Stack Overflow, etc., for quick answers.
- Startpage: provides Google results, but without Google knowing who you are. It works as an intermediary: it sends your query to Google anonymously, receives the results, and shows them to you.
- Brave Search: has its own index, without personalized ads. Brave began building its own index in 2021 after acquiring Tailcat, an independent search engine.
Email: alternatives to Gmail
- Proton Mail: Secure, encrypted, and with servers in Switzerland. The free version offers 1 GB of storage, you can opt for more storage and features by paying a monthly fee.
- Tuta: Another great example of privacy and open source. Like Proton Mail, it offers 1 GB of storage and a free calendar with the option to upgrade to a higher plan.
- Zoho Mail: Professional, with a modern interface and no ads. The free version offers 5 GB of storage, domain aliases, and many features.
Maps and navigation: alternatives to Google Maps
- OsmAnd: Based on OpenStreetMap and with offline navigation, which is a great advantage for traveling abroad and not consuming extra data.
- HERE WeGo: Accurate and functional, ideal for the city. It is a maps and navigation app developed by HERE Technologies, a company with roots in Nokia.
- Organic Maps: is a completely free, open-source maps and navigation app focused on privacy. It is a fork of Maps.me created by former developers of the original project. It allows use without an internet connection.
Cloud storage: alternatives to Google Drive
- pCloud: A European option, optional encryption, very polished interface, GDPR compliance, and offers a free plan with up to 10 GB of storage with the possibility of contracting a lifetime plan, meaning with a single payment you have storage without ever paying again.
- MEGA: offers 20 GB free and automatic encryption.
- Nextcloud: Ideal if you prefer to control your cloud on your own server, open source and free.
Documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
- ONLYOFFICE or LibreOffice Online: Complete office suite, open and compatible with Microsoft formats.
- Zoho Docs: Very solid alternative, with mobile apps and real-time collaboration.
- CryptPad: Ideal for secure and encrypted collaboration.
Calendar and personal organization
- Etar (Android), Simple Calendar, or Nextcloud Calendar
- Joplin or Standard Notes for notes
- Tasks.org for task management without Google
App store (in case of using Android without Google Play)
- F-Droid: Free, secure, and reviewed apps.
- Aurora Store: Access Google Play without a Google account.
- APKPure or APKMirror: Alternatives for direct download.
And on iOS or desktop?
Although iOS depends more on Apple than Google, many apps like Gmail, Google Maps, or YouTube are popular. Fortunately, these alternatives are also available on iPhone and browser:
Replace YouTube with Invidious or PeerTube.
Switch Google Calendar for apps like Fantastical (iOS/macOS) or Thunderbird (Windows/Linux).
Avoid Google Chrome using Firefox, Brave, or Safari.
How to have an Android without Google?
Installing a custom ROM (like LineageOS or /e/OS) allows you to use Android without Google Play Services. These ROMs include pre-installed alternatives and guarantee greater privacy. However, they require technical knowledge for installation.
By stopping using Google on Android, you lose integration with apps like YouTube, Assistant, or Google Photos, some apps may not work without Google services (although there is a solution called MicroG).
The advantages of avoiding the Google ecosystem on Android are lower battery and resource consumption, greater control over your personal data, and a personalized experience according to your real needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is it legal to use Android without Google?
Yes, Android is open source. Using an alternative ROM or different apps is completely legal. In fact, companies like Amazon or Meta use Android for their FireTV and Meta Quest devices without Google services.
Can WhatsApp be used without Google services?
Yes, although in some cases MicroG is needed for it to work properly.
What phones come without Google pre-installed?
Some examples are recent Huawei devices, Librem 5, or Fairphone (with /e/OS as an option).
