Hi everyone,
I wanted to share my current status quo of gradually moving away from US-based services and products and replacing them with European alternatives where possible.
This is not about perfection or ideological purity — more about direction, values, and supporting EU-based ecosystems when reasonable alternatives exist.
What I’ve Already Switched
Email / Cloud / VPN
I’m fully aware that Proton is a European company based in Switzerland. My decision to move away from Proton was not about trust or geography, but about risk concentration.
I was using Proton Mail, Proton Drive, and Proton VPN at the same time and decided to follow the principle of:
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
So I deliberately split these services across different providers:
- Proton Mail → TutaMail (Germany)
- Proton Drive → Filen (Germany)
- Proton VPN → Mullvad VPN (Sweden) (when I actually need a VPN)
This is more about resilience and diversification than distrust.
Music Streaming
- Deezer → Qobuz (France)
- While Deezer is often seen as European, I decided to move away after learning more about its ownership and investor structure.
- A significant share is held by non-EU stakeholders partly linked to the US, which didn’t align with what I want to support long-term.
- Qobuz feels more in line with my values, and the switch was a nice improvement in sound quality.
Messaging
- WhatsApp → Threema + Signal
- WhatsApp is completely gone.
- Signal is still US-based, but currently required for activism/political work.
Language Models
- ChatGPT → Le Chat
Charging Devices
- Anker → recable (Germany)
Voice Chat
- Discord → TeamSpeak
OS
- Windows → Linux Mint (Oh boy, do I love Linux Mint <3 Fck Windows)
Office / Creative Software
- Microsoft Office → LibreOffice (rarely needed anyway)
- For most creative work, I use Affinity Publisher, Designer & Photo
Entertainment
- Cancelled several US streaming services (e.g., Disney+)
Navigation
- Apple Maps → TomTom
Payments
- PayPal → Wero
Clothing
- While Adidas is a German brand, a lot of their production happens outside the EU, which I want to move away from over time.
- Ideal goal: Support European production under reasonable conditions.
- Shoes: Switching from Adidas → TREAZY (EU production, plant-based materials)
- Socks: Planning to switch to TREAZY socks (made in Portugal)
- Underwear — Open Question
- Looking for high-quality men’s underwear (trunks) that:
- Is genuinely produced in Europe,
- Feels really comfortable,
- Actually lasts a long time (doesn’t stretch out or fall apart after a few months).
- Do you have recommendations? Something you’ve had for years and still feel comfortable in, made in Europe?
- Looking for high-quality men’s underwear (trunks) that:
Audio / Hardware
- Initially planned: Shure SM7B
- Decided on: Sennheiser MD 421 Mark II (Supporting a European audio manufacturer felt like the better fit for me.)
What I Still Use (Reluctantly / Pragmatically)
- Netflix (No real EU alternative with a comparable catalog — I only subscribe occasionally, 1 month every few months.)
- Gaming: Steam (ecosystem reasons)
- Password Manager: 1Password (Canada — not EU, but best fit for my needs so far)
Big Open Topic: Smartphone
- Currently using an iPhone 15 Pro
- Considering a Fairphone with LineageOS
- Waiting to see developments around Fairphone 6
- Would love to see some experiences here.
Where I’d Really Love Community Input
- Messaging: Thoughts on Element / Matrix / XMPP?
- Streaming: Any serious European Netflix alternatives you like?
- Underwear: European underwear brands/experiences that are truly high-quality & long-lasting?
- General: EU services/products you’d strongly recommend or avoid?
This is very much a work in progress, not a finished state. Happy to learn, adjust, and iterate — feedback welcome! 😊
Thanks!
Edit: Improved structure and readability.
I buy almost all my clothing from loom www.loom.fr. Everything is made either in France or Portugal. They are extremely transparent about what works (or not) in their business model. Apparently they don’t do advertising at all. They deliver in most of Europe, but I couldn’t switch the website language from French.
Damn, they don’t ship to the Baltics :/
I wouldn’t even mind paying 25€ for a T-Shirt if it actually lasts. I’ve had 5€ Slazenger t-shirts from Sportsdirect develop holes after one wear and one wash (at the label that’s sewn into the back of the neck area, 5 shirts ordered and all 5 got the holes real quick)
I’m also the kinda guy who just wears the same shit every day so if I find something that works for me, I’ll order 10 more like it lmao
Beautiful post and full of inspirations, thank you!
As for underwear, I can suggest an excellent Italian brand, which I have been using for years: Tezenis https://www.tezenis.com
It does not produce everything in Italy, but also in other European countries and something in Africa, but always in factories controlled by the brand. The quality is good!
As for payments, I would like to use Wero, but in Italy it is not yet there. For now I prefer national platforms such as Satispay and Bancomat.
Glad my post is an inspiration for you :)
I will check out that Italian brand, thanks!
I’ve been using Matrix/Element for about a year now. I think it’s been great and have no plans on using anything else, I’ve even started donating to the matrix foundation. I self-host a server and using bridge bots I’ve aggregated all my chat services into Matrix, so I talk to my friends on signal using the Element app.
A few notes:
- Nobody I’ve ever met has heard of matrix. I’ve had to very manually convince close friends and family to get the app and help them sign up.
- The restore process is complex as recovery keys are stored on device and most people don’t understand the concept of downloading and saving them in a secure place. So if they lose their phone, chances are they can’t recover their messages, only their account. (as long as they sign in with two devices and don’t forget their password, it’s not an issue)
- Also regarding the restore process. There are two apps, Element and Element X, with X being the newer and more modern one. It’s still WIP though and doesn’t have most recovery functionality.
- Calls and video calls work differently in the apps, so unless you all have the newer app or all have the older app, you can’t make calls to each other.
Do you use Affinity on Linux Mint?
No, haven’t tried that yet. Still running on my Windows boot.
recable only supports USB 2.0. Of course it doesn’t matter for charging, but for data transfer it does.
Well that wasn’t a criteria for me yet… but thanks for pointing that out. Gotta keep that in mind for recommendations in the future.
No, definitely it is not a requirement for a charging cable. But I usually carry with me:
- 1 USB-A - microUSB
- 1 USB-A - USB-C
- 1 USB-C - USB-C
And it is important that the double USB-C supports USB 4.0 / Thunderbolt 4
I’m also in similar journey to switch although still early. I started using Element in small circle and it works great.
For phones, you might want to check Jolla, its EU/Finish Linux phone.
And for the rest, being a open-source dev myself, I can only suggest open-source digital products:
For design work, see https://penpot.app/ its awesome and mature product.
If you need to publish videos, check https://joinpeertube.org/
You can find much more EU-based and produced digital services here: https://european-alternatives.eu/
Good luck!I’m also in similar journey to switch although still early. I started using Element in small circle and it works great.
For phones, you might want to check Jolla, its EU/Finish Linux phone.
And for the rest, being a open-source dev myself, I can only suggest open-source digital products:
For design work, see https://penpot.app/ its awesome and mature product.
If you need to publish videos, check https://joinpeertube.org/
You can find much more EU-based and produced digital services here: https://european-alternatives.eu/
Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it.
Jolla has actually been on my radar for a few days now. I came across it in another thread recently and I do think it is a very interesting concept, especially Sailfish OS. That said, I am currently leaning more towards Fairphone, mainly because of the repairability and the long-term hardware support. That aspect matters a lot to me.
What I might do, though, is take a closer look at Sailfish OS and see whether it could realistically be combined with a Fairphone instead of LineageOS. That really comes down to compatibility and everyday usability, so I will need to evaluate that carefully before deciding.
Penpot looks great. I had a quick look and really liked what I saw. I have saved it for later and will very likely use it for future web projects, so thanks for pointing that out.
european-alternatives.eu is also known to me. I have checked it a couple of times already, but I think I need to spend more time going through it more systematically, especially for areas I have not actively switched yet.
Thanks again for the input!
For streaming go back to 🏴☠️
It’s your civic duty not to give money to the media conglomerates that put right wing extremists in power everywhere.
Fuck them and take what you wanna watch for free.
Haha, yeah, I can’t really argue with that 😅. The lack of solid EU streaming alternatives makes it tempting to… you know, set the sails.
I’m still trying to stick with legal European options where I can, but sometimes it’s just… frustratingly limited.Can’t blame you for using Netflix since they have a lot of exclusive content that’s really good. And they do support local filmmaking and recently joined the Blender development fund too which is at least some good news.
To find other alternatives I recommend looking up whatever you want to watch on https://www.justwatch.com/ (or TMDb where JustWatch is integrated) because it shows you where the movie/series is currently streaming within the country you live in. I found new (sometimes local) platforms like this and one of them was even free with a library card.
Also going to the cinema is always an option although it’s not really the same type of activity of course.
Playpilot is a great app that does the same.
Good advice, thanks!
Try your library, maybe they offer some streaming alternatives.
Recable that OP mentioned look great fun
…braided charging cables coloured and named after birds.
Yeah right?! They even offer different materials (PET, cotton, flax).
For gaming : GOG (PL)
My Pixel phone OS : iodé os (FR)
Amazon : Cdiscount (FR)
Google drive : Ksuite by infomaniak
Quickshare : LocalShare / KDEconnect
Google Map : CoMaps / RooleMap (FR)
Never knew about Recable, I was just looking to buy quality cables.
Thanks for sharing!
Glad my post was helpful to ohters :)
Great post which gives a lot of inspiration!
Since you mentioned the fairphone 6, I thought I’d give you my two cents on that topic:
Switched over to a Fairphone 6 about half a year ago (pretty soon after the release). Wanted to get the Murena - e/OS version but since the stock Android was cheaper and quicker for delivery I went with that.
At home, I flashed e/OS myself on the phone after checking everything worked initially (especially phone services).
And what can I say - about a half year later I’m still super happy with it. About 60% of the apps I use are from F-Droid, the other few over AppLounge (Playstore-Mirror) with an anonymous Google-account (very easy to use, works automatically and is preinstalled on e/OS). I should say, my goal switching from a ‘normal’ Android phone was to degoogle at the same time, which worked well with the fp6. No issues with calls, screen, battery, camera, Apps etc, only thing I needed was a Type-C to Aux adapter (since my last phone still had a 3.5 mm jack).
You need to get used to the volume rocker placement - was taking screenshots in the beginning all the time :D But other than that, I have no regrets. Even dropped it a few times without a case and its sturdy! I can definetely recommend it :) (My parents’ next smartphone will be a FP, already influenced them haha)
I recommend some formatting for your comments. Few will read them, otherwise.
Valid point. I initially just typed it out on my (fair) phone in a quick minute, but added some spaces now.
Another idea… Language Learning: Try Babbel from Berlin
I like wlingua. It seems to be from Spain. It teaches all the grammar and always repeats the things you had wrong from time to time.
Not everyone’s piece of cake, but I like Anki (FOSS) and download community made language decks.
It’s great for Japanese. I’ve found it a bit hit and miss for other languages
Also check out local resources for your particular target language. Many countries have online language learning resources primarily targeted at immigrants but usually open for all. And there are often daily news in easy language available from public service TV with online access.
I also read and watch news from other parts of the world in their native language which helps with keeping up understanding and passive language knowledge in addition to the factual contents - not so much with grammar learning, though. My library offers PressReader (Ireland-based) access for free and they have thousands of newspapers and magazines digitally. There is not a lot of material in all languages, unfortunately. Personally, I particularly miss a daily paper in Finnish, but still. And often the papers available are not the biggest ones and sometimes all those available for a particular country have strong political leanings.
Edited spelling
I know a lot of people love language learning apps, but I’d argue for a different approach: Don’t use them at all. I like learning languages a lot, and focus on fluency in one language at a time over learning just the basics in many (nothing wrong with that, just not my approach). And what really works for me has always been a mixture of textbooks, dedicated vocab studying and tons of immersion. Language learning apps are fun, but they don’t make you do the boring, hard work that actually sees results.
From my own experience: I know many people who have years-long streaks on DuoLingo and others, but actually speak very little of their target language. Meanwhile I’ve never used a language for learning Korean (Self-taught. I’ve been at it for nearly 5 years now) and I can speak to my Korean friends for hours while only having to look up words very occasionally or having them explained to me in Korean.
By all means, use Babbel or another European alternative if you are going to use them. But maybe also consider changing your approach, you might see much better results.
I speak 8 languages, apps work. Just use the right tools.
Babbel doesn’t only teach the basics. I learned Swedish tongue twisters and other special stuff.
And once you’re done, amend with books and podcasts, for example.
EDIT: Don’t use Duolingo. I once made it my point to prove this and deliberately used it for a year and still couldn’t speak more than a few sentences in one language. Switched to something else and learned more in three days than in a year on Duolingo. It sucks, it is only intended to keep you there to show you ads or sell subscriptions.
Fair enough. I’m happy that it works for you. I suppose maybe Babbel is the exception. My friends mostly use Duolingo and Lingoda and those are awful, judging by their progress.
Do you speak those 8 languages to a high level? C1 or C2? It’s not that I don’t believe you and I don’t mean to sound condescending, but I’ve met a lot of people who say they speak 4+ languages and then really only speak them at a A2-B1 level. That’s not nothing, but that’s not what I’m aiming for and I think not what most people are aiming for.
I want to start learning Japanese this year and I might give Babbel a try, but I’ll probably end up sticking to textbooks for grammar + Anki for vocab + podcasts/tv/games and later on books for immersion. But I think part of that is also that I don’t really want to study on my phone. Even doing Anki on it is annoying.
I speak 2 at C2, 2 at around C1 to C2, 3 are B1 to C1. One I have started not that long ago and not sure what level yet.
My Danish contains Swedish words occasionally, but people in Sweden and Denmakrk just say “Oh, that’s fine, you’re just speaking Scandinavian”. It’s not because my Danish is bad, but I have a lot more practice in Swedish and often find it easier to use a Swedish term, lol
Wow, that is very impressive! I’ve got a long way to go … Only 2 at C2 and one at around B2. Also a bit of French, I’d say A1+. Did you use Babbel for all of them? I’m really curious what it does that makes it work so much better than the other apps I’ve come in contact with. I might have to try it. :D
All except for the newest one, which is not available on Babbel.
Babbel uses a scientifically proven way for teaching languages.
In the beginning, for each language, you’ll get simple words and phrases like “Hello”, “Thanks” and “My name is…”.
It then asks you to match those with the phrase in the language you already know. Then it asks you to arrange sentences, then you type whole words, then you do more of the beginner courses and then move on to courses based on specific topics. Want to be able to order food? Just take a food course. Want to travel? Just take one that teaches you words about hotels, trains and so on.
But they have so much more. And they really love feedback. I sent them a ton and really had an influence on how Babbel is these days. Years ago, before twitter went shit, I jokingly asked them to pay me for that… they actually gave me half a year for free (!), super nice people that take feedback and listen to users.
So it’s a good product, worth the money imho, run by people that seem to care about their users.
I’m not paid by them nor have I paid them in years, I now have a lifetime subscription as there has been a special offer years ago. I’m just very happy with the decision to learn there. Pretty sure quite a lot of things in my life would’ve turned out very different without the languages.
(I swear I’m not paid by them. lol)
Well, with such a glowing endorsement I’ll have to give it a try. I checked yesterday, though, and they don’t have Japanese, which I want to learn, and Korean, which I am almost “done” learning. So I guess it’ll have to wait until I start learning a different language.
Also, with attention difficulties, textbooks might not work for everyone. Apps are better for keeping my attention and the algorithms find out what I cannot remember and just ask me those things again and again… Until I started dreaming in Swedish and later also Norwegian.
I’m using Busuu, originally Spanish but hq in London. They have implemented some AI stuff recently though. :/
I might give Babbel a try… I used Duolingo some time ago and wasn’t really happy with the way it tries to teach languages.
Right now my main focus is improving my English: my reading and listening are already around C2, but when it comes to speaking or writing, I often struggle to find the right words or get the grammar spot on.I’m also dabbling a bit in Spanish for fun, but for now I’d rather put most of my effort into really getting my English solid.
Yeah, you probably weren’t happy because Duolingo does not work. Babbel has special courses. Like for business, sports, travel, …
Also, try to watch TV and movies, but without subtitles. Forces your brain to process more. Also, try speaking. I improved pronuouncistion a lot by reading books aloud in bed. Try to, for example, read Sherlock Holmes, but aloud. Don’t focus on speed or on the story too much, focus on speaking. I bet this will help a lot.
Yeah, Duolingo felt more like a game than a real way to learn a language.
As for TV and movies, I actually already watch most of what I watch in original language, whether English or now Spanish. Usually without subtitles, unless the accent or dialect is really tricky, then I turn them on. But I’ve been doing this for years, and I don’t really have any issues understanding. I don’t translate in my head, I think and understand directly in English.
The thing I’m really missing is the active speaking part. Traveling isn’t really feasible right now, and while I play games, that doesn’t really help much. Most of the time it’s just short call-outs or quick chat with opponents, which isn’t enough to really improve consistently.
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Sadly I just found out that Qobuz is using Amazon Web Services (AWS). So using Qobuz means giving money to Amazon… What a shame!
Unfortunately that’s (currently) most of the internet. Hopefully that changes over time.
Clothing: I recommend looking on avocadostore. Erlich Textil is very high quality.
