I have to admit: Google services are incredibly convenient. Consequently, it took me a long time to find alternatives. After all, Google offers cloud storage with Drive, navigation, a search engine, email, office programs, and more. These services appeal to everyone, and most people use them.
The reason I’m writing about this on a Japan-focused site is that many people rely on them for things like trip planning or language learning. Most people probably already use Google Maps when planning their travels.
But not everyone feels comfortable with Google. Especially since the announcement of the Personal Assistant, which reads through all your emails, photos, and other data. Fortunately, nowadays you can move away from it without sacrificing convenience. I’ll show you here what I personally use!
The easiest way to move away from Google
Proton: An all-in-one suite like Google, but secure and private!
With Proton alone, you can leave the vast majority of Google completely behind. What started as a secure and private email service has evolved significantly over the years.
Today, this Swiss-based company - founded by former CERN scientists - offers you:
- Google Mail Alternative*: Private emails, including an optional local AI assistant.
- Google Drive Alternative*: Free users get 5GB of storage right away, which you can sync across your smartphone and PC.
- Google Docs and Sheets Alternative: Create documents and spreadsheets directly through Drive.
- Password Manager*: Store passwords and 2FA codes, and even create temporary email aliases to hide your real address.
- Calendar
- A VPN*: Secure your connection or spoof your location to another country. I’ve also written an article in which I explain the VPN in more detail.
- Google Wallet Alternative
And all of this is free. Not just on your PC, but also via dedicated smartphone apps. You can, however, subscribe for additional features such as more cloud storage for your emails and data. If you want to use everything, the Proton Unlimited plan is the best value, providing the entire package for less than the cost of individual subscriptions. You can find it via the green button below:
With Proton's features, you can make sure you never receive spam again! Just use the password manager's temporary email addresses, which you can create in a few clicks to completely hide your real address. Then, do the following:
- Give every site and service you sign up for its own unique temporary email address.
- If you start seeing spam sent to that address, you’ll know immediately who leaked it or sold it to a third party.
- Simply delete the temporary address, and you're instantly rid of the spam!
- For sites and services that remain spam-free even after a long time, you can eventually provide your real email address—but still use a classic "+" alias like this: [Your Proton account]+[Website name]@proton.me
Browser: Alternatives to Google Chrome on PC and Android
When it comes to browsers, there are of course numerous alternatives. However, there are some issues: Most of them are still based on Chromium and therefore dependent on Google - and some are even integrated into their systems. Plus, some people use browser plugins that are only available for Chrome.
For language learners specifically, I always recommend Migaku or Asbplayer. The former is Chrome-exclusive, while the latter's Chrome version has more features than the Firefox one. Still, you can break free from Google here too! Personally, I recommend two browsers for PC:
- Ungoogled Chromium: Here you get Chrome, but completely without any Google integration or services. However, this also means you'll need to tinker a bit if you still want to use plugins from the Chrome Store. And to use streaming services like Netflix, you'll have to install some features yourself.
- Librewolf: This is a community-developed version of Firefox that places strong emphasis on privacy and security. They've also already stated that they will remove any generative AI features like those Mozilla announced for Firefox—simply because these don't run locally on your PC and are therefore problematic for privacy.
On an Android smartphone, things get a bit more complicated. Many advise against using Firefox-based browsers here due to security concerns. As a result, the only real alternative at the moment is one you can't install on your own:
- Vanadium: A security and privacy-focused variant of Chromium used by GrapheneOS. Currently, it's exclusive to this Android operating system and you can't simply install it on any smartphone.
Search Engine Alternatives to Google
Google's search engine was almost unavoidable for a long time. But nowadays, many users are less impressed with its results. It's not uncommon to find the best results only on pages displayed much further down. This makes switching worthwhile for better quality alone - it's not just a matter of privacy.
DuckDuckGo is the best fit here. It simply does its job without collecting any of your data or annoying you with unwanted features.
If you want, DuckAI also offers the AI overviews that are common these days, but the feature can easily be disabled in the settings. Personally, I recommend doing just that - because AI answers are still simply wrong far too often.
Navigation without Google Maps
If you want to find your way around anywhere without Google, you can rely on the OpenStreetMaps project. There are numerous apps that let you use their maps on your smartphone.
The most convenient one I know is Organic Maps. It even lets you download maps and use them offline—something that's only possible on Google in a very limited way through workarounds.
Admittedly, even this project can't replace all of Google's features. For instance, you can't simply display and compare prices for all nearby hotels directly on the map. But the project keeps growing, and everyone can contribute by adding new locations.
A Secure Operating System for Your Phone
A smartphone without Google? It's possible! Paradoxically, the best device for this is a Google Pixel. That's because GrapheneOS is only available for Pixel phones: an Android operating system completely free of Google services—though it can optionally run them in a sandbox.
This means they behave like any other app and no longer have special privileges on your phone. You can revoke all their permissions! And if a Google app can't access the internet, it can't transmit any data either.
You can easily install it directly through the GrapheneOS website. You just have to click through the process! Additionally, you should install some alternative app stores. My personal favorites are:
- Droid-ify: A completely alternative app store focused on open source
- Aurora Store: Lets you use the Google Play Store without an account
One drawback: Some banking apps may refuse to work on this Google alternative. Others might have limited functionality. For example, Google Wallet won't work with contactless payments.
There is one small problem for language learners: The standard GrapheneOS keyboard only supports languages with Latin characters. And it is difficult to find a good alternative to Google Input for all others. I experienced this problem myself with Japanese, for example. However, an alternative does exist! It goes by the name Fcitx5 and is just somewhat unknown on Android.
On Android, you simply download it along with one of the plugins for the languages you want to use. For Japanese, for instance, you need Fcitx5 and Fcitx5 (Anthy).
Bye, bye Google
With all these services, you can easily break free from Google in your personal life without any real drawbacks. The alternatives are often just as good—or even better.
Everything You Need to Know About Google Alternatives
Switching gives you more privacy and better data protection. Plus, many alternatives are now just as good—or even better—than Google's services, especially when it comes to search results.
Proton offers a complete package with private email (including a local AI assistant), cloud storage, a wallet alternative, password manager, spreadsheets, calendar, and VPN.
DuckDuckGo is recommended because it doesn't collect user data and delivers high-quality search results. It optionally offers AI overviews (DuckAI), which can be disabled.
Organic Maps, based on the OpenStreetMaps project, is the recommended alternative. The app allows you to fully download maps and use them offline. Some features like hotel price comparisons are still missing, but the project is constantly evolving.
GrapheneOS is an Android operating system for Google Pixel smartphones that is completely free of Google services. Google apps can optionally run in a sandbox without special privileges.
