Being in charge of your own data gives you a lot of power. It makes sense to wish to think about your alternatives regarding the storage of your personal information and logs of your daily activities as ownership and administration of apps and online services become more centralized.

These substitutes for well-known apps can assist you in taking back your online life from prying eyes and billionaires

Being in charge of your own data gives you a lot of power. It makes sense to wish to think about your alternatives regarding the storage of your personal information and logs of your daily activities as ownership and administration of apps and online services become more centralized.

Being in charge of your own data gives you a lot of power. It makes sense to wish to think about your alternatives regarding the storage of your personal information and logs of your daily activities as ownership and administration of apps and online services become more centralized.
Image Credits: Vicente Méndez / Getty Images

Thankfully, not all services are attempting to profit off your personal information, and many of them are on par with or even superior to their for-profit or ad-supported competitors.

Consider for a moment what you would like to leave behind. Big tech companies that keep your info on file? Services that require a subscription? Ad tracking that is intrusive? Government monitoring? Although each person’s needs and hazards are different, hopefully some of these suggestions can help you get the most out of them.

Put the stories you wish to read later in a wallabag

Save anything with a web address to your Wallabag so you can read it later. This includes news stories, feature articles, and more. Although this read-later web-archiving service doesn’t sound as appealing as its primary commercial rival Pocket, Wallabag is a formidable opponent with features and article-saving tools comparable to Pocket’s. You have the option to store your essential readings for later use on a Wallabag server, which you can run for free on a network attached storage (NAS) server that you keep in a closet at home or that you can host in the cloud for a little fee.

A story from The Guardian saved in Wallabag, a Pocket alternative. Image Credits: TechCrunch (screenshot)

Why is this important? Other read-later applications monitor usage to identify patterns and suggest stuff to you, frequently sponsored. It’s great that some people want this! However, some people don’t.

The best app for encrypted messaging is Signal

For the straightforward reason that it is designed to know nothing about you, Signal is one of the most admired secure messaging apps. Signal will occasionally highlight this point by disclosing the search warrants it occasionally obtains, even though it is aware that it is unable to give the government information it does not retain. Experts in cryptography have referred to Signal’s security as the “gold standard” of messaging apps. Signal is a nonprofit that depends on donations, yet it is free to download and use.

Why it matters: Signal not only protects your private calls and texts from prying eyes and ears, but it also vitally jumbles who you contact and converse with, as well as when, which can disclose a great deal about a person’s life.

Another self-hosted Dropbox substitute is Nextcloud

All of the document editing and sharing capabilities you might anticipate from a file storage system are included in Nextcloud, a Dropbox substitute. One major advantage of Nextcloud is that you may either have a Nextcloud server managed by a specialist hosting company or host one yourself for free at home, keeping it private and in your control.

Designed with security in mind, Nextcloud offers you end-to-end encrypted access to your files from your phone or any other device you own. Alternatively, if you would just like to have a self-hosted Dropbox-like alternative as a backup storage option for your most private and sensitive files, Nextcloud is a great place to start. 

A screenshot of Nextcloud, a self-hosted Dropbox alternative. Image Credits: NextCloud

Why is this important? Cloud storage is often private and secure in some ways, but the companies that run them are subject to law enforcement and may also covertly scan your files (for good reason, but still) that could result in your abrupt and permanent ban from your online accounts. Although you would at least be aware of it, hosting your own does not guarantee that cops will not arrive at your home with a warrant.

With Bitwarden, you can never forget your passwords again

An excellent investment in your personal security is a password manager; these applications safely store your credit card numbers, passwords, passkeys, and other confidential information so you don’t have to remember it. Bitwarden is a well-known open source password manager that facilitates speedy access to your preferred websites, automatically enters your credit card information when you wish to make a purchase, and more. Your Bitwarden password manager is accessible from any location, including your phone. Anyone can use Bitwarden for free, but additional features are pricey.

Why is this important? The more eyes checking the source code to make sure it is reliable and intact, the better for password manager security. Additionally, open source password managers like Bitwarden are more easily auditable and transparent about their software development process, even though other password managers are as good.

Your notes and scrawls are encrypted with Joplin and Notesnook

There are many note-taking apps available for those who prefer not to use Google Docs or Microsoft 365. These apps store all of your notes, ideas, and scrawls in one location that you can view at any time. Joplin, a well-known productivity and document tool, maintains your files encrypted, structured, and in open formats (like Markdown) so you can carry them with you wherever you go. Another note-taking tool is Notesnook, which is end-to-end encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to your files and allows you to export your notes for use with other apps. This isn’t true for Google Docs either!

Joplin is a note-taking app that lets you sync your notes across devices. Image Credits: Joplin

Why is this important? Your notes, emails, and files are now exposed to the AI systems of large corporations like Google and Microsoft as they further integrate their services. Undoubtedly, this can be helpful, but if you would like a straightforward, cross-platform text syncing program, there are many solutions available that don’t perform any intrusive analysis at all.

Ente is a secure storage space for your pictures

Ente.io presents itself as a privacy-focused photo storage program that aims to safely backup all of your images and videos to the cloud, if you choose to abandon Apple Photos, Flickr, Google Photos, YouTube, and similar services. Ente protects your memories from prying eyes by encrypting your data with a password that only you know. It also backs up your data in several locations across the globe for security. Additionally, Ente has all the sharing and photo management capabilities you require in a photo software. Ente is moderately priced for extra storage options and free for basic accounts.

Why is this important? Images are a major target for AI systems, much like notes and texts. Although it may seem useful, auto-tagging your pals requires permission. Before a machine learning model scans every face you’ve ever taken a photo of, you should be required to give your consent. That in and of itself is a compelling argument for considering an independent provider that offers you a bit more flexibility.

Open Scanner is a very basic application for scanning documents

The process of scanning documents doesn’t have to be difficult or complex. An extremely easy-to-use point-and-click document scanning app for Android and iPhones is called Open Scanner. That’s all. Sometimes that’s the actual appeal of breaking away from profit-driven companies who overburden their programs with unnecessary features and AI nonsense. You can use Open Scanner to take pictures of everything you point your phone at, including notes, textbooks, and receipts.

Why is this important? Your phone is more than adequate and most likely superior to many of the less expensive scanners available unless you absolutely need a professional scanner. Use something straightforward and cost-free instead of purchasing any printer-brand hardware.

Use FreshRSS to compile your news headlines

You may subscribe to information feeds from your favorite websites, blogs, news sources, and more thanks to RSS, an incredible online technology. The majority of news websites include RSS feeds (TechCrunch is one of them!) that send the headlines to programs called RSS readers. Numerous RSS readers are available for selection. Because of its general simplicity, FreshRSS has been one of the most feature-rich RSS readers for over ten years. You have the option of deploying a private server to a specialized cloud provider or self-hosting an instance. It’s like having your own self-updating digital newspaper once you subscribe to your favorite feeds.

FreshRSS lets you collect all of your news headlines in one place. Image Credits: TechCrunch (screenshot)

Why is this important? When you view the news in this light, you’ll be shocked at how different it feels. Additionally, by setting up your own RSS, you can avoid the sponsored content and tracking that are typically found on hosted services, such as read-it-later ones.

With Owncast, take control of your livestreams

Owncast is a self-hosted streaming platform for creating and hosting livestreams for those who broadcast their own shows, gameplay, or anything else in between. Because Owncast is free, rather simple to use, and compatible with your current livestreaming equipment, it is extremely popular. Livestreaming is a great method to get your foot in new but welcoming waters if you haven’t considered it previously.

Why is this important? Even if websites like Twitch are well-known, you might not want to depend solely on the resources of a massive company (in this example, Amazon) for every stage of your creative process. You can potentially reach a new audience while hedging your bets using Owncast and other open streaming apps.

A one-stop shop for PDF editing is Stirling PDF

PDF document handling and editing has never been consistently simple. Stirling PDF is the Swiss Army knife for PDF documents for people who don’t want to spend a fortune on Adobe software or upload their files to dubious-looking file conversion websites. Without giving your private or sensitive data to a massive cloud provider, you can convert, edit, merge, split, sign, and more. If you choose to handle documents with a certain level of sensitivity, Stirling PDF also allows you to self-host.

StirlingPDF is a self-hosted PDF editor. Image Credits: TechCrunch (screenshot)

Why is this important? To be honest, whenever there is a viable substitute for Adobe, use it.

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