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 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.