#sitealternatives — Public Fediverse posts

AFP: Europe’s new social media apps face uphill battle against tech giants. “A flurry of new schemes to launch Europe-based social networks faces a steep, rocky road to seduce users away from American and Asian giants in the sector. Founders nevertheless see opportunity in the disillusionment and distrust of major platforms that have spiked alongside transatlantic tensions under Donald […]

ZDNet: Sick of Microsoft and Google? This new European office suite is a private, open-source alternative. “This new cloud service is positioning itself as a fully European, open‑source‑based alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. The service promises digital sovereignty, strict compliance with European Union (EU) law, and a familiar cloud‑office experience for organizations […]

MauveRANT: Self-Hosting Pixelfed: Federated Instagram Without the Algorithm. “Pixelfed is the fediverse answer to Instagram. It’s an ActivityPub-powered photo sharing platform with no algorithmic timeline, no ads, no engagement-optimized dark patterns, and no company deciding what you see based on what makes them money. I’d been using pixelfed.social for a while, but there’s something about […]

XDA Developers: LibreOffice resumes work on its self-hosted Google Docs alternative. “…back in 2022, The Document Foundation (TDF) voted on putting the work on LibreOffice Online on hold. However, a vote has passed that revokes the resolution of the original poll, which means that LibreOffice Online is back under construction.”

Lifehacker: Google Shut Down Its Dark Web Monitoring Tool, so Here’s What to Use Instead. “In other words, instead of flagging when your account credentials appear in a data breach, Google wants to make sure that your accounts stay safe even if a breach has occurred. There are reasons why you should be keeping an eye on dark web chatter, however—and there are tools to take over the monitoring […]

Android Authority: Here are 5 privacy-focused alternatives to popular Google apps. “Google has a vast array of apps available, and I don’t want to make this post too long by listing an alternative for every single one of them. Instead, I’ll focus on alternatives to five popular Google apps most people are familiar with and serve as the perfect starting point for those trying to move away […]

MakeUseOf: I use this advanced search engine to find specific apps the Play Store tries to bury. “After years of scrolling past half-answers and off-target suggestions, I stumbled onto App Finder. It’s not really a Google Play Store alternative. Rather, it’s an independent search engine that indexes the Play Store’s database but gives you the controls Google removed.”

Search Engine Journal: 19 WordPress Alternatives: From Simple Builders To Enterprise CMS. “This guide provides an overview of leading WordPress alternatives across key website categories. We explore user-friendly website builders that offer drag-and-drop simplicity. We look at flexible open-source options for developers and tech-savvy users. We also cover blogging-focused options, ecommerce […]

Search Engine Journal: 19 WordPress Alternatives: From Simple Builders To Enterprise CMS. “This guide provides an overview of leading WordPress alternatives across key website categories. We explore user-friendly website builders that offer drag-and-drop simplicity. We look at flexible open-source options for developers and tech-savvy users. We also cover blogging-focused options, ecommerce […]

MakeUseOf: I tried 5 apps that let you stream free music and this one is better than Spotify. “I discovered an ecosystem of open-source music streaming apps, all of which are YouTube Music clients that deliver ad-free streaming without subscriptions, logins, or guilt trips about premium features. Each one has a distinct personality and a reason you might pick it over Spotify. After testing […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/18/makeuseof-i-tried-5-apps-that-let-you-stream-free-music-and-this-one-is-better-than-spotify/

MakeUseOf: I stopped paying for Netflix after discovering these free legal streaming apps. “After one too many Netflix price hikes and evenings disappointed by the lack of fresh content, I decided enough was enough, and it was time to seek an alternative. To my surprise, I discovered a wealth of free, legal, high-quality apps offering movies, TV shows, and even live TV channels that I didn’t […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/29/makeuseof-i-stopped-paying-for-netflix-after-discovering-these-free-legal-streaming-apps/

How-To Geek: 5 Pocket Alternatives That Can Replace the Now-Defunct “Read It Later” Service. “One of the most famous read-later apps, Pocket by Mozilla, shut down permanently in October. The app was known for its ease of use, sync, and interface, leaving many loyal users shifting to similar apps. There are many alternative read-later apps you can download and use, with many of them supporting […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/13/how-to-geek-5-pocket-alternatives-that-can-replace-the-now-defunct-read-it-later-service/

XDA Developers: I migrated my cloud photos to my self-hosted Immich, here’s how. “Immich is an open-source photo and video backup solution that runs on your own hardware. The app supports both Android and iOS via mobile apps, a web interface that resembles Google Photos, and offers essential features such as albums, timelines, AI-powered search, and facial recognition. Once set up, it is […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/06/xda-developers-i-migrated-my-cloud-photos-to-my-self-hosted-immich-heres-how/

The Peak: Documenting my transition away from Google’s search engine. “While it may seem impossible to completely remove a tech monopoly from your life, search engines and web browsers are an easy starting point and make a difference. I decided to try two of the top web browser alternatives and compare them so you can choose which one is right for you.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/09/24/the-peak-documenting-my-transition-away-from-googles-search-engine/

XDA: I automated my life with n8n, and this open-source Zapier alternative is scarily powerful. “You probably know Zapier, which is popular among both individuals and businesses. It helped bring automation into the mainstream by offering an easy, no-code way to connect over 5,000 apps. But I don’t think Zapier is the best option anymore. A stronger choice is n8n, a relatively new tool that […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/08/26/xda-i-automated-my-life-with-n8n-and-this-open-source-zapier-alternative-is-scarily-powerful/

How-To Geek: The 8 Best Internet Archive Alternatives for Digging Up Old Stuff. “Until recently, the Internet Archive has been my go-to wayback machine for accessing websites, documents, and files that are no longer available on their original sites. But lately, I’ve discovered some other sites that let you dig up old stuff in totally new ways. These are some of the best Internet Archive […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/08/06/how-to-geek-the-8-best-internet-archive-alternatives-for-digging-up-old-stuff/

How-To Geek: This Open Source App Finally Got Me to Leave Google Photos. “I’ve been using Google Photos ever since it launched a decade ago, but have recently been thinking of switching to an alternative. As much as I like Google’s app, I want something with a greater focus on privacy. Ente Photos offers exactly that.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/07/18/how-to-geek-this-open-source-app-finally-got-me-to-leave-google-photos/

Search Engine Journal: 25 Alternative Search Engines You Can Use Instead Of Google. “Google does still hold majority market share, but there are several alternative search engines that offer distinct advantages over Google, such as enhanced privacy, specialized content, unique algorithms, and tailored user experiences. Here are 25 of the best alternative search engines you can try.” Excellent […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/04/19/search-engine-journal-25-alternative-search-engines-you-can-use-instead-of-google/

Engadget: Bluesky created its own TikTok-like feature called ‘Trending Videos’. “TikTok might be (sort of) back for now, but that’s not stopping other social media platforms from trying to horn in on its business. Bluesky is the latest, introducing a TikTok-like vertical video feature on mobile called Trending Videos, now available in the explore tab, the company announced in a post on its […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/01/21/bluesky-created-its-own-tiktok-like-feature-called-trending-videos-engadget/