From messaging and listening to music to finding our way around, many of our everyday activities depend on services provided by big tech companies. But what if you want to be less dependent on big tech? During the Waag Open event On the hunt for public tech, visitors went on a scavenger hunt to discover alternatives to familiar apps and try them out for themselves. Missed it? We've put together an overview of the options.
Many of the apps we use every day are developed by a small number of major technology companies. This gives these companies considerable influence over how we communicate online, what information we see and what happens to our data. By using alternatives, we gain more choice and control over our digital lives.
10 alternatives to big tech
From privacy-friendly messaging apps to open-source operating systems, there are plenty of alternatives to try. You don't have to replace everything at once. You can start with a single app and see what works for you. Below, we've listed ten ways to make the switch.
1. Delta Chat and Signal (alternatives to WhatsApp)
With Delta Chat and Signal, you can send private messages and group messages. Delta Chat doesn't require a phone number and allows you to use multiple accounts, for example, for work and personal use. Both apps offer a different way to stay in touch with others.
2. Waag.social, Eurosky and oso.social (alternatives to X)
On Waag.social, Waag Futurelab's Mastodon server, you can share posts and follow others on an open social network. Eurosky also uses open protocols, allowing different platforms to communicate with each other. Together with Eurosky, Waag Futurelab is developing oso.social, a new social platform that is still in development. You can already sign up for updates about the launch and be among the first to claim your username.
3. Tidal, Qobuz and Antennapod (alternatives to Spotify, Apple Music and Apple Podcasts)
With Tidal and Qobuz, you can listen to music in high sound quality. Want to bring your playlists over from Spotify or Apple Music? You can transfer them using Tune My Music. Prefer podcasts? With AntennaPod, you can discover, follow and download podcasts without ads added by the app itself.
4. OpenStreetMap (alternative to Google Maps)
OpenStreetMap is a free, open-source world map created and maintained by a global community. You can use it to find routes and compare different route planners. For navigation on your phone, you can also use apps based on OpenStreetMap, such as Organic Maps and OsmAnd.
5. DuckDuckGo (alternative to Google)
With DuckDuckGo, you can search the internet without your search history being used to build a personal advertising profile. The search engine doesn't track your searches in the same way as Google and also offers a version without AI features.
6. Firefox (alternative to Google Chrome and Safari)
With Firefox, you can browse the internet with built-in protection against trackers. This helps limit how much information websites and advertising companies collect about your browsing activity.
7. Jitsi Meet (alternative to Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom)
With Jitsi Meet, you can make free video calls without creating an account. Simply start a video call in your browser and share the link with others. Jitsi is open source and can also be hosted on your own server.
8. Murena Workspace (alternative to Google Drive and iCloud)
With Murena Workspace, you can store, share and edit files online. The platform offers different tools for working together online without relying on Google or Apple's cloud services.
9. F-Droid (alternative to Google Playstore)
Most people download apps through Apple or Google, giving these companies considerable influence over which apps are available. F-Droid is an alternative app store for Android, focused on free and open-source software. Here, you'll find a range of open-source alternatives to familiar apps.
10. /e/OS (alternative to Android with Google services)
/e/OS is a modified version of Android in which many Google services have been replaced. The operating system gives you more control over what data apps can access.
About Mobifree
The alternatives in this overview were inspired by the Waag open event On the hunt for public tech, where visitors went on a scavenger hunt through Waag to discover and try out different apps and services on an Android phone or Murena Fairphone.
On the hunt for public tech took place as part of the European research project Mobifree. In this project, Waag explored how mobile technology can better reflect the values and needs of its users. The findings from this research have also been used in the Guide for co-creation of ethical software and the Position paper: building a public mobile stack.
