I ditched Google's ecosystem with these 5 self-hosted apps—and I'm never going back

I ditched Google's ecosystem with these 5 self-hosted apps—and I'm never going back Credit: Ismar Hrnjicevic / How-To Geek By  Ismar Hrnjicevic Published May 31, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT Ismar is a Senior Author at How-To Geek. He previously worked as a writer, editor, and general manager at a content agency before joining the team in 2023. He began his writing career in 2021 after completing a BA in English Language and Literature. Beyond How-To Geek, Ismar has contributed to Red Stag Fulfillment and Authority Hacker. He has also worked on various SEO projects to help clients improve their search visibility. Ismar has been around Windows PCs since the age of three, so friends and family naturally chose him as the resident tech support. His projects often involve tinkering, such as disassembling mechanical keyboards and gaming mice to mod his beloved gear. He also enjoys pushing hardware to the max through overclocking while staying on a reasonable budget. An avid gamer, Ismar has logged thousands of hours across various genres, including first-person shooters, RPGs, racing games, and roguelites. When he is not at his desk, he is probably exploring other people’s phones to discover their quirks and features or experimenting with the latest AI tools. In his free time, Ismar enjoys spending time with his wife, working out at the gym, playing guitar and bass, cooking gourmet meals, and traveling. Above all else, he’s a proud cat owner. Sign in to your How-To Geek account Add Us On Jump links Jump Links Home Assistant helped me escape the frustration of Google Home Jellyfin replaced more of YouTube than I expected Immich helped me take my photo library back from Google Photos Joplin replaced Keep as my new cross-platform brain dump Vaultwarden got my passwords off Google’s servers follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a