European Alternatives to American Apps & Software

Enterprise password manager built specifically for European businesses with a focus on organizational security and compliance. Uniqkey takes a unique hardware-based security approach that sets it apart from traditional password managers, combining military-grade encryption with an architecture designed to eliminate the most common attack vectors.

The platform seamlessly integrates with existing Single Sign-On (SSO) systems, allowing IT administrators to maintain centralized control while employees enjoy frictionless access to their credentials. Features include automatic password rotation, comprehensive compliance reporting for audits, and detailed activity logs.

The employee onboarding and offboarding process is streamlined—new team members get instant access to relevant credentials while departing employees are immediately locked out. All data is stored exclusively within the EU on GDPR-compliant infrastructure, making it ideal for organizations in regulated industries.

End-to-end encrypted email service founded in 2013 by scientists who met at CERN. ProtonMail uses zero-access encryption architecture, meaning that even ProtonMail's own servers cannot read your emails—only you hold the decryption keys.

The service is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with servers located in underground data centers in a former military bunker beneath 1,000 meters of granite rock, protected by some of the world's strongest privacy laws.

Features include encrypted contacts, self-destructing messages with customizable expiration timers, and ProtonMail Bridge for desktop clients. The web interface and mobile apps are open source and independently audited.

German encrypted email provider (formerly Tutanota) with a strong focus on privacy, security, and environmental sustainability. Tuta stands out by encrypting your entire mailbox—including subject lines, email body, attachments, and contact list.

The service has developed its own encryption protocols and is currently implementing quantum-resistant encryption to protect against future threats. Tuta runs entirely on renewable energy from Greenpeace Energy.

Features include an integrated encrypted calendar, anonymous signup without phone verification, two-factor authentication, and the ability to send encrypted emails to non-Tuta recipients through password-protected links.

Belgian secure email service operating since 1999, offering a comprehensive collaboration suite beyond just email. Mailfence provides integrated calendar, contacts, document storage, and group collaboration tools.

The service supports OpenPGP encryption for end-to-end encrypted emails and digital signatures. Unlike some providers, Mailfence gives you full control over your encryption keys.

Features include two-factor authentication, custom domain support, catch-all addresses, email aliases, and secure document storage. The business model is based purely on subscriptions rather than data monetization.

Independent, ad-free German email provider founded in 2009 with an unwavering commitment to privacy, sustainability, and ethical business practices. Posteo is powered entirely by green energy and certified for environmental practices.

What makes Posteo unique is its approach to anonymity—you can pay via cash sent by mail, making it possible to use the service without any identifying payment information. At just €1 per month, it's one of the most affordable premium services available.

Posteo has a strong track record of fighting for user privacy, including legal action against German authorities. The service strips IP addresses from all outgoing emails and offers migration tools to import existing emails.

Privacy-focused German email service that goes beyond email to offer a complete productivity platform rivaling Google Workspace. Founded by Peer Heinlein, a well-known privacy advocate in Germany.

Mailbox.org provides email, cloud storage, calendar, contacts, task management, and an online office suite. The unique "Guard" feature can automatically encrypt incoming emails even from senders who don't use encryption.

The web interface includes integrated video conferencing. The company has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to privacy by challenging government overreach in German courts.

Swiss email service from Infomaniak, an independent cloud provider operating since 1994 and one of the largest web hosting companies in Switzerland. Offers a generous free tier with 20GB of storage.

All data is stored exclusively in Switzerland, benefiting from privacy laws that require court orders for data requests and prohibit mass surveillance. Infomaniak runs on 100% renewable energy and achieves carbon neutrality.

The company is fully independent with no external investors, meaning they answer only to customers rather than shareholders demanding data monetization.

Decentralized, end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration platform built on the open Matrix protocol. Element is developed by the same team that created Matrix.

What sets Element apart is its federated architecture—organizations can run their own Matrix servers while still communicating with users on other servers, similar to how email works.

Trusted by the French government, Germany's Bundeswehr, and Gematik (German healthcare agency). Element can bridge to Slack, Microsoft Teams, IRC, Telegram, and WhatsApp.

Swiss-made instant messenger that prioritizes privacy above all else. Unlike most messaging apps, Threema doesn't require a phone number or email address—you receive a random Threema ID for anonymous usage.

All communication is end-to-end encrypted by default using the NaCl cryptography library. Threema's servers are exclusively in Switzerland under strict data protection laws.

The Swiss government and military use Threema for secure communications. Apps are fully open source, and the business version offers admin controls and enterprise integration.

Enterprise-grade secure collaboration platform combining messaging, file sharing, and video conferencing with end-to-end encryption. Founded by former Skype engineers, now headquartered in Switzerland.

Wire uses the open-source Proteus protocol (based on Signal protocol). Particularly popular with organizations requiring strict compliance—government agencies, law firms, and financial institutions.

Features encrypted group video calls up to 12 participants, guest rooms for external collaborators, and on-premise deployment options for maximum data sovereignty.

Revolutionary privacy-first messenger that eliminates user identifiers entirely. Unlike every other messaging platform, SimpleX doesn't assign any user ID—not even a random number.

It uses temporary, one-time pairwise addresses for each conversation, making it virtually impossible to build a social graph of who talks to whom. Even SimpleX servers cannot correlate messages.

The platform is open source, audited by Trail of Bits, and funded through donations rather than data harvesting. Supports incognito mode for joining groups without revealing your profile.

Peer-to-peer encrypted messenger designed for activists, journalists, and anyone needing to communicate in hostile environments. Briar doesn't require servers or internet—it syncs via Bluetooth, WiFi, or mesh networking.

When internet is available, Briar routes all traffic through Tor. Messages are stored encrypted on your device only, synchronized when you physically meet or connect to the same network.

Independently audited by Cure53 and developed with input from security experts and human rights organizations to serve as a communication lifeline when other tools fail.

Free, open-source video conferencing that requires no account, no download, and no personal information. Simply create a room name and share the link—meetings start instantly in your browser.

Features include screen sharing, live streaming to YouTube, meeting recording, virtual backgrounds, hand raising, chat, polls, and breakout rooms for splitting larger meetings.

One of Jitsi's biggest advantages is self-hosting—organizations can run their own Jitsi server for complete control. The project is 100% open source with a vibrant community.

Purpose-built open-source video conferencing for online learning and virtual classrooms. Widely adopted throughout Europe by universities, schools, and organizations running their own instances.

Educational features include multi-user whiteboard, breakout rooms, integrated polling, shared notes, presentation tools with annotations, and engagement indicators.

Integrates with Learning Management Systems (Moodle, Canvas, Schoology) through LTI. Sessions can be recorded complete with whiteboard activity and chat. Fully self-hostable.

Norwegian video meeting platform designed with simplicity and reliability as core principles. Offers permanent meeting rooms with fixed URLs that never expire—create once, use forever.

The entire experience happens in your browser with no downloads or plugins, making it incredibly accessible. Headquartered in Oslo with data processing within Europe and full GDPR compliance.

Features screen sharing, meeting recording, virtual backgrounds, emoji reactions, and "knock to enter" for controlled access. Popular with consultants and small teams.

The leading open-source, self-hostable cloud platform providing a complete alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Founded in Stuttgart, Germany, used by the German Federal Government and CERN.

Nextcloud Hub includes file sync with E2E encryption, Nextcloud Office, calendar, contacts, email integration, task management, video conferencing, and 500+ apps.

Features powerful sharing controls, file versioning, full-text search, and comprehensive admin controls. Self-host or choose from European hosting providers.

Swiss cloud storage known for unique lifetime payment plans—pay once, use forever. Data stored in Luxembourg (EU) or US, your choice. Optional pCloud Crypto adds client-side encryption.

Features automatic camera backup, file versioning up to 180 days, virtual drive for accessing cloud files without local sync, and built-in media players for streaming.

Includes a rewind feature to restore your entire account to any point in time—useful for ransomware recovery. Generous sharing with no upload limits.

End-to-end encrypted cloud storage for businesses handling sensitive or regulated data. Founded in Hungary, now headquartered in Zurich. Uses zero-knowledge encryption—only you hold the keys.

Compliant with GDPR, HIPAA (healthcare), SOC2, and various regulatory frameworks. Data centers in Switzerland, Netherlands, and Ireland.

Features secure sharing with DRM, eSignatures, detailed audit logs, and admin controls including device management. Trusted by law firms, healthcare providers, and financial institutions.

Swiss cloud storage from Infomaniak with a generous 15GB free tier. All data stored exclusively in Switzerland in Infomaniak's own data centers, protected by Swiss privacy laws.

Includes real-time collaborative document editing through an integrated online office suite, eliminating the need for separate subscriptions.

Infomaniak operates entirely on renewable energy and is fully independent with no external investors. Excellent choice for individuals and businesses seeking ethical European hosting.

German zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage with generous free storage and competitive pricing. All files encrypted with AES-256 before upload—Filen cannot access your data.

10GB free storage, with extremely competitive paid plans including lifetime options. Apps are fully open source, allowing independent verification of security claims.

Features file versioning, secure sharing, notes, contacts, and WebDAV access. Supports unlimited file sizes with no individual file limits.

Privacy-focused VPN taking anonymity to the extreme—no email, name, or personal information required. Uses randomly generated 16-digit account numbers. Pay with cash or cryptocurrency.

No-logs policy dramatically verified in April 2023 when Swedish police raided their headquarters and left empty-handed. All servers run entirely in RAM.

Fixed price of €5/month with no discounts—by design to avoid lock-in. Partnered with Tor Project to create the Mullvad Browser for anti-fingerprinting protection.

VPN from the makers of ProtonMail, benefiting from Switzerland's strong privacy laws. One of few VPNs with a genuinely useful free tier—unlimited bandwidth, no data caps, no ads.

Secure Core feature routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries (Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden) before your destination. No-logs policy independently audited.

Apps are fully open source. NetShield blocks ads/malware/trackers. Integrates seamlessly with other Proton services and publishes regular transparency reports.

Privacy-focused VPN based in Gibraltar, operating since 2009 with a strict no-logs policy verified through multiple independent audits by Cure53.

Transparent about ownership, team members, and infrastructure—unusual in an industry plagued by shadowy ownership. Supports anonymous payment with cash and crypto.

Features multi-hop VPN through two countries, AntiTracker blocking, and open-source apps. Deliberately avoids promotional gimmicks and affiliate programs.

Highly customizable browser from Norway, created by Opera's co-founder who left after disagreeing with data collection practices. Employee-owned with no external investors or shareholder pressure.

Built for power users—nearly every aspect can be customized. Includes built-in ad/tracker blocking, full email client, calendar, RSS reader, notes, translation, and screenshot tools.

All Google tracking code removed. Integrated Proton VPN. Runs Vivaldi Social (Mastodon instance) demonstrating commitment to decentralization.

Privacy-focused browser from a collaboration between Mullvad VPN and the Tor Project. Provides Tor Browser's anti-fingerprinting protections for use with VPN or regular internet.

Makes users look identical to each other—websites cannot distinguish you based on browser configuration, fonts, screen size, or other tracking characteristics.

uBlock Origin pre-installed, private browsing always enabled, no telemetry. Deliberately limits customization to prevent users becoming unique and trackable.

French search engine with its own search index—one of the few truly independent alternatives to Google. Does not track users, use cookies for profiling, or create filter bubbles.

Offers Qwant Junior, a filtered search for children ages 6-12 that blocks inappropriate content—widely used in French schools.

Backed by French government investment bank and German media company Axel Springer, demonstrating European support for digital sovereignty.

German search engine using advertising revenue to plant trees—over 200 million trees across 35+ countries since 2009. Publishes monthly financial reports showing exactly how money is spent.

Carbon-negative company producing more clean energy than consumed. Does not sell data to advertisers, encrypts searches, and anonymizes data within one week.

Certified B Corporation legally structured so it cannot be sold—founders transferred ownership to ensure the mission continues in perpetuity.

Dutch search engine providing Google results without tracking—best of both worlds. Acts as intermediary, stripping identifying information before sending your query.

Unique "Anonymous View" lets you visit websites from results through a proxy, hiding your IP from destination sites. First search engine to offer SSL encryption by default.

Awarded the EU Privacy Seal (EuroPriSe). Revenue from non-tracking ads based solely on keywords, not your profile.

British search engine with its own independent crawler and index—results come directly from Mojeek's exploration of the web, not from Google or Bing. Founded in Brighton, has crawled over 8 billion pages.

Strict no-tracking policy with no user profiling or search history retention. Features "Mojeek Summary" AI answers citing sources and carbon footprint display.

As an independent crawler, provides unfiltered, unbiased results. Transparent about crawling and ranking methodologies.

Free, open-source meta-search engine you can self-host or use through public instances. Aggregates results from over 70 search engines without any tracking.

When you use SearXNG, search engines see queries coming from the SearXNG server, not from you. Highly customizable categories and search sources.

Self-hostable for complete control. Active European community of contributors prioritizing privacy and independence.

World's most popular free office suite from The Document Foundation in Berlin. Includes Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, and Math. Downloaded hundreds of millions of times.

Excellent Microsoft Office compatibility (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX) while using open ODF standard natively. Used by French Gendarmerie, Italian military, and numerous governments.

Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with no subscription fees—ever. Vibrant global community with regular releases and 100+ language support.

Latvian office suite with the best Microsoft Office compatibility of any alternative—preserves complex formatting, macros, and layouts perfectly.

Offers desktop editors, cloud-hosted version, or self-hosted server editions. Real-time collaboration with visible cursors, comments, and track changes.

Integrates with Nextcloud, ownCloud, and SharePoint. Open source (AGPL). OnlyOffice Workspace adds project management, CRM, and email.

French end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite—all content encrypted in your browser before reaching the server. Even CryptPad's operators cannot read your documents.

Full suite: rich text, spreadsheets, presentations, kanban boards, whiteboards, forms, and code editing. Real-time collaboration with instant changes.

Funded by European grants (NGI, NLnet). Self-hostable. Particularly valued by journalists, activists, and organizations handling sensitive information.

French open-source note-taking and to-do application as a privacy-respecting Evernote alternative. Notes stored locally with optional sync to your choice of cloud service.

Markdown format ensures notes remain accessible and portable. End-to-end encryption available. Web clipper saves content from browsers.

Apps for all platforms with consistent experience. Supports plugins, external editor integration, and import from Evernote and OneNote.

Powerful open-source project management from Berlin. Trusted by Audi, Siemens, Linux Foundation, and German government agencies. Supports classic, agile, and hybrid methodologies.

Features Gantt charts, Scrum/Kanban boards, time tracking, cost reporting, meeting management, wiki, and file management with version control.

Self-hostable for complete data control or use EU-hosted cloud. Enterprise features include advanced authentication, custom workflows, and professional support.

Spanish open-source project management built for agile teams. Beautiful, intuitive interface making agile methodologies accessible. Supports Scrum and Kanban workflows.

For Scrum: product backlog, sprint planning, burndown charts, retrospectives, velocity tracking. For Kanban: customizable columns, WIP limits, cumulative flow diagrams.

Integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket. Generous free tier for small teams. Maintained by Kaleidos, a Spanish software development company.

Finnish open-source Kanban board as a complete, self-hosted Trello alternative. Unlimited boards, lists, and cards with no artificial restrictions.

Features swimlanes, checklists, due dates, file attachments, labels, member assignments, real-time updates, and extensive customization including custom fields.

Supports import from Trello for easy migration. Runs on Docker, Snap packages, and traditional servers. Active development with frequent releases.

Complete DevOps platform founded in Netherlands by Ukrainian developers, now one of the world's largest open-source projects. Provides everything in a single application.

Features source code management, CI/CD, issue tracking, code review, container registry, package registry, security scanning, and infrastructure as code.

Community Edition is fully open source (MIT). Over 30 million users including Goldman Sachs, Siemens, and NVIDIA. Monthly releases with rapid feature additions.

Non-profit, community-driven Git hosting from Berlin's Codeberg e.V. association. Mission: provide a free, open-source home independent of commercial interests.

Entirely funded by donations. All features free for open-source projects—no paid tiers. Runs on Forgejo, a community fork of Gitea.

Codeberg CI provides continuous integration. Codeberg Pages hosts static websites. Strict policies: no tracking, no advertising, no data sales.

Community-driven, self-hostable Git forge—a fork of Gitea ensuring community governance and free software commitment. Lightweight yet full-featured GitLab alternative.

Forgejo Actions provides CI/CD compatible with GitHub Actions workflows. Minimal system requirements—runs on modest hardware.

Quarterly releases with focus on security, accessibility, and federation. Committed to remaining free software forever with no contributor license agreements.

GNU Image Manipulation Program—powerful, free image editor developed by mostly European contributors since 1996. Professional-grade tools rivaling Adobe Photoshop.

Features sophisticated selection tools, layer management with blend modes, color management with ICC profiles, non-destructive editing, and extensive filter library.

Extensible through Python-Fu and Script-Fu. Plugin ecosystem includes G'MIC (500+ filters) and Resynthesizer (content-aware fill).

Professional vector graphics editor using SVG (open W3C standard) as native format. Create logos, icons, illustrations, diagrams, and web graphics that scale without losing quality.

Features Bézier curves, shape tools, text-on-path, advanced path operations, gradient fills, bitmap tracing, and filter effects. Supports pressure-sensitive tablets.

Python extensions add specialized features. Used by professional designers, illustrators, and web developers worldwide.

Industry-standard 3D creation suite from the Blender Foundation in Amsterdam. Used by Ubisoft, Tangent Animation, and major visual effects companies—completely free.

Complete 3D pipeline: modeling, sculpting, rigging, animation, physics simulations, rendering with Cycles/Eevee, video editing, compositing, and motion tracking.

Funded by Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Meta, Amazon, and others through Blender Development Fund. Quarterly releases with significant new features.

Spanish open-source design and prototyping platform—genuine Figma alternative for UI/UX teams. From Kaleidos in Madrid. Uses open standards (SVG) so work is never locked in.

Features component systems, design tokens, auto-layout, prototyping with interactions, real-time collaboration, and commenting tools.

Free cloud service or self-host for complete data sovereignty. As Figma was acquired by Adobe, many teams are evaluating Penpot as vendor-independent alternative.

World's most popular media player from French non-profit VideoLAN. Downloaded over 3.5 billion times. Handles virtually any format without additional codec installations.

Plays video files, audio, DVDs, Blu-rays, network streams, and live streams. Features hardware decoding for 4K/8K, Chromecast support, and subtitle synchronization.

No ads, no tracking, no telemetry. Available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and smart TVs. Maintained entirely through donations.

Powerful non-linear video editor from the KDE community. Professional capabilities for content creators, YouTubers, and filmmakers without expensive subscriptions.

Multi-track editing with unlimited tracks, effects with keyframe animation, audio mixing, color correction with scopes, and proxy editing for smooth 4K workflows.

Speech-to-text subtitling, storyboard mode, and support for virtually any format through FFmpeg. Available for Linux, Windows, and macOS.

Decentralized video hosting from French non-profit Framasoft. Federated model—anyone can run an instance, and instances connect to each other. Uses P2P to share streaming load.

No ads, no tracking algorithms, no recommendation engine maximizing engagement—you see what you subscribe to. Creators retain full ownership.

Thousands of instances worldwide covering every topic. Supports monetization through donations and Patreon-like integrations.

Decentralized social network created in 2016 by German developer Eugen Rochko. Part of the "Fediverse" using ActivityPub protocol—users can interact across different platforms.

Structured around independent "instances" with their own rules. Chronological timeline with no algorithmic manipulation. No ads, no tracking, no central data collection.

Millions of active users. Major organizations, journalists, and public figures have established Mastodon presences.

Decentralized photo sharing platform—ethical, privacy-respecting Instagram alternative. Part of the Fediverse, so Pixelfed users can follow Mastodon users and vice versa.

No ads, no algorithmic feed, no visible engagement metrics by default, no tracking. Stories, Collections, filters, and editing tools.

Designed to be a space for sharing without anxiety-inducing likes, follower counts, and algorithmic amplification.

Federated link aggregator and discussion platform—open-source, decentralized Reddit alternative. Part of the Fediverse. Grew dramatically in 2023 as users sought Reddit alternatives.

Communities hosted on independent instances can be subscribed to across different servers. Features nested comments, voting, mod tools, and markdown formatting.

Each instance has its own rules and administrators. Self-hosting is straightforward. Multiple mobile apps available.

French server operating system making self-hosting accessible to everyone. Web-based administration for managing servers, users, domains, and applications without command line.

400+ one-click applications: Nextcloud, Matrix/Element, WordPress, Mastodon, PeerTube, and hundreds more. Handles SSL, DNS, backups, and SSO automatically.

Install on dedicated servers, VPS, or Raspberry Pi. Developed by community dedicated to digital autonomy. Runs entirely on donations.

German hosting company since 1997, known for exceptional value and straightforward pricing. Data centers in Germany and Finland under strict EU/GDPR regulations. Employee-owned.

Cloud servers from a few euros monthly, dedicated servers at competitive prices—often significantly cheaper than US providers. Developer-friendly API and Terraform provider.

Strong reputation in European developer community for reliability and honest dealing—no hidden fees, no aggressive upselling.

Europe's largest cloud provider from Roubaix, France. Over 400,000 servers serving 1.6 million customers. Complete range: dedicated servers, VPS, public/private cloud, managed Kubernetes.

"Sovereign Cloud" options guarantee data stays in specific jurisdictions with no foreign government access under CLOUD Act. Often significantly cheaper than AWS/Azure/Google.

Committed to sustainability with water-cooling and renewable energy. Builds own servers in own factories for supply chain control.

Swedish peer-to-peer file synchronization—Dropbox functionality without cloud involvement. Files travel directly between your devices, encrypted end-to-end, never touching third-party servers.

No subscription fee, no storage limits except your hardware, no company can shut it down. TLS encryption and cryptographic device verification.

Features selective sync, file versioning, ignore patterns, bandwidth limiting. Open source, funded through donations. Available on all platforms including Android.

Belgian business management suite integrating ERP, CRM, e-commerce, accounting, inventory, manufacturing, HR, and 30+ applications. Over 12 million users worldwide.

Modular architecture—start with what you need, add more as you grow. Modern interface, real-time dashboards, workflow automation, and comprehensive API.

Community Edition is fully open source (LGPL). Self-host or use European cloud. Competes with SAP/Oracle/Dynamics at a fraction of the cost.