what I actually use
Uses
Last reviewed
This is the hardware, software and services I use every week, and why. Most of it is here because it replaced something that annoyed me: price hikes, lock-in, or a vendor deciding what happens to my data.
Every pick has a cost, so where there's a real downside I list it. Some items link to the post where I wrote about the switch, and further down is what I dropped and why.
I never act on unsolicited email about any of these tools.
How I pick tools
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Own the data, or be able to leave
Before I adopt a tool I check how hard it is to export everything. If available, an app that allows me to export plain files (e.g. Markdown) and uses open protocols (e.g. CalDAV) will always beat a nicer app that holds my data hostage.
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Open source first, open standards second
I prefer tools where I can read (and adjust) the code. When that's not possible, I'd want formats and protocols that more than one tool speaks.
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Local-first, cloud optional
Home automations, media players, family photos are things that should keep working when the internet (or a vendor) doesn't. Cloud services are a nice extra on top as a facilitator or accelerator, but not as a foundation you depend on.
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The bankruptcy test
For hardware I ask what happens if the company disappears. A device with a local API keeps working. A cloud-only one (e.g. Sonos, most voice assistants) becomes e-waste.
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Subscriptions only on purpose
I pick a one-time purchase when one exists. The subscriptions I have usually pay for convenience, or to support the people behind it. Not for access to my own data.
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EU and privacy-respecting where it's practical
GDPR exists for a reason, so I lean towards European providers. I'm pragmatic about it though: I'm ok with using a non-EU service when lock-in is low and I can still easily leave. Avoiding every piece of software or hardware that phones home is not practical, so I disable telemetry or block it.
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Own my identity
My own email domain makes every later migration easier: the provider behind it can change while my address stays the same. I use my own domain as my handle (gui.do) on Bluesky via AT Protocol and keep my account data in a repository on a PDS. This means I can swap out the PDS host whenever I want while my handle and followers stay where they are.
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Replace gradually
I run old and new side by side and switch when the new setup is boringly reliable.
Personal hardware
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Desktop PC (AMD Ryzen, RTX 5070)
My main workstation since October 2026. One machine for code, calls, streaming and most games, and the one my other devices attach to.
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ThinkPad X1 Carbon (second-hand)
A second-hand laptop that runs Linux without fuss. It's my mobile machine and attaches to the same sessions as the desktop.
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Repairable and ethically sourced. The phone it replaced was dying.
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A split, programmable keyboard that I'm still learning Colemak DH on.
Downside: Typing speed dropped while I learn the new layout.
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An e-ink tablet for handwritten notes and e-books that syncs to my own server instead of the vendor cloud.
Home
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Home Assistant Green with a Zigbee and Thread stick
Lights and automations keep running when the internet is down. It's a dedicated box, so I can reboot my other machines freely.
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HomeWizard energy meters and plugs
They have a local API, so Home Assistant reads them directly. I switched off their cloud connection.
Downside: Without the cloud connection their own app loses history and remote access.
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A small always-on box for a few home services.
OS and desktop
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A fast Arch-based Linux that I manage with config in git. On my laptop since early 2026 and on my desktop since October 2026.
Downside: A few games and the iOS tooling still need other systems.
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Dotfiles and package lists synced across my Linux machines from one git repo, with secrets encrypted.
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My main browser. Firefox-based, with workspaces, and its telemetry is off by default.
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Local speech-to-text, so my voice never leaves the machine.
Development
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Ghostty and tmux, with sesh and workmux
A fast terminal with sane defaults, and tmux sessions that live on the desktop. I attach from the laptop or my phone and continue where I left off.
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A fast, open source editor. I keep its diagnostics and metrics off.
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Static-first sites with the content in files. It runs gui.do and cro.cafe.
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GitHub Actions on my own runner
CI on a small Hetzner server is about four times faster and costs about half of the hosted minutes I was buying.
Downside: Only safe for private repos, because a runner executes whatever the workflow says.
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A non-profit, EU-based forge for private repos and my synced dotfiles.
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A git forge built on AT Protocol. My atproto.nl site deploys from there.
AI (local and hosted)
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Local models on my own GPU for when I'm offline, out of quota, or the data is private.
Downside: Slower and less capable than the hosted models, and the GPU draws about 210 W while it runs.
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One API for many models, so I can swap models without changing tools. Lock-in is low, so I accept a US service here.
Downside: A US service, and not self-hosted.
Notes, media and self-hosted services
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Everything is plain Markdown on my disk. I pay for Obsidian Sync for the mobile convenience, not for access.
Downside: The sync service is a monthly subscription, even though the app itself is free.
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RSS back in my life after the Google Reader shutdown, on my own server.
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It replaced paid Google Drive and Dropbox storage and runs my containers. I wouldn't buy one today, but I see no reason to replace one that works.
Downside: With more containers, its CPU and memory are starting to run out.
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My photo library without Google Photos. The heavy machine-learning work runs on my desktop GPU instead of the NAS.
Downside: The first import and face recognition crushed the NAS CPU for days.
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I own a lifetime pass, so I use it. The *arr apps replaced a pile of streaming subscriptions.
Downside: Plex is closed source and I wouldn't buy it again.
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One client for YouTube and other video sources, on desktop and phone. I turned off playtime tracking.
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German hosting for the few things that need a server outside my house, and for CI runners.
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cal.rs booking page
A small self-hosted booking page that writes into my own calendar.
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Self-hosted podcast feeds
I host static feeds and audio files on my own server to cut out the vendor between me and my listeners. It costs less than my old Transistor subscription.
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Privacy-friendly, cookie-free website analytics that I host myself.
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An open source newsletter tool that I run myself, so my subscriber list stays with me.
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Kairos (my own scheduler)
A small service I wrote that plans tasks and habits into free time in my Fastmail calendar.
Photo, video and streaming
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Open source RAW processing on Linux. A script culls the day's shots, RawTherapee exports them, and darktable is for the keepers.
Downside: RawTherapee has no profile for the R6 Mark II, so I borrow one from a sibling camera.
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Photo and design editing without an Adobe subscription.
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Recording, calls and streaming from one scene collection, native on Linux.
Communication and privacy
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My main social account. I own the handle, and the data lives in a repo I can move.
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Encrypted messaging. I keep moving chat groups over from WhatsApp.
Downside: Some groups are still stuck on WhatsApp.
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Email, calendar and contacts on open protocols (IMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV) with my own domains. I left Proton because its calendar was hard to automate.
Downside: It's Australian, so not in the EU.
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An open source password manager with an export I can leave with.
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An open source, offline authenticator app that isn't tied to a vendor account.
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A hardware security key for the accounts that matter most.
What I dropped
Stuff I stopped using, and what replaced it.
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Google Workspace
Mail, calendar and contacts moved. Untangling the Google sign-ins is still in progress.
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Google Photos
I wanted my photo library on hardware I own.
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YouTube app
One client for several video sources, with tracking switched off.
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Twitter and Instagram until
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Audible
Fewer subscriptions, and I keep what I buy. Audiobooks and music now come from my own library.
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YouTube Music
Fewer subscriptions, and I keep what I buy. Audiobooks and music now come from my own library.
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Streaming subscriptions (Netflix, Disney+, Prime)
Too many subscriptions that kept getting worse.
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Evernote and Notion
Markdown files I own instead of a proprietary app.
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Webflow
Content in files and a static build instead of a hosted builder.
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Proton
I used it for email and calendar, but calendar automation was too limited. I need CalDAV.
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Arc
Development ended and it isn't open source. I went to Firefox first, then Zen.
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Transistor until
I cancelled this paid podcast hosting subscription because self-hosting is cheaper. There is no vendor between me and my listeners anymore.
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Cal.com until
The hosted EU service closed on 1 November 2026 and the project went closed source, so I moved to a small self-hosted booking page.
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Adobe Creative Cloud until
No more subscription for creative tools. RAW goes through darktable and RawTherapee, and for video I'm still learning DaVinci Resolve.
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Reclaim.ai until
I wanted a scheduler I control that writes into my own calendar.
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Mac mini as daily workstation until
One machine for everything, and no macOS lock-in.