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what I actually use

Uses

Last reviewed

This is the hardware, software and services I use every week, and what I (dis)like about them. These are the tools that stood the test of time and best match my principles, plus some new items I'm trying out.

Every pick has pros and cons. I tried explaining why I picked something over something else and how I handle/accept the downsides. Some items link to the post where I wrote about the switch.

How I pick tools

  1. Own the data, or be able to leave

    Before I adopt a tool I assume I will one day want to leave it again, so I want to confirm the available exit strategy. An app that lets me export plain files (e.g. Markdown) and uses open protocols (e.g. CalDAV) will beat a nicer app that holds my data hostage.

  2. Open standards first, open source second

    I start with open protocols and formats that more than one tool speaks - AT Protocol, CalDAV, IMAP, Markdown - because that's what lets me actually leave. Open source is the bonus: I can read the code, adjust it if I need to. But I'll take a closed app on an open protocol over an open app that locks my data in. Closed is fine if my data stays mine and leaving costs nothing: Plex is closed, but my library is plain files on my NAS, so I could switch to Jellyfin tomorrow like nothing happened.

    Show the 30 items

  3. Local-first, cloud optional

    Home automations, media players and family photos should keep working when the internet (or a vendor) doesn't. Cloud is a nice extra, but things shouldn't break when it's gone.

    Show the 18 items

  4. The bankruptcy test

    For hardware I ask what happens if the company disappears: a device with a local API keeps working, while a cloud-only one (e.g. most voice assistants) becomes e-waste.

  5. Buy once, never rent your own data

    I pick a one-time purchase when one exists. The subscriptions I have are mostly for convenience or to support the makers, not for access to my own data.

  6. EU law-respecting, EU-hosted preferred

    GDPR exists for a reason, so I lean towards European providers. I'm an EU citizen, so non-EU tools still have to respect my rights under GDPR, and when they do, using them is fine. Avoiding every piece of software or hardware that phones home is not practical, so I disable telemetry or block it.

    Show the 12 items

  7. Own my identity

    My own email domain makes 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 on a PDS, the server that stores it, so I can swap out the PDS host whenever I want while my handle and followers stay where they are.

  8. Replace gradually

    My selection criteria evolve over time, but that doesn't mean that I throw out all my gear the moment it no longer fits: I try to make practical and environmentally conscious decisions and (re)use what I can. It's about making decisions that take me in the right direction and form good future foundations, not about having it all perfect right now.

Defaults

Mail service
Fastmail
Mail client
Fastmail
Calendar
Fastmail
Contacts
Fastmail
Notes
Obsidian
Handwritten notes
Supernote Manta
RSS
FreshRSS
Browser
Zen browser
Search
DuckDuckGo
Chat
Signal
Social
Bluesky
Passwords
Bitwarden
Code editor
Zed
Terminal
Ghostty
Code hosting
Tangled
Photo library
Immich
Photo editing
darktable
Music
Plexamp
Audiobooks
Audiobookshelf
Video
Grayjay
Office
LibreOffice
Analytics
Umami
Newsletter
Listmonk
Local AI
Ollama
Hosted AI
OpenRouter
AI coding agent
OpenCode
OS
CachyOS

Personal hardware

  • Desktop PC (AMD Ryzen, RTX 5070)

    One machine for code, calls, streaming and most games, and the one my other devices attach to.

    Since October 2026 · Replaced Mac mini as daily workstation

  • ThinkPad X1 Carbon

    A second-hand laptop that runs Linux without fuss. It syncs with the desktop and attaches to the same tmux sessions.

    Story: BigTech independence update: cleaning house for local AI

  • Fairphone 6

    Repairable and ethically sourced. The phone it replaced was dying (well, mainly its battery).

    fairphone.com · Replaced Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • ZSA Voyager (Evaluating)

    A split, programmable keyboard that I'm still learning Colemak DH on.

    Downside: Typing speed dropped while I learn the new layout.

    zsa.io

  • Supernote Manta

    An e-ink tablet for handwritten notes and e-books that syncs to my own server instead of the vendor cloud.

    supernote.com · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • Fully Jarvis L-shaped standing desk

    I like standing up for calls and for some of the work, but not all day. So I needed a desk that can reliably go up and down and gives me a lot of space. Since I'm in the corner of my home office, the L shape makes perfect sense and works great. It's a very stable frame on which I could put my own custom tabletop. Combined with the Aeris Muvmat it's great for alternating between sitting and standing.

    fully.com

  • Aeris Muvmat

    Nice "forest pebbles" surface for standing work/calls that is both soft and makes you move around (so you don't lock yourself into a single position too long).

    aeris.de

  • Interstuhl TWENTYFOUR

    I sit at my desk a lot. Not 24 hours, but I still really needed this to be a good one. I like my back not hurting all the time ;) The seat and back covers come off for cleaning!

    Downside: More boring compared to those hip gaming chairs, but if I sit in it I don't see the chair anyway, but do feel it ;)

    interstuhl.com

  • Sony WH-1000XM5

    I bought it because I was quite happy with my XM3, but lost that at an airport. If I need to replace these, I'll probably go for the Fairphone Fairbuds XL.

    sony.co.uk · Replaced Sony WH-1000XM3

  • Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

  • Garmin Epix Pro

    A very good product and fun to customize the dials yourself.

    Downside: Their app ecosystem has some weird quirks and they are starting to behave like a monopolist. Especially on a watch priced like this, I'd expect to be able to use all features, not have some locked behind a paywall. I would go for an EU-based alternative next time.

    garmin.com

Home

  • Firewalla

    A router and firewall with per-device rules and domain blocking, without needing a cloud account for the basics. I use it for custom DNS rules, network insights and blocking ads and trackers across the whole network.

    firewalla.com · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • Home Assistant Green with a Zigbee and Thread (Matter) stick

    Central hub for all home-based automations, without any reliance on the internet. It's a dedicated box, so I can reboot my other machines freely.

    home-assistant.io · Story: A practical guide to building your own antifragile tech stack

  • HomeWizard P1 meter, water meter 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. The HomeWizard plugs are overpriced, so the new plugs I buy now are IKEA GRILLPLATS.

    homewizard.com

  • Raspberry Pi 5

    It runs some of my containers to take the load off the NAS. Especially for write-heavy containers it's nice to be able to bring down the HDD noise from the NAS (the RPi has an NVMe drive that doesn't make any noise).

    raspberrypi.com

  • Stages SB20

    I chose it because it's the best complete and compact indoor bike (as in: not a roller for an outdoor bike) I could find that didn't require a subscription to ride. It needed to fit in my home office, so it couldn't be too long. You can adjust the handlebars and seat up, down, forward, or back, which makes it great.

    stagescycling.com

  • DYMO LabelManager 160

    I love it because (afterwards) it helps me find things much faster.

    Downside: My girlfriend hates it (when labels are visible anywhere).

    dymo.com

  • Brother color laser printer

  • Canon SELPHY photo printer

OS and desktop

  • CachyOS with KDE Plasma

    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. Wanted niri, but it didn't play nice with my Elgato Prompter (DisplayLink, NVIDIA) and swiping... so KDE Plasma for now.

    cachyos.org · Replaced macOS

  • chezmoi with metapac

    Dotfiles and package lists synced across my Linux machines from one git repo, with secrets encrypted. This, combined with Obsidian Sync and a WireGuard connection ensures that it makes no difference whatsoever if I work on my Linux machine at home, or on my laptop while traveling.

    chezmoi.io

  • Zen browser

    My main browser. Firefox-based, with workspaces, and all tabs sync live between machines.

    zen-browser.app · Replaced Arc

  • Handy (Evaluating)

    Local speech-to-text, so my voice never leaves the machine.

    handy.computer · Replaced MacWhisper and typing by hand

  • LibreOffice

    libreoffice.org · Replaced Microsoft Office

Development

  • Ghostty and tmux, with sesh and workmux

    tmux sessions that live on the desktop. I attach from the laptop or my phone and continue where I left off.

    ghostty.org · Replaced Alacritty

  • Zed

    A fast, open source editor.

    zed.dev

  • Astro

    Great to build fast static-first sites with the content in markdown files. You are looking at it :).

    astro.build · Replaced Webflow · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • GitHub + 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. Once Tangled covers the bits I still use GitHub for (private repos, project boards, the Actions marketplace), I'm switching.

    Downside: It's Microsoft. A self-hosted runner executes whatever the workflow says, so it's only safe for private repos unless you require approval for outside contributors' workflows. Ephemeral runners (fresh container or VM per job) make this safer.

    docs.github.com · Replaced GitHub-hosted runners · Story: Outsource your GitHub CI to a VPS: cheaper, faster, and a free backup server too

  • Codeberg

    A non-profit, EU-based forge for private repos and my synced dotfiles. Planning to move to Tangled once it supports private repos.

    codeberg.org

  • Termux

    Android terminal. I use it to SSH from my phone into the tmux sessions where my AI coding sessions run.

    termux.dev

  • Tangled (Evaluating)

    A git forge built on AT Protocol. My atproto.nl site deploys from there.

    tangled.org

AI (local and hosted)

  • Ollama

    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.

    ollama.com · Story: BigTech independence update: cleaning house for local AI

  • OpenRouter

    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. And depending on the model/provider, they might train on your data.

    openrouter.ai · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • OpenCode

    Open alternative to the other CLI tools. For development I can't really get used to doing this through their apps, terminals rule for me.

    opencode.ai

  • Hermes Agent (Evaluating)

    github.com

  • Mistral Vibe (Evaluating)

    For mobile one-off questions an AI answers better than a search engine. Mistral is French/EU.

    mistral.ai

Notes and reading

Media

  • Immich

    I host my family photos and videos on my own NAS, backed up from my phone. 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.

    immich.app · Replaced Google Photos · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • Plex

    Wouldn't start using it today, but I bought a lifetime pass when it was very cheap and the combination with Plexamp is also convenient. Ideally I'll replace it with an open source alternative at some point (Jellyfin?) but it's not high on my todo list.

    Downside: Plex is closed source.

    plex.tv · Replaced Streaming subscriptions (Netflix, Disney+, Prime) · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • NVIDIA Shield TV Pro

    Android TV box; much better than the bloatware that ships with TVs.

    Downside: Old; no update from NVIDIA in sight.

    nvidia.com

  • Symfonium

    symfonium.app · Replaced Audible

  • Plexamp

    plex.tv · Replaced YouTube Music, which in itself had replaced Spotify

  • Grayjay

    One client for YouTube and other video sources, on desktop and phone.

    grayjay.app · Replaced YouTube app · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • NPO Start

    My kids want Dutch programming. Netflix and Disney+ are too weak on that.

    npo.nl · Replaced Streaming subscriptions (Netflix, Disney+, Prime)

Self-hosted and web

  • Synology NAS

    It runs my containers. I wouldn't buy a Synology today, but I see no reason to replace one that works.

    Downside: HDD noise, current HDD prices, and Synology locking down its systems more and more.

    synology.com · Replaced Google Drive and Dropbox · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • Home lab tools

    These are small tools not worth one entry each: Portainer CE, Homepage, Glances, Uptime Kuma, Diun, WireGuard, Paperless-ngx, Calibre-web, Kiwix, NocoDB, and n8n. All are open source except n8n (fair-code license).

  • Hetzner

    German hosting for the few things that need a server outside my house, and for CI runners.

    hetzner.com · Story: Outsource your GitHub CI to a VPS: cheaper, faster, and a free backup server too

  • cal.rs booking page

    A small self-hosted booking page that writes into my own calendar.

    Since October 2026 · Replaced Cal.com

  • 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 much less than my old Transistor subscription because it's just a small share of a VPS that runs other things too.

    Since October 2026 · Replaced Transistor

  • Umami

    Privacy-friendly, cookie-free website analytics that I host myself.

    umami.is

  • Listmonk

    An open source newsletter tool that I run myself, so my subscriber list stays with me.

    listmonk.app

  • Grafana

    Open source dashboards I host myself, for Singi server monitoring and keeping my Garmin health data at home.

    grafana.com

  • Kairos (my own scheduler) (Evaluating)

    A small service I wrote that plans tasks and habits into free time in my Fastmail calendar, based on all kinds of weekly time goals, recurring tasks, todo trackers etc.

    Replaced Reclaim.ai

  • Netlify

    Hosts several of my websites. US company, but pretty good and cheap, and I'm not locked in at all: all code lives on GitHub and locally, so I can move away anytime. I might move the sites to a VPS eventually, but that's not high prio.

    netlify.com

Photo, video and streaming

  • darktable and RawTherapee

    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.

    darktable.org · Replaced Adobe Lightroom

  • OBS Studio

    Recording, calls and streaming from one scene collection, native on Linux.

    obsproject.com

Studio and presenting

  • Canon R6 Mark II with 24-105, 70-200, 50 and 35mm lenses

    Great lenses and great pictures and videos. I mainly use these for family events.

    Downside: Once you've started with Canon, it's really hard to escape the ecosystem lock-in.

    canon-europe.com

  • Sony RX100 V as webcam

    Much better than any webcam, especially in lower light conditions.

    Downside: Runs hot, but I solved that with a heatsink and a bolted-on mini fan.

    sony.co.uk

  • Røde Procaster and Wireless Pro with Elgato Wave XLR

    Everything they make is great.

    rode.com

  • Elgato Key Light, Key Light Air and Prompter

    All great to improve call quality and the Stream Deck integration makes it even easier. Works well on Linux with the StreamController app.

    elgato.com

  • Elgato Stream Deck and Stream Deck XL

    Great for macros/automations, easily opening apps, showing custom graphs/data, media control, lights, audio, Home Assistant...

    elgato.com

Gaming

  • Steam

    As companies go, Valve seems pretty great.

    store.steampowered.com

  • Raspberry Pi 4 with Batocera

    I use this for retro console games with the kids on the TV: it runs Batocera (open source) and needs no store account.

    batocera.org

  • Minecraft Bedrock server

    Kids' favourite game before dinner.

    minecraft.net

Communication and privacy

  • Bluesky

    My main social account. I own the handle, and the data lives in a repo I can move. I have many Bluesky accounts and use both the Bluesky app and mu (Eurosky's Android app), since each has features the other lacks. mu is needed to verify accounts with atproto.nl.

    bsky.app · Replaced Twitter and Instagram · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • Sifa ID

    Sifa ID replaced LinkedIn for me: a professional profile on AT Protocol, so the data lives in my own PDS and moves with me. I might be biased though as I'm building Sifa myself ;)

    sifa.id · Replaced LinkedIn

  • Signal

    Encrypted messaging.

    Downside: Some groups are still stuck on WhatsApp, and the (sub)group/community function on Signal is not developed yet.

    signal.org · Replaced WhatsApp · Story: How I reduced my BigTech dependencies in 2025 (and why you should too)

  • WhatsApp

    Honestly, still pretty much needed for some school parent groups.

    whatsapp.com

  • Telegram

    I'm actually not using this for messaging any people, but it's my default notification channel for self-hosted tools like Uptime Kuma and for Home Assistant.

    telegram.org

  • Marque

    Almost all my domains are at Marque. I picked it because the registrar runs on AT Protocol.

    Downside: The company behind it is not in the EU.

    marque.at

  • Fastmail

    Email, calendar and contacts on open protocols (IMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV) with my own domains. Fastmail has servers in the EU, and my account data sits on those.

    Downside: Fastmail is an Australian company outside the EU. In June 2024, it laid off most of its US union's bargaining unit during contract talks. I want to move to a European provider eventually. But I only just moved here and migrating all my email domains takes a lot of time. There weren't many good EU options back then, so I'm staying for now and might look at cirrux.co later.

    fastmail.com · Replaced Google Workspace · Story: A practical guide to building your own antifragile tech stack

  • Bitwarden

    An open source password manager with an export I can leave with.

    bitwarden.com

  • Aegis Authenticator

    An open source, offline authenticator app that isn't tied to a vendor account.

    getaegis.app · Replaced Authy

  • YubiKey

    A hardware security key for MFA or passwordless login where supported.

    yubico.com

Next on my list

Things I plan to switch to, and what they would replace.

  • Fairphone Fairbuds XL

    Planned for when the XM5 needs replacing.

    fairphone.com · Would replace Sony WH-1000XM5

  • Fairphone Fairbuds

    Planned as in-ear, if/when the Galaxy Buds Pro die.

    Would replace Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

  • Tangled

    Planned: move my GitHub and Codeberg repos once Tangled supports private repos (and project boards).

    tangled.org · Would replace GitHub and Codeberg

  • Jellyfin

    Planned as open source replacement for Plex, but not high on the todo list.

    jellyfin.org · Would replace Plex

Alternatives to…

What I dropped

Stuff I stopped using, and what replaced it.

  • Google Workspace

    Replaced by Fastmail

    The Google sign-ins are completely untangled.

  • Google Photos

    Replaced by Immich

    I want my valuable photo/video library memories in full resolution on hardware I own, and not dependent on a Big Tech monthly subscription.

  • YouTube app

    Replaced by Grayjay

  • Twitter and Instagram until

    Replaced by Bluesky

  • Audible

    Replaced by Audiobookshelf and Symfonium

    Fewer subscriptions, and I keep what I buy. Audiobooks and music now come from my own library.

  • YouTube Music

    Replaced by Plexamp

    Fewer subscriptions, and I keep what I buy. Audiobooks and music now come from my own library.

  • Streaming subscriptions (Netflix, Disney+, Prime)

    Replaced by Plex and NPO Start

    Too many subscriptions that kept getting worse.

  • Evernote and Notion

    Replaced by Obsidian

    Markdown files I own instead of a proprietary app.

  • Webflow

    Replaced by Astro

    Content in files and a static build instead of a hosted builder.

  • Arc

    Replaced by Zen browser

    Development ended and it isn't open source. I went to Firefox first, then Zen.

  • Transistor until

    Replaced by Self-hosted podcast feeds

    I cancelled this paid podcast hosting subscription because self-hosting is cheaper. There is no vendor between me and my listeners anymore.

  • Cal.com until

    Replaced by cal.rs booking page

    The hosted EU service closed on 1 November 2026 and the project went closed source.

  • 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.

  • Reclaim.ai until

    Replaced by Kairos (my own scheduler)

    I wanted a scheduler I control that writes into my own calendar.

  • Mac mini as daily workstation until

    Replaced by Desktop PC (AMD Ryzen, RTX 5070)

    One machine for everything, and no macOS lock-in.

  • Affinity until

    I'm on CachyOS now and Affinity still doesn't run on Linux.