Most of us sticked to Google because it's just one login for everything that's going on in our digital life. That's why services like Proton and Tuta appeal to us. Nothing against them, but I realized how fragile that setup is. One compromised 2FA code, one lost recovery prompt, and suddenly someone has my emails, documents, passwords, notes, and cloud storage.
That was the point where I stopped leaning on any single provider suite, even the privacy-focused ones. I started picking the best tool for each specific job and stitching them together instead.
This is roughly where I’m at now:
Passwords -> Bitwarden
Notes -> Notesnook
Email -> Proton Mail
Office/Docs -> OnlyOffice
AI -> Qwen 9b (hooks directly into OnlyOffice and Notesnook)
2FA -> Ente Auth
Cloud Storage -> Filen
I also started making sure everything syncs intentionally rather than by default. Take the Bitwarden browser extension, for example. It keeps my credentials separate from the browser. If the browser profile gets corrupted or synced to the wrong account, my logins stay safely isolated.
Same goes for OnlyOffice. Instead of being forced into a proprietary cloud or a locked-in AI assistant, I just point it at Filen for storage, connect Qwen 9b for document help, and keep the entire chain independent. Nothing overlaps.
Start treating your digital life as a set of LEGO blocks.