🏗️ Migration Guide
How to move away from Big Tech without breaking your workflow.
⚠️ Golden Rule
Do NOT migrate everything at once.
This is the #1 reason people fail.
🧭 Migration Strategy Overview
You will follow a phased approach:
- Parallel Setup
- Gradual Migration
- Dual Usage
- Cutover
- Decommission
🪜 Phase 1: Parallel Setup
Set up your new tools without deleting anything.
Core Apps to Install First
- Browser → Brave
- Password Manager → Bitwarden / Proton Pass
- Email → Proton Mail / Tuta
- Messaging → Signal
Optional (Early Infrastructure)
If you're going self-hosted:
- Nextcloud (or Sync.com if hosted)
- Immich (photos)
- AdGuard Home / Pi-hole
- Tailscale
💡 Don’t overbuild early—get things working first.
🔄 Phase 2: Gradual Migration
Move one category at a time.
🌐 Browser
- Install Brave
- Add extensions (minimal):
- uBlock Origin (optional—Brave already blocks ads)
- Import bookmarks from Chrome
🔐 Passwords
- Export from Chrome
- Import into:
- Bitwarden or
- Proton Pass
- Enable 2FA
⚠️ Do this early—everything depends on it
- Create Proton Mail or Tuta account
- Set up:
- Forwarding from Gmail → new inbox
- Begin using new email for logins
💡 Optional: set up a custom domain
☁️ Files
Option A (Self-hosted):
- Upload data → Nextcloud
Option B (Hosted):
- Upload data → Sync.com
Start with:
- Documents
- Personal files
- Non-critical data
📸 Photos
- Export from Google Photos
- Upload into Immich
⚠️ This can take time—do it in batches
📝 Notes
- Export Google Keep / Apple Notes
- Import into Joplin
📆 Calendar & Contacts
- Export Google data
- Import into:
- Nextcloud
- or Baikal / Radicale
🌍 Network
- Deploy AdGuard Home or Pi-hole
- Update DNS on:
- Router (optional)
- Devices
🔒 VPN / Access
- Install Mullvad (privacy VPN)
- Set up Tailscale (remote access to homelab)
📚 Documents
- Scan/import into Paperless-ngx
- Replace PDF workflows:
- Sumatra PDF
- BentoPDF
🎥 Media
- Set up Jellyfin
- (Optional advanced):
- Deploy Arr stack (Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr)
📚 Books & Audio
- Import ebooks → Calibre-Web / Kavita
- Import audiobooks/podcasts → Audiobookshelf
💰 Finance
- Set up Actual Budget
- Import/export financial data (if applicable)
🧰 Development
- Replace GitHub workflows with Forgejo (optional)
- Switch to VSCodium
🔁 Phase 3: Dual Usage
Run both systems simultaneously.
Validate:
- Sync reliability
- Mobile access
- Backups
- Performance
🔌 Phase 4: Cutover
Start switching fully:
- Update login emails across accounts
- Move daily workflows:
- Notes → Joplin
- Files → Nextcloud / Sync.com
- Photos → Immich
- Reduce reliance on Google/Apple
🧹 Phase 5: Decommission
Once confident:
- Export final backups from old services
- Disable unused accounts
- Remove apps you no longer use
⚠️ Keep backups before deleting anything
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
- Migrating too fast
- Breaking family/shared workflows
- No backup strategy
- Overengineering early
- Chasing “perfect privacy” instead of usable systems
🔐 Security Best Practices
- Use a password manager (Bitwarden / Proton Pass)
- Enable 2FA everywhere
- Keep systems updated
- Maintain offsite backups
- Test restores (not just backups)
🧠 Pro Tips
1. Prioritize High-Impact Wins
Start with:
- Browser
- Password manager
2. Separate Hosted vs Self-Hosted
| Type | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Hosted (Proton, Sync.com) | Simpler, faster setup |
| Self-hosted (Nextcloud, Immich) | Maximum control |
3. Build in Layers
- Layer 1 → Apps (Brave, Signal, Bitwarden)
- Layer 2 → Services (Email, Storage)
- Layer 3 → Infrastructure (Nextcloud, DNS, VPN)
🚀 Final Thought
Migration is a process, not an event.
You don’t need to replace everything overnight.
Focus on:
- Progress
- Stability
- Control