Can you really leave Google?
Yes. I replaced every Google service in about two months, a few hours per weekend, without losing a single email or photo. The real question is not feasibility: it is the order of operations and the choice of alternatives. That method, service by service, is my book "Vivre sans Google" (Life Without Google).
Leaving Google does not mean what you think
Leaving Google is not pressing a big red button one angry evening. It is replacing services one at a time, at your own pace, keeping the old one open until the new one has proven itself. At every step, you can turn back.
It is not about closing your account either. The goal is separation: making sure your digital life no longer depends on a single company. You can keep an empty Google account and live without it day to day.
And you would not be alone. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken this path, without being activists or engineers. Ordinary people who simply wanted their digital life back.
The four questions everyone asks
Is it doable without being an expert?
Yes. Every Google service now has a credible alternative, often European, and migration tools have matured. If you can install an app, you can do most of it.
How long does it take?
Plan around twenty hours of actual work, spread over six to eight weekends. Some projects take thirty minutes, others a full weekend. And nothing forces you to do everything: every service you leave already counts.
How much does it cost?
Between 5 and 15 euros per month for one person, 30 to 50 euros for a family of four. That is the price of tools that work for you, not on you. Google's free ride, on the other hand, is paid in data.
In what order should you proceed?
Start light: the browser and the search engine can be replaced in one evening and already change a lot. Keep the phone for last. In between, the order depends on your situation: that is what the assessment measures, and what the book organises chapter by chapter.
Where to start?
Measure your dependency
24 questions, 5 minutes, a score out of 100 and your personal priorities.
Take the assessmentChoose your alternatives
78 services reviewed, with my take and the pitfalls to know about.
Browse the catalogueLook at the numbers
Costs, market shares, the state of play: sourced data, free to cite.
See the numbers"Vivre sans Google" (Life Without Google) tells how I left Google, and walks you through it: the DÉCLIC method applied to each service, the pitfalls I ran into, and what changes day to day.
Forthcoming 22/10/2026 from Éditions Eyrolles
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to delete your Google account to leave Google?
No. Deleting the account is the very last step, and it is optional. What matters is no longer depending on Google day to day: many people keep an empty account as a safety net. The book devotes its final chapter to that decision.
What do you lose by leaving Google?
Less than you might think. Alternatives cover the essentials: email, photos, maps, documents, calendar. The two real trade-offs are Maps' real-time traffic and some integrations between Google services. In exchange, your days stop feeding an advertising profile.
Can you leave Google for free?
Partly. Browsers, search engines and maps have excellent free options. For email and storage, free tiers are enough to get started, but comfortable use often ends up between 5 and 15 euros per month.
How long does it take to leave Google?
Around twenty hours of work spread over a few weekends, for a complete migration. But the first step fits in one evening: changing your browser and your search engine. You can stop wherever you want, every step counts.
Which service should you leave first?
The browser and the search engine: quick, risk-free, reversible. The Android phone comes last. For an order tailored to your situation, the free assessment gives you your priorities in five minutes, and the book organises the whole journey, chapter by chapter.