Ask HN: If Google Workspace/Gsuite disappeared tomorrow, where would you go? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: If Google Workspace/Gsuite disappeared tomorrow, where would you go?

23 pointsrozenmd32 comments

Mainly asking for folks that run their business email through it.

I migrated from Google Workspace to Fastmail last year, I've been super happy with it.

I also tried Outlook and Zoho. I prefer Fastmail over those two, because it's really simple (may be a con for some) and has a very snappy UI.

>has a very snappy UI

you might even say...it's //fast//

(I'm kidding, but having a fast UI really is part of the DNA of the company, said as a user since the original days)

Zoho Workplace. Many of the office suite apps are much more feature-rich then Google's offerings.

Zoho Mail -- GMail

Zoho Writer -- Google Docs

Zoho Show -- Google Slides

Zoho Sheet -- Google Sheets

Zoho Workdrive -- Google Drive

Zoho Cliq -- Microsoft Teams (not sure what's google counterpart)

What I like in Zoho Mail:

1. Practical mailing use cases like sharing/commenting over a mail is possible.

2. Privacy focussed.

In Zoho Writer:

1. Has more business usecases solved than Gdocs - like pdf templates, sign integrations and mail merge integrations.

2. Tools are arranged better than a standard top toolbar.

I tried zoho like 10 years ago, it was the worst clone of everything, all slightly dysfunctional, and just a dupe of other products I'd rather use the real ones. Plus constant insecurity over the years made me laugh to leave and never go back.

And the shared ip's all seem to have really spammy reputation. I guess if you get your own ip on enterprise it'll be better, but the lower tiers not so much

I was a grandfathered Google Apps free account, they terminated that program.

I moved my email for all my domains to Fastmail.

I did not use any of their the other suite / apps so no loss there. I never found the Google Apps platform very usable over Actual apps like MS Office, or even LibreOffice. The web versions always seemed very limited. (even web version of MS Office)

The program was not terminated.

I joined Google Apps in ca. 2006, was grandfathered and I still use the service today (Google Workspace)

They announced it would be and caused everyone a ton of headache and then changed their mind. It was a wake up call that having a neurotic service provider at the core of my digital life is not a good plan. And to this day, I will never again use a Google product.

Yes, I was about to switch and then they changed their mind.

Switching is really painful, though, because I am quite attached to the ecosystem and it would require substantial work to recreate it from bits and pieces.

How many seats do you have? I have 50 but heard that those who signed up earlier have more.

I do not know, I just have my family as users so I never hit any limit.

I had a look at the console but did not find the limitation either (it is certainly somewhere)

I was very early. I have 100

It was terminated. But if you signed a "I promise I am not using this for commercial purpose" they backpedaled and allowed people to stay if it was for "family or personal use"

I don't trust them to keep that though so I moved my email anyway

There's a subreddit that popped up when Google last threatened to get rid of it. You might find it useful. https://www.reddit.com/r/gsuitelegacymigration/

Company moved from Workspace to Zoho and now we’re O365. Teams is still a dumpster fire but a pretty good one.

Microsoft Office 365.

Sad but true for a lot of folks who hate using Office. The enterprise readiness would be a decider for many companies.

Office’s core native apps (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) are the gold standard.

It’s annoying that they charge extra for the downloadable version considering their web apps are so bad.

Totally reasonable choice.

We've recently been acquired and being made to move from Google Workspace to O365. To say it's painful is an understatement, genuinely cannot understand how it is still so popular, everything just feels so half baked.

If Google Workspaces wasn't around and I were building a new start up, not really sure what I'd want to pick. Fastmail is fine for my personal use, but with a company I'd want more features to control things. And then all the office apps. Possibly Libreoffice and a self hosted Nextcloud. Not really something I would want to be hand holding though.

I am happy with Nextcloud. There is everything you need. And you own your content.

I also like to keep my documents as much privately and locally as possible and avoid fog/cloud as much as I can so I would also not miss much. Just continue using Nextcloud and Libre Office

My biggest thing is google email and voice, particularly voice as I've used it for everything as my contact since they acquired grandcentral for ~15 years. I don't use sheets or drive, I pay for workspace mostly for my personal email and for phone call forwarding and screening.

I don't know how I'd replace gvoice, but email is easy.

I moved to Fastmail when they were threatening to end the grandfathered free accounts.

I've been happy with the results.

> If Google Workspace/Gsuite disappeared tomorrow, where would you go?

To the nearest ledge high enough to guarantee a fatal fall from. Or maybe the nearest downed power line or water-filled bathtub (into which i could drop a plugged-in toaster).

Microsoft Office. But I'd miss Google Docs/Sheets/Slides a whole lot.

My new job is on the MS teams & office365 & outlook etc ecosystem and... dear god is it clunky.

It is very featureful, but the interface continually gets in my way.

If you haven’t already, try the desktop apps when you can. They’re marginally better.

Have people here tried Bluemind and others on premise/sh solutions ? Are these viable and manageable for a small IT dept. ?

These days, Microsoft Office 365 (for business) from the start if you need an entire office in a box.

Fastmail if you just need email, CalDAV, CardDAV, and light WebDAV.

I use (and/or administer) both daily and like them for different reasons.

I would stay where I already am: in LibreOffice and NextCloud Office (powered by Collabora Online for documents editing/sharing)

I would go wherever my employer chose to migrate. And I would adapt. Or else I wouldn't have a job.

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