5 ms·

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

23 points by rozenmd 3y ago

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

sgbeal 3y ago
> 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).
jlpcsl 3y ago
I would stay where I already am: in LibreOffice and NextCloud Office (powered by Collabora Online for documents editing/sharing)
AmenBreak 3y ago
[dead]
brycelarkin 3y ago
Microsoft Office 365.
- mathgeek 3y ago
  Sad but true for a lot of folks who hate using Office. The enterprise readiness would be a decider for many companies.
  - brycelarkin 3y ago
    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.
- jagger27 3y ago
  Totally reasonable choice.
moonka 3y ago
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/ https://www.reddit.com/r/gsuitelegacymigration/
lewisjoe 3y ago
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.
- chinaman425 3y ago
  [dead]
- bastard_op 3y ago
  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.
  - woleium 3y ago
    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
yardie 3y ago
Company moved from Workspace to Zoho and now we’re O365. Teams is still a dumpster fire but a pretty good one.
topicseed 3y ago
Microsoft Office. But I'd miss Google Docs/Sheets/Slides a whole lot.
- cmrdporcupine 3y ago
  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.
  - DecoPerson 3y ago
    If you haven’t already, try the desktop apps when you can. They’re marginally better.
phpisthebest 3y ago
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)
- BrandoElFollito 3y ago
  The program was not terminated. I joined Google Apps in ca. 2006, was grandfathered and I still use the service today (Google Workspace)
  - voisin 3y ago
    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.
    - BrandoElFollito 3y ago
      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.
  - TMWNN 3y ago
    How many seats do you have? I have 50 but heard that those who signed up earlier have more.
    - BrandoElFollito 3y ago
      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)
NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
I would go wherever my employer chose to migrate. And I would adapt. Or else I wouldn't have a job.
sunaurus 3y ago
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.
- dogmatism 3y ago
  >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)
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
johnchristopher 3y ago
Have people here tried Bluemind and others on premise/sh solutions ? Are these viable and manageable for a small IT dept. ?
Macha 3y ago
I moved to Fastmail when they were threatening to end the grandfathered free accounts. I've been happy with the results.
kaffeeringe 3y ago
I am happy with Nextcloud. There is everything you need. And you own your content.
jrepinc 3y ago
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
bastard_op 3y ago
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.
TheNewsIsHere 3y ago
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.
EspadaV9 3y ago
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.

23 points by rozenmd 3y ago

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

> 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).

jlpcsl 3y ago

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

AmenBreak 3y ago

[dead]

brycelarkin 3y ago

Microsoft Office 365.

mathgeek 3y ago
Sad but true for a lot of folks who hate using Office. The enterprise readiness would be a decider for many companies.
- brycelarkin 3y ago
  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.
jagger27 3y ago
Totally reasonable choice.

moonka 3y ago

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/ https://www.reddit.com/r/gsuitelegacymigration/

lewisjoe 3y ago

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.

chinaman425 3y ago
[dead]
bastard_op 3y ago
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.
- woleium 3y ago
  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

yardie 3y ago

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

topicseed 3y ago

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

cmrdporcupine 3y ago
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.
- DecoPerson 3y ago
  If you haven’t already, try the desktop apps when you can. They’re marginally better.

phpisthebest 3y ago

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)

BrandoElFollito 3y ago
The program was not terminated. I joined Google Apps in ca. 2006, was grandfathered and I still use the service today (Google Workspace)
- voisin 3y ago
  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.
  - BrandoElFollito 3y ago
    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.
- TMWNN 3y ago
  How many seats do you have? I have 50 but heard that those who signed up earlier have more.
  - BrandoElFollito 3y ago
    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)

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago

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

sunaurus 3y ago

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.

dogmatism 3y ago
>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)

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

johnchristopher 3y ago

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

Macha 3y ago

I moved to Fastmail when they were threatening to end the grandfathered free accounts. I've been happy with the results.

kaffeeringe 3y ago

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

jrepinc 3y ago

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

bastard_op 3y ago

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.

TheNewsIsHere 3y ago

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.

EspadaV9 3y ago

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.