Big Tech exit, done properly
Rootshift moves people and businesses off Google, Microsoft, Adobe and friends, onto open-source software running on servers you control. Same work, your data, no lock-in.
$ rootshift audit scanning accounts, domains, subscriptions… 14 services depend on Big Tech 11 can move to open source today $ rootshift migrate --keep-data ✓ email → your own server ✓ files → Nextcloud ✓ passwords → Vaultwarden ✓ analytics → Umami ✓ DNS → independent provider done. you own it now.
Open-source software we deploy & maintain
Why migrate from Big Tech
Your email, files, photos, customer data and passwords live on someone else's computer, under someone else's rules. You've probably heard the privacy speech before, so here are the practical reasons people and businesses actually make the move.
Leaving feels impossible because it's designed to. That's the part we handle.
A father once photographed his son's illness for the doctor. An automated system flagged the image, and he lost his email, photos and phone number with no human to appeal to. If your business runs on one company's accounts, an algorithm decides whether you keep it.
"Surveillance pricing" uses your location, browsing and purchase history to estimate how much you're willing to pay, then charges that. Less data out means less leverage over you.
Terms of service, prices, ownership and governments all change. Data collected today under one set of rules can be sold, subpoenaed or repurposed tomorrow under another. Where your data lives decides who can demand it, which matters for privacy law and your clients' trust. On your own server, you set the rules.
Police officers have been caught using camera networks to track ex-partners. Scammers break into a business inbox and wait quietly for the moment a client asks where to send payment. Big platforms concentrate data, and that attracts exactly these people.
No ads interrupting your videos, no pop-ups, far less spam, and no notifications engineered to pull you back in. Privacy tools aren't a sacrifice, and most people find them calmer and faster.
Your files, email and client data live on a server you control, built on open-source software you can take anywhere. No creeping per-seat fees, no forced bundles or "AI" add-ons you never asked for, no features held hostage, no permission needed to leave.
Fair questions. Here are straight answers.
Data goes stale. Your habits, location, relationships and interests change constantly, and every day you stop feeding a profile, it gets less accurate and less valuable. Cutting off the supply works, starting now.
Privacy isn't about hiding wrongdoing. You close the bathroom door and draw the curtains without doing anything wrong. It's about choosing what you share, when, and with whom. Nobody would accept a stranger following them all day, reading over their shoulder and noting every place they go, yet that's what default tracking adds up to.
It doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. Privacy is a spectrum, and a few small changes make a big difference. We handle the technical heavy lifting, move your data across, and make sure everything works before you leave the old service.
You don't need to be. That's what we're for. We set it up, explain it in plain language, and stay available when you have questions.
Every step counts on its own. Go as far as makes sense for you.
The biggest win for the least effort.
Encrypted chats your family will actually use.
Off ad-funded platforms, onto services that respect you.
Full ownership for you or your business.
Not sure where you fit? Tell us what you use today and we'll map out a realistic path, no judgement, no jargon.
Book a free consultation →Services
Every engagement starts with a free audit. You get a fixed quote and a written plan before anything moves.
Get your digital life out of Google, Apple or Microsoft without losing a single photo or email.
Move your team's daily tools to open-source equivalents on a VPS you own, with zero data loss.
Prefer not to run servers yourself? We maintain them for you, and you can take the keys any time.
What we replace
A sample of common migrations. Every recommendation is chosen for your actual workflow, not ideology.
Product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are listed only to describe migrations.
Process
We map every account, subscription, domain and data store you depend on. Free, with a written report.
You get a migration plan, the alternatives we recommend and why, a timeline and a fixed quote.
We set up your servers, move your data, run old and new side-by-side, and verify nothing is lost.
Full documentation, admin credentials and training, then managed care if you want it.
How we work
Servers, domains and admin accounts are registered to you. We never hold your data hostage.
IMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV, ODF, Markdown. Your data stays portable, even away from us.
Every server, setting and backup is written down in plain language and handed to you.
We design for data-protection law, sensible hosting jurisdictions and least-privilege access.
We practise what we preach. This site loads zero trackers, zero cookies, zero third-party fonts or scripts, and is self-hosted on open-source software. Check your browser's network tab.
About
$ whoami name Andres Marin based Nosara, Costa Rica from California day job professional photographer os Linux, de-Googled phone google account deleted status practising what I preach
I'm Andres Marin, a professional photographer from California who has lived in Costa Rica for 16 years. Running two photography businesses, I depended on Big Tech for everything: my websites, portfolio, email, DNS, files and editing software.
Then the terms kept changing. Prices rose, accounts demanded more personal data, and my clients' photos sat on servers I didn't control. So I moved everything onto open-source software running on a server I own, one service at a time, without losing a single file.
Rootshift exists because that process is learnable, but it's slow and fiddly the first time. I've already made the mistakes. I'll do the migration with you, document every step, and hand you the keys.
Andres Marin, founder
FAQ
No. We run your old and new systems side by side, verify everything has arrived, and only then switch over. Your old accounts stay in place until you're satisfied.
Not at all. The tools we set up are everyday apps for web, desktop and mobile. We train you and your team, and we offer managed care so you never have to touch a server.
Often, especially for teams paying per-seat fees. A well-sized VPS can replace several subscriptions. Your audit includes an honest cost comparison, and sometimes a privacy-focused paid service is the better fit, and we'll say so.
We harden every server, enable encrypted backups, keep software updated, and use strong authentication. Security is part of the plan from day one, not an afterthought.
Yes, that's the whole point. Everything is registered to you and documented, so any competent admin (or you) can take over at any time.
Costa Rica, working remotely with clients wherever they are.
Start here
Tell us what you're running today. We'll reply with a free audit call, no pressure, no sales funnel.