An alternative to Microsoft 365, without throwing everything out.
It does not have to happen at once and it does not have to be complete. Most organisations start with their files.
Short answer
A European alternative to Microsoft 365 is a working environment for files, mail, calendar and meetings that runs at a European company and is built on open source. JevanaHub is one, based on Nextcloud, on our hardware in the Netherlands. It replaces the daily functions of Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. For heavy Excel models and software that connects to Microsoft, Microsoft stays the better choice.
What replaces what
| You use now | In JevanaHub | How well it replaces |
|---|---|---|
| OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive | Files | Fully, for most organisations |
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint in the browser | Nextcloud Office | Good for daily work; no VBA macros |
| Teams, Google Meet | Talk | Good for meetings at team size |
| Outlook calendar and contacts | Calendar and Contacts | Fully, syncs with phones |
| Exchange Online, Gmail | Mail in JevanaHub | Works; less tied together than Outlook with Exchange |
| Planner, Forms | Deck and Forms | Comparable |
The right-hand column is our honest verdict, not a sales pitch. If you doubt a part, try it with a few real files before you decide.
What you gain and what you give up
You gain a say. Your data sits at a Dutch company, on hardware whose owner you know, in software whose source code is public. The price does not change because a supplier in the United States reshuffles its packages. And you can leave, with everything, in common formats.
You give up convenience in the places where Microsoft has tied everything together: planning a meeting from an email, an Excel file with macros, software from a supplier that assumes you have Outlook. For some organisations that is a detail. For others it is their working day.
Starting small
- 01
One department or one kind of data
For example the files that are most sensitive, or the ones you share with outsiders.
- 02
Side by side
Microsoft 365 keeps running. Mail and calendar do not change.
- 03
See what chafes
After a few weeks you know which files and habits do not come along.
- 04
Decide
Expand further, leave it as it is, or go back. All three are a good outcome.
Questions
Can an organisation really manage without Microsoft?
Yes, if the work suits it. Organisations that mostly write documents, share files, email and hold meetings can manage fully with an environment like JevanaHub. It gets harder with heavy Excel models, software that requires a link with Outlook or Office, and clients who will only meet through Teams. Then a combination is the obvious route.
What do you miss when you leave Microsoft 365?
Mostly you miss the interweaving: Outlook, Teams, Word and SharePoint calling each other. Also missing are VBA macros, some advanced Excel functions and links that software suppliers build only for Microsoft. What you do not miss are files, editing together, calendars, chat and video calls. Those exist, and work in a slightly different way.
Can it run side by side, Microsoft 365 and an alternative?
Yes, and that is how most organisations start. Mail and calendar stay with Microsoft, while files, or part of them, go to JevanaHub. You then pay for two environments, so it pays to choose sharply what sits where. Often part of the staff can then move to a cheaper Microsoft licence.
Is there also an alternative to Google Workspace?
Yes, the same environment. JevanaHub replaces Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet and Calendar in the way it replaces Microsoft 365. We move files from Google Drive across, with Google Docs converted to an open format or to Word. For those who want off Google Workspace but not onto Microsoft, this is the shortest route.
Which other European alternatives are there?
There are several. Nextcloud is the best-known open source base and is hosted by many European providers. There are also European services for single parts, such as mail, video calls or storage. Overviews are on sites that collect European alternatives. Our advice is to choose on who you can reach when it goes wrong, and whether you can take your data with you.
Goes well with
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JevanaHub
Files, office software, chat and video calls in one place. Built on Nextcloud, on our own hardware.
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JevanaFiles
Just your files: store, sync and share, on our own hardware. Built on Nextcloud.
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Dutch cloud
A cloud with a Dutch owner, on Dutch soil, under Dutch and European law.
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Nextcloud or Microsoft 365: which suits your organisation?
The honest difference between Nextcloud Hub and Microsoft 365, and when using both works best.
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Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 for business: licences, set-up, security, backup and management from one party.
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Nextcloud Talk
Chat, video calls and screen sharing inside JevanaHub, with conversations that stay on our hardware.
From the knowledge base
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Nextcloud and the GDPR: what do you need to arrange?
Nextcloud does not make you GDPR compliant by itself. What the software covers, what the host covers and what stays with you.
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Nextcloud vs Dropbox: which should your business choose?
Dropbox does one thing very well: syncing. Nextcloud does more, on a server you choose yourself.
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Nextcloud vs Google Drive: which suits your organisation?
Google Drive is fast and everywhere. Nextcloud gives you the server back. A comparison on formats, privacy and leaving.
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Nextcloud vs OneDrive: what is the difference?
Nextcloud and OneDrive both store and sync files. The difference is who runs the server.
Tell us what you run.
An introduction costs nothing. You talk straight away to one of the two people who will actually do the work.
or email info@jevana.systems