A pragmatic guide to replacing US tools: where it's easy, where it's hard

Key Takeaways

Easy swaps: email hosting, cloud infrastructure, CRM, project management, and video conferencing all have mature EU alternatives.

Medium difficulty: marketing automation, analytics, and customer support have good options but may lack integrations.

Hard to replace: design tools (Figma ecosystem), developer platforms (GitHub network effects), and cutting-edge AI/ML.

Don't try to replace everything at once — start with the easy wins to build confidence.

Some tools aren't worth replacing if the sovereignty risk is low for your use case.

The honest map

After cataloguing hundreds of European tools, we've learned that the replacement landscape is uneven. Some categories have excellent EU options. Others don't — yet. Here's the real picture.

Easy (mature European alternatives exist)

Email hosting

European options: multiple providers with full feature parity, strong security, and EU data residency. This is one of the easiest and most impactful swaps.

Cloud infrastructure

OVHcloud, Scaleway, Hetzner, and others provide competitive IaaS with genuine EU data residency. For standard workloads, these are ready.

CRM

Several European CRMs have caught up significantly. For teams under 200 people, the gap is negligible.

Project management

Multiple mature options exist with full feature sets, good mobile apps, and solid integrations.

Video conferencing

Strong European alternatives available with good quality and reasonable pricing.

Medium (good options, some trade-offs)

Marketing automation

Solid EU options exist but may have fewer native integrations than US incumbents. Budget time for integration work.

Analytics

European web analytics has a strong niche (privacy-focused). Product analytics is more limited.

Customer support / Helpdesk

Good options available but the ecosystem (chat widgets, knowledge bases, AI features) may be less developed.

Hard (limited options or significant trade-offs)

Design tools

The Figma ecosystem is deeply entrenched. European alternatives exist but often lack the collaboration features and plugin ecosystem.

Developer platforms

GitHub's network effects are powerful. GitLab (originally Dutch, though now US-incorporated) is the main alternative.

AI / ML platforms

Most cutting-edge AI companies are US-based. European AI is growing (Mistral, Aleph Alpha) but the gap remains for production-ready platforms.

The pragmatic approach

Don't try to replace everything. Start with the easy wins: email and cloud are high-impact, low-risk swaps. Then assess whether the medium-difficulty categories matter enough for your specific risk profile. For the hard categories, monitor the landscape and re-evaluate annually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I replace all my US tools at once?

No. Start with easy wins (email, cloud) and work progressively. Trying to replace everything simultaneously creates migration fatigue and increases the risk of productivity loss.

What if there's no good European alternative for a tool I need?

That's a valid situation. In those cases, choose the US tool with the best EU data residency options and strongest DPA. Not every tool needs to be European — the goal is informed choice, not dogma.

Are European tools more expensive than US alternatives?

It varies. Some are cheaper (especially cloud infrastructure), some are similarly priced, and a few niche tools may cost more. Factor in the cost of potential compliance issues with non-EU tools for a fair comparison.