Every time Microsoft or Google sends a price-increase email, someone in a small office asks, "Could we just not?" Often the answer is yes. But it's a project, not a switch, and it isn't right for everyone.
What "leaving Big Tech" means here
Moving everyday tools off per-seat subscriptions from Microsoft, Google, Dropbox, Slack, 1Password and the like, onto open-source software on Canadian-owned hosting, where your business owns the accounts and data. The core replacements:
- Files and documents: Nextcloud, with OnlyOffice or Collabora for editing. Files still show up in File Explorer or Finder, and documents still open and save as .docx and .xlsx.
- Passwords: Vaultwarden, which works with the Bitwarden browser and phone apps.
- Email: Managed Fastmail on your own domain. Outlook and phone mail apps keep working. To be clear, Fastmail is Australian-owned and hosts data in the United States. If Canadian control over email matters most, there's a Canadian-hosted option, with deliverability trade-offs we'll explain.
- Optional extras: Mattermost chat with Jitsi video, a BookStack company wiki, or n8n automation, at $750 each as add-ons.
You don't have to move everything. Many businesses start with one system.
What usually stays
Specialized software stays: accounting, payroll, CAD, practice management. Our rule is "Never migrate on ideology. Migrate on evidence." Your Windows computers can stay too; Linux PC Refresh is only for machines and staff it suits.
What it costs, all of it
See all four parts before deciding:
- The move (one-time, fixed price). Starter Escape is $1,500 for 1 to 5 users, Core Escape is $2,500 for 6 to 10, and Growth Escape is $4,500 for 11 to 25. Teams of 26 to 50 get a custom quote. Every package includes email migration, Nextcloud, Vaultwarden, off-site backups, staff training and a 30-day fix-it period.
- Hosting, billed directly to your own account by the hosting provider.
- Email, which is still a per-user subscription, paid to the email provider.
- Ongoing care. Open-source software doesn't look after itself. Escape Care plans cover updates, backups and monitoring at $299, $549 or $899 a month, and they're included at no extra charge with our IT Complete and IT Secure plans.
The part most sales pages leave out: if a small team replaces just one tool, the flat care fee can make leaving cost more than staying. The savings come from replacing several per-seat tools at once, or from being on an IT plan where care is already included. Our site calculator is illustrative only; your real numbers come from your invoices.
The trade-offs
- Polish. Real-time co-editing in Google Docs and Microsoft 365 is very good. OnlyOffice handles Office files well, but it feels different, and people need a little time to adjust.
- Integrations. If your work depends on Teams integrations, Google Apps Script, AppSheet or AI assistants built into Office, those don't come with you. Rebuilding them is real work.
- Someone has to run it. You're not getting "free software." You're trading per-seat fees for hosting plus a provider who patches, backs up and monitors the systems.
- A smaller provider. You're relying on a local provider instead of a giant one. The protection is that the software is open-source, the hosting account is yours, and your documentation and admin access are handed over, so another competent administrator could take over.
- "Canadian data centre" isn't the same as Canadian control. US-owned providers are subject to US law even when your data sits in Canada. Real control means Canadian-owned hosting and encryption keys that you hold.
Who it suits
- Teams of roughly 5 to 25 people paying for several per-seat tools: email, file storage, a password manager, chat.
- Businesses handling client files where data control matters, such as clinics, accounting and legal offices, and non-profits.
- Owners willing to run a short pilot and accept a few small changes in habit.
Who it doesn't suit (yet)
- Very small teams with a small Microsoft or Google bill. The numbers often don't work.
- Businesses built around Google Apps Script, AppSheet or Teams-integrated workflows.
- Anyone planning to install it on an office PC and never maintain it. In that case, stay where you are. A well-managed Microsoft or Google account is safer than a neglected server.
If Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace suits you, keep it. We'll manage it properly and won't push you to move.
How the move works
- Measure: list every subscription and what it costs.
- Pilot: try the new tools with 3 to 5 people while the old system keeps running.
- Switch: move everyone after hours, with a written roll-back plan.
- Look after it: updates, backups and monitoring under an Escape Care plan.
It's all done remotely, anywhere in Canada.
Deeper dives: our Nextcloud vs Google Drive comparison and honest take on business email.
Where to start
Take the free 4-minute Software Cost & Flexibility Scorecard. It scores your cost pressure, lock-in risk, integration friction, and scalability and control.
Then book a free 30-minute Big Tech Escape Review with our team. We'll go through your recurring software invoices, pick out your most expensive tools and outline a practical plan, including telling you plainly if staying put makes more sense. If you then want everything in writing, the Big Tech Escape Audit ($499) gives you a full report and is credited in full toward any project booked within 60 days.
Call 902-706-8753 or email info@openstackforge.ca.
Calvin Gould, Open Stack Forge, Lower Sackville