Replacing Chrome, Google Search and Canva: European browser, search and design
Vivaldi, Mullvad Browser, Ecosia, LibreWolf; Swisscows, Qwant, Startpage, SearXNG; Kittl, Penpot, Inkscape: the simplest migrations of the series, done in a day.
Published on 17 September 2026 by Lumineth
This last part of the digital sovereignty series gathers the everyday tools that store nothing critical but observe everything: what you search, what you visit, what you create. They are also the fastest migrations, the ones to start with to get a team used to change.
Browser: replacing Google Chrome
| Solution | Country | Origin | Open source | Pricing model | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vivaldi | Norway | Europe outside the EU | Partial | Free | |
| Mullvad Browser | Sweden | EU | Yes | Free | Developed with the Tor Project |
| Ecosia Browser | Germany | EU | Partial | Free | |
| LibreWolf | Community project | International (open source) | Yes | Free | Firefox fork |
Vivaldi is the closest to Chrome in use (same engine, compatible extensions). LibreWolf is Firefox stripped of telemetry; Mullvad Browser goes further in protection, at the cost of a few sites working less well.
Search: replacing Google Search
| Solution | Country | Origin | Open source | Self-hostable | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swisscows | Switzerland | Switzerland | No | No | Free |
| Qwant | France | EU | No | No | Free |
| Ecosia | Germany | EU | No | No | Free |
| Startpage | Netherlands | EU | No | No | Free |
| SearXNG | Community project | International (open source) | Yes | Yes | Free |
Swisscows is the Swiss option. Startpage returns Google’s results without passing on your identity, which makes it the most painless transition. SearXNG is a free metasearch engine you host yourself for a whole team.
Design: replacing Canva
| Solution | Country | Origin | Open source | Self-hostable | Pricing model | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kittl | Germany | EU | No | No | Freemium | The closest to Canva |
| VistaCreate | Cyprus | EU | No | No | Freemium | |
| Penpot | Spain | EU | Yes | Yes | Free | More of a Figma alternative |
| Inkscape / GIMP / Krita / Scribus | Community projects | International (open source) | Yes | Yes (local software) | Free |
Kittl takes Canva’s approach (templates, social visuals) from Berlin. Penpot is the free alternative to Figma for interface mock-ups, hostable on your own server. Inkscape, GIMP, Krita and Scribus cover vector drawing, retouching, illustration and layout, with no account or subscription.
One day to change everything
- Install the chosen browser, import bookmarks and passwords, set the default search engine.
- Create the Kittl account or install Penpot, and recreate the two or three templates actually used.
- Note what is missing after a week; it is often less than feared.
I put this kind of migration in place with your teams: inventory, choices by data sensitivity, staged switch-over, operations. A first conversation is enough to know where to start.
Get in touchFAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which browser is closest to Chrome?
Vivaldi: same engine, compatible Chrome extensions, developed in Norway.
Are search results worse without Google?
Startpage returns Google’s results anonymised. Qwant, Swisscows and Ecosia have their own indexes or partners; the difference is felt mostly on very local queries.
Does Kittl replace Canva for social media?
For everyday visuals, yes: templates, social formats, export. The template library is smaller; you recreate your own templates once.
A concrete case on your side?
Tell me what costs you time or what you want to take back control of; I get back within 24 business hours with a first read, no obligation.