Ditch Google Workspace: Self-Hosted Gmail and Drive

Google Workspace is the most commonly used business software suite in the world, and the most expensive to leave because it touches everything. Email, documents, calendars, contacts, and video calls all run through Google. Replacing it requires five separate migrations. Here is the complete plan.

Phase 1: Email Migration

1. Deploy Docker Mailserver or Mailcow: Both provide a complete email stack: SMTP, IMAP, webmail (Roundcube or SnappyMail), spam filtering, and antivirus. Deploy behind your reverse proxy with SSL.
2. Configure DNS: Add SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records. These are critical for deliverability. Without them, your email goes to spam or is rejected entirely. Docker Mailserver and Mailcow both generate the correct DNS records for you.
3. Migrate emails: Use imapsync to copy all existing emails from Gmail to your new server. This preserves folders, labels, read status, and attachments. Run imapsync once to copy everything, then run it again just before cutover to catch any new emails.
4. Update MX records: After the final imapsync, change your MX records to point to your new mail server. New emails start arriving at your server within minutes to hours. Old emails are already there from the sync.
5. Keep Gmail forwarding: Keep your Google Workspace account active for 30 days with forwarding enabled. Catch any emails that arrive during the DNS propagation window.

Phase 2: File Migration

1. Deploy Nextcloud: Nextcloud is the direct replacement for Google Drive. It provides file storage, sharing, versioning, and desktop sync clients for every platform.
2. Use Google Takeout: Export all files from Google Drive via Google Takeout. Download the archive and extract it.
3. Upload to Nextcloud: Use the Nextcloud desktop client to sync the exported files. The client handles large file sets efficiently. Alternatively, upload directly to the server if you have SSH access.
4. Set up shared folders: Recreate your shared Drive folders as Nextcloud shares. Invite team members with the same permissions they had in Google Drive.

Phase 3: Calendar and Contacts Migration

1. Export Google Calendars: In Google Calendar, export each calendar as an ICS file.
2. Import into Nextcloud Calendar: Nextcloud Calendar accepts ICS imports. Import each calendar. Verify that recurring events imported correctly.
3. Export Google Contacts: Export contacts as a CSV or vCard file from Google Contacts.
4. Import into Nextcloud Contacts: Nextcloud Contacts imports both formats. Import and verify.

Phase 4: Document Migration

1. Convert Google Docs: Google Docs are in a proprietary format. Export important documents as DOCX or ODT files via Google Takeout. Re-upload to Nextcloud.
2. Set up Collabora or OnlyOffice: Both integrate with Nextcloud to provide browser-based document editing, replacing Google Docs. Collabora is more compatible with Microsoft Office formats. OnlyOffice looks and feels more like Microsoft Office.
3. Accept the limitation: Real-time collaborative editing in Collabora or OnlyOffice is good but not identical to Google Docs. For teams that rely heavily on simultaneous editing, this is the roughest part of the migration. Set expectations accordingly.

Phase 5: Video Calls

1. Deploy Jitsi Meet: Jitsi replaces Google Meet. It supports screen sharing, recording, and chat.
2. Set internal expectations: Jitsi performs well for small-to-medium calls. For large calls with 20-plus participants, consider a paid alternative like Whereby or Zoom. Self-hosting video at scale requires significant server resources.

Phase 6: Final Cutover

1. Notify your team: Send instructions for logging into the new email, Nextcloud, and calendar. Provide the new URLs. Schedule a brief training session.
2. Set up mobile devices: Nextcloud provides apps for iOS and Android. Docker Mailserver works with any IMAP email client. Configure these on team devices.
3. Cancel Google Workspace: After 30 days of successful operation, cancel your Google Workspace subscription.

The Cost

Google Workspace Business Standard at 12 US dollars per user per month for 15 users costs 2,160 dollars per year. The self-hosted stack on a 40-dollar VPS costs 480 dollars per year. The annual saving is 1,680 dollars. Over five years: 8,400 dollars.

VPS1 handles complete Google Workspace migrations. Email, files, calendars, and contacts. We move everything. Your team keeps working. Google keeps nothing.