Alternativen-zu.net

Search engine and directory for software alternatives, with an extensive catalog of categories such as browsers, VPN providers and Linux distributions, complemented by a blog, deals and current product comparisons.

Starting point

For almost every piece of commercial software there is a free or more privacy-friendly alternative, but it is hard to find if you do not already know the replacement's name. Vendor websites naturally only promote their own product, and a neutral overview of alternatives is missing in most corners of the web. Searching case by case instead usually leads to outdated forum threads or lists that have not been updated in years, leaving it to the reader to check whether an alternative is even still current.

What we built

Alternativen-zu.net is built as a search engine and directory for software alternatives, with a catalog of categories such as browsers, VPN providers and Linux distributions. A blog puts individual alternatives into context, a deals section collects current offers, and product comparisons put several alternatives to a well-known piece of software directly side by side. The categorization means a search does not end at a single result but surfaces several comparable options at once. Because categories such as browsers or Linux distributions are clearly separated, browsing can stay focused on one topic instead of starting the search over for every new question.

Result

Alternativen-zu.net brings catalog, blog, deals and comparisons together in one structure, covering categories from browsers to Linux distributions. The combination of directory and editorial content makes the site both a starting point for the search and a point of orientation for the actual comparison, rather than just a plain list of links without context.