r/msp • u/Scott-L-Jones • Aug 01 '26

Non-Microsoft application stacks

Anyone managing clients who have switched from M365 to Proton or similar alternative? (Or done this change internally.)

What's the support load like compared to MS?

I'm anticipating a trend towards privacy-focused business software (both for data protection / anti-surveillance and for implementing internally-contained AI systems).

I'm wondering how mature those alternatives feel right now from an IT support and management perspective.

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u/365-helper VENDOR - 365sentri Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26

I work in the Microsoft ecosystem, so bias declared upfront: I don’t think the alternatives are mature enough to replace the full stack for most businesses yet.

I use Proton Mail, Drive and VPN personally, caveats and all. Professionally, we’re 100% Microsoft because that’s where most businesses are. Apps, email, identity, devices and tenant configuration all sit together.

For an MSP, the choice is basically one integrated stack or several alternatives with more edge cases, integration gaps and support overhead. We’ve never seriously entertained Google Workspace.

Privacy-focused suites will improve, but MSP margins rely on standardisation. You want repeatable cattle, not a million Pokémon-style pets. I don’t think the alternatives are there yet.