https://librecoop.es/en/posts/ Recent content in Blog on Librecoop Hugo en-GB Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0200 https://librecoop.es/en/posts/por_que_sl/ Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0200 https://librecoop.es/en/posts/por_que_sl/ <p>We&rsquo;re launching a series of posts on free software alternatives to the digital tools most commonly used by collectives and organisations: Google Drive, Zoom, Office, Figma, Adobe… We start with the basics: what free software is and why it&rsquo;s worth choosing.</p> <h2 id="what-is-free-software">What is free software?</h2> <p>It is software developed in the open, under licences that allow anyone to view its code, use it, modify it and redistribute it. Free doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean free of charge. We can distinguish two kinds of tools:</p> https://librecoop.es/en/posts/alternativas_ofimatica/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:40:55 +0100 https://librecoop.es/en/posts/alternativas_ofimatica/ <p>In this series we review free software alternatives to proprietary digital tools. Today we share tools for storing and editing files.</p> <h2 id="alternatives-to-google-drive">Alternatives to Google Drive</h2> <p><strong>Seafile</strong>: less well known than Nextcloud, but focused on file storage and therefore very efficient. It includes a collaborative document editor. At Librecoop we have been managing Seafile instances for years, some of them holding several terabytes of data.</p> <p><strong>Nextcloud</strong>: the best-known alternative. Besides files, it offers a calendar, forms, a collaborative editor and many other apps. There are no open public instances, but you can get it from providers in the social and solidarity economy.</p> https://librecoop.es/en/posts/alternativas_mensajeria/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:40:55 +0100 https://librecoop.es/en/posts/alternativas_mensajeria/ <p>In this series we review free software alternatives to proprietary digital tools. Today we share tools for communicating.</p> <h2 id="messaging-alternatives-to-whatsapp-and-slack">Messaging: alternatives to WhatsApp and Slack</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Signal</strong>: the most direct alternative to Telegram or WhatsApp. Its main strength is end-to-end encryption, which protects its users&rsquo; privacy.</li> <li><strong>Element</strong>: a client for Matrix, an open and decentralised protocol. It works both for chats and for Slack-style workspaces with rooms, and it has end-to-end encryption. Since it is federated, you can use a public server, such as matrix.org, or run your own.</li> <li><strong>Zulip</strong>: a Slack alternative designed for teams. It organises conversations into channels and topics, which helps you keep track. Its official instance has a free plan.</li> </ul> <h2 id="email-alternative-to-outlook">Email: alternative to Outlook</h2> <p><strong>Thunderbird</strong>, from the Mozilla Foundation (the same organisation that develops Firefox), is the most mature free email client. It handles multiple accounts, calendar and contacts. It is free of charge.</p> https://librecoop.es/en/posts/oferta_marzo_2026/ Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:40:55 +0100 https://librecoop.es/en/posts/oferta_marzo_2026/ <h2 id="who-are-we">Who are we?</h2> <p>Librecoop is a free software collective for social change. We want to work alongside self-managed groups and organisations in the social and solidarity economy (SSE), creating, adapting and maintaining open source solutions. We&rsquo;re looking to grow our team and, along the way, make our organisation more plural and diverse. We currently work hand in hand with Ecooo Energía Ciudadana, a cooperative whose goal is to put energy in people&rsquo;s hands and contribute to social and economic change.</p>