{
  "id": 15062730,
  "title": "I cancelled Microsoft 365 for my family of five, and the hardest part was the hidden challenge I overlooked",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/i-cancelled-microsoft-365-for-my-family-of-five-and-the-hardest-part",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-16T23:00:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/cancelled-microsoft-365-hardest-part-was-the-hidden-challenge-overlooked/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Our family transitioned away from Microsoft 365, aiming to find alternatives that better suited our daily routines. We explored options like OnlyOffice for word processing and Joplin for note-taking, both of which proved surprisingly simple to adopt. OnlyOffice's familiar interface and support for common file formats made the switch seamless. However, moving beyond office applications to cloud storage presented a more significant challenge. Replacing OneDrive required configuring the self-hosted Nextcloud service, which involved setting up accounts, permissions, and shared folders—a process more intricate than anticipated. While Nextcloud offered greater control over our data, it demanded more attention and management than simply syncing files through OneDrive. This self-hosted approach highlighted the hidden effort involved in maintaining a control-oriented system. Despite these complexities, we found that OnlyOffice, Joplin, and Nextcloud collectively offered a more tailored solution that met our family's needs. The initial setup was demanding, yet the experience underscored the value of having more control over our tools and data. Ultimately, we decided to stick with our new setup, recognizing that while Microsoft 365's convenience is undeniable, the trade-off in control and customization was worth the effort for our unique requirements.",
  "summary": "I thought cancelling Microsoft 365 would be simple until I had to make everything work for five people.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}