FREE NOW
Multi-mobility ride-hailing app across Europe — a European alternative to Uber.
Overview
FREE NOW is a Hamburg, Germany-based European company building marketplace and mobility software since 2009. As an EU-headquartered provider, FREE NOW operates under GDPR and is outside the reach of the US CLOUD Act, making it a privacy-friendly alternative to well-known US incumbents for European teams.
Why European teams pick FREE NOW
Teams in Europe pick FREE NOW when they want a marketplace provider that bills in EUR, supports their local data-protection officer requirements, and keeps customer data under Germany law, operating since 2009. Compared with well-known US incumbents, FREE NOW avoids cross-border data transfers under Schrems II and the US CLOUD Act, which is often the deciding factor for European procurement and legal teams.
See more EU marketplace tools or browse other startups from Germany.
About
FREE NOW (formerly mytaxi) is a Hamburg-based mobility super-app founded in 2009, owned by a joint venture between BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Mobility. It provides ride-hailing, taxi booking, e-scooters, e-bikes, car sharing, and public transport integration across 150+ European cities. FREE NOW operates exclusively in Europe and is fully GDPR-compliant with data processing in the EU. It is the leading EU-owned alternative to Uber in European markets, particularly strong in Germany, Ireland, the UK, Spain, and Greece.
Details
- Founded
- 2009
- Headquarters
- Hamburg, Germany
Categories
Other EU startups like FREE NOW
- IdealistaSpain — Leading real estate portal in Spain, Italy and Portugal — a European alternative to Zillow.
- WoltFinland — Food and grocery delivery platform across Europe — a Finnish alternative to UberEats.
- BlaBlaCarFrance — Europe's largest long-distance carpooling and coach platform — a French alternative to Greyhound.
Frequently asked questions
What is FREE NOW?
FREE NOW (formerly mytaxi) is a Hamburg-based mobility super-app founded in 2009, owned by a joint venture between BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Mobility. It provides ride-hailing, taxi booking, e-scooters, e-bikes, car sharing, and public transport integration across 150+ European cities. FREE NOW operates exclusively in Europe and is fully GDPR-compliant with data processing in the EU. It is the leading EU-owned alternative to Uber in European markets, particularly strong in Germany, Ireland, the UK, Spain, and Greece.
What does FREE NOW do?
FREE NOW is multi-mobility ride-hailing app across europe — a european alternative to uber. It is listed under marketplace and mobility on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European marketplace tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from well-known US incumbents.
Is FREE NOW a good European marketplace alternative?
FREE NOW is a fit for European businesses evaluating marketplace options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with mobility use cases.
Is FREE NOW GDPR compliant?
FREE NOW is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by Germany's data protection authority, the Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI). Because the company is not US-incorporated, it is not subject to the US CLOUD Act — meaning US authorities cannot compel FREE NOW to disclose customer data the way they can with well-known US incumbents. For European buyers, that often simplifies DPIA paperwork and standard contractual clauses.
How do teams switch from well-known US incumbents to FREE NOW?
Most teams move to FREE NOW from well-known US incumbents because they want EU data residency without giving up the core marketplace workflow. FREE NOW's Germany base means a single jurisdiction for both the company and (typically) its hosting infrastructure, so you can drop Schrems II transfer impact assessments for this part of your stack. Plan the migration in stages: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot FREE NOW with a small team, then move the rest once the integration coverage you need is confirmed.
Where is FREE NOW based?
FREE NOW is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in 2009. Its main website is https://free-now.com.