Enterprise Platform Migration
General Bots provides complete feature parity with enterprise cloud productivity suites while offering significant advantages: self-hosting, open source licensing, no per-user fees, and native AI integration.
Migration Overview
Organizations evaluating self-hosted alternatives find General Bots delivers equivalent functionality with full data sovereignty. The sections below map common enterprise APIs to their General Bots equivalents.
API Endpoint Mapping
Mail and Communication
Enterprise mail APIs handle sending, receiving, and managing email. General Bots provides the same capabilities through Stalwart Mail Server and BASIC keywords.
| Enterprise API | General Bots Equivalent | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Messages endpoint | Stalwart IMAP/JMAP | Full mailbox access |
| Send mail endpoint | SEND MAIL keyword | SEND MAIL TO email SUBJECT s BODY b |
| Mail folders | Stalwart folders | Standard IMAP folders |
| Attachments | File keywords | READ, WRITE with attachments |
The BASIC syntax is straightforward:
SEND MAIL TO "client@company.com" SUBJECT "Report Ready" BODY report_content
For receiving mail, configure webhooks or use scheduled scripts to process incoming messages through the Stalwart API.
Calendar and Scheduling
Calendar APIs manage events, appointments, and scheduling. General Bots integrates CalDAV with the BOOK keyword.
| Enterprise API | General Bots Equivalent | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar events | Calendar API | /api/calendar/events |
| Create event | BOOK keyword | BOOK "Meeting" AT datetime |
| Calendar view | Calendar range query | Date-filtered event retrieval |
| Free/busy lookup | Availability API | Schedule availability |
Schedule appointments conversationally:
TALK "When would you like to schedule your appointment?"
HEAR appointment_time AS DATE
BOOK "Consultation" AT appointment_time
TALK "Your appointment is confirmed for " + FORMAT(appointment_time, "MMMM d 'at' h:mm a")
Files and Storage
Cloud storage APIs handle file operations, versioning, and sharing. SeaweedFS provides S3-compatible storage with full versioning support.
| Enterprise API | General Bots Equivalent | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| List files | LIST keyword | LIST "/documents/" |
| File listing | Drive API | /api/files/list |
| File content | READ keyword | content = READ "file.pdf" |
| File versions | Versions API | /api/files/versions |
| Permissions | Sharing API | Permission management |
File operations in BASIC:
files = LIST "/reports/"
FOR EACH file IN files
content = READ file.path
processed = LLM "Summarize this document: " + content
WRITE "/summaries/" + file.name + ".summary.txt", processed
NEXT file
Tasks and Planning
Task management APIs create, update, and track work items. General Bots implements a complete task system with project organization.
| Enterprise API | General Bots Equivalent | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks endpoint | Tasks API | /api/tasks |
| Task lists | Task lists | Board-based organization |
| Create task | CREATE TASK keyword | Task creation |
| Task details | Task CRUD | Full task lifecycle |
Create tasks from conversations:
TALK "What task should I create?"
HEAR task_title
TALK "When is it due?"
HEAR due_date AS DATE
CREATE TASK task_title DUE due_date
TALK "Task created: " + task_title
Users and Directory
User management APIs handle identity, groups, and permissions. Zitadel provides enterprise-grade IAM with OIDC/OAuth2.
| Enterprise API | General Bots Equivalent | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Users endpoint | Users API | /api/users |
| Current user | Current user | Session context |
| Groups | Groups API | /api/groups |
| Directory | Directory API | Zitadel directory |
| Memberships | Membership API | Group memberships |
Automation and Workflows
Cloud automation platforms provide flow-based workflow design. General Bots offers BASIC scripting with more power and flexibility.
| Cloud Automation | General Bots Equivalent | Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled flows | SET SCHEDULE | Cron syntax, unlimited |
| HTTP triggers | WEBHOOK | Instant API creation |
| Connectors | GET, POST, GraphQL | Any REST/GraphQL API |
| Conditions | IF/THEN/ELSE | Full programming logic |
| Loops | FOR EACH | Native iteration |
| Data operations | TABLE, INSERT, UPDATE | Direct database access |
A workflow that would require a visual designer elsewhere becomes simple BASIC:
SET SCHEDULE "0 9 * * 1-5"
' Daily sales report - runs weekdays at 9 AM
sales = AGGREGATE "orders", "SUM", "total", "date = TODAY()"
count = AGGREGATE "orders", "COUNT", "id", "date = TODAY()"
SET CONTEXT "You are a business analyst. Create a brief executive summary."
summary = LLM "Sales: $" + sales + ", Orders: " + count
SEND MAIL TO "executives@company.com" SUBJECT "Daily Sales Report" BODY summary
AI and Intelligence
Cloud AI assistants typically require additional per-user licensing. General Bots includes AI capabilities at no extra cost.
| Cloud AI Feature | General Bots Equivalent | Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| AI Assistant | LLM keyword | Free (bring your API key) |
| Document analysis | USE KB + LLM | Built-in RAG |
| Image generation | IMAGE keyword | Local generation available |
| Speech-to-text | HEAR AS AUDIO | Whisper integration |
| Text-to-speech | AUDIO keyword | TTS models |
| Vision/OCR | SEE keyword | Vision models |
AI integration is native:
USE KB "product-docs"
SET CONTEXT "You are a helpful product specialist."
TALK "How can I help you today?"
HEAR question
response = LLM question
TALK response
Feature Parity Matrix
Core Services
| Service Category | Enterprise Cloud | General Bots | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud mail service | Stalwart Mail | ✅ Complete | |
| Calendar | Cloud calendar | CalDAV + Calendar API | ✅ Complete |
| Files | Cloud storage | SeaweedFS | ✅ Complete |
| Video | Cloud meetings | LiveKit | ✅ Complete |
| Chat | Cloud messaging | Multi-channel | ✅ Complete |
| Tasks | Cloud tasks | Tasks Module | ✅ Complete |
| Identity | Cloud identity | Zitadel | ✅ Complete |
| Search | Cloud search | Qdrant Vectors | ✅ Semantic |
Automation
| Capability | Cloud Platform | General Bots | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled tasks | Scheduled flows | SET SCHEDULE | ✅ Complete |
| Webhooks | HTTP triggers | WEBHOOK | ✅ Complete |
| API calls | Connectors | HTTP keywords | ✅ Flexible |
| Custom logic | Expressions | Full BASIC | ✅ Powerful |
| Database | Cloud datastore | Direct SQL | ✅ Direct |
| Pricing | Per-user fees | Included | ✅ Free |
AI Capabilities
| Feature | Cloud AI (extra cost) | General Bots | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chat assistance | ✅ | LLM keyword | ✅ Included |
| Document Q&A | ✅ | USE KB + RAG | ✅ Included |
| Code generation | ✅ | LLM with context | ✅ Included |
| Image generation | Limited | IMAGE keyword | ✅ Full |
| Video generation | ❌ | VIDEO keyword | ✅ Available |
| Custom models | ❌ | Any provider | ✅ Flexible |
Cost Comparison
Typical Per-User Cloud Licensing
| License Tier | Monthly Cost | 100 Users/Year |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $6/user | $7,200 |
| Standard | $12.50/user | $15,000 |
| Premium | $22/user | $26,400 |
| + AI features | $30/user | $36,000 |
| Total Premium + AI | $52/user | $62,400 |
General Bots Self-Hosted
| Component | Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Software | $0 | AGPL licensed |
| Infrastructure | $50-200 | Your servers |
| LLM API (optional) | $50-500 | Pay per use |
| Total | $100-700 | Unlimited users |
For 100 users, General Bots costs roughly 1-2% of typical cloud licensing while providing equivalent or better functionality.
Migration Approach
Phase 1: Assessment
Inventory current service usage and map to General Bots equivalents. Most organizations find complete feature coverage for core productivity scenarios.
Phase 2: Parallel Deployment
Run General Bots alongside existing services during transition. Configure identity federation between Zitadel and existing directory services.
Phase 3: Data Migration
Use provided migration tools and APIs:
' Example: Migrate files from external storage
files = GET "https://api.storage.example/files"
FOR EACH file IN files
content = DOWNLOAD file.url
WRITE "/" + file.name, content
NEXT file
Phase 4: Cutover
Redirect DNS, update client configurations, and deprecate cloud subscriptions.
What You Gain
Data Sovereignty - Your data stays on your infrastructure. No third-party access, no cross-border data concerns.
Cost Control - Predictable infrastructure costs instead of per-user licensing that scales with your organization.
Customization - Full source code access. Modify, extend, and integrate as needed.
AI Integration - Native LLM support without additional licensing. Use any provider or run models locally.
Automation Power - BASIC scripting provides more flexibility than visual flow builders with no per-automation limits.
No Vendor Lock-in - Open standards (IMAP, CalDAV, S3, OIDC) mean your data is always portable.
Migration Resources
General Bots provides tools and documentation for smooth migration:
- Import utilities for common data formats
- API compatibility layers for gradual transition
- Identity federation for single sign-on during migration
- Data validation tools to verify migration completeness
Summary
General Bots delivers enterprise productivity features without enterprise pricing:
- 100% API coverage for core productivity services
- Self-hosted deployment with full data sovereignty
- No per-user licensing fees
- Native AI integration without additional cost
- More powerful automation with BASIC scripting
- Open source with full code access
The choice between cloud and self-hosted depends on organizational priorities. For those valuing control, cost efficiency, and customization, General Bots delivers enterprise-grade productivity without enterprise-grade pricing.
See Also
- Quick Start - Deploy in minutes
- Keywords Reference - Full BASIC reference
- REST API Reference - Complete API documentation
- Migration Guide - Detailed migration steps