How long does switching from Ashby actually take?

An evening for most accounts. The export from Ashby is the slow step - the import side runs in minutes once the field mapping is settled. Larger teams (50+ seats with custom field schemas) sometimes split it across two sessions: import first, reorganise the next day.

Will I lose data when I switch?

Nothing structural. The CSV/JSON export from Ashby preserves the data: records, fields, history, and attachments come over intact. What doesn't transfer is anything tied to Ashby-specific UI metadata (custom views, saved searches, in-app annotations) - those don't sit in the export, they sit in the source product's UI. Plan an evening to rebuild your most-used views once you're in.

What about my existing Ashby subscription?

Run both side-by-side until you're confident, then cancel Ashby from their side. We don't lock you in - export from KI BMS is one click in account settings, same as import.

Is the import path free?

The import button is open on every plan, including the free tier - we don't paywall the way out of a competitor. The data going in still has to fit your plan's per-type quotas (the free-tier caps are listed on /sales); paid plans raise those caps. If you're moving a large set, check the caps first or write to /support and we can advise.

Can I get help with the switch?

Yes. Write to /support - both founders see those threads directly. Reply within a working day. For the field-mapping itself we typically resolve things in one or two exchanges; if your dataset is unusually large or Ashby's export shape is unfamiliar, we'll say so up front.

KI BMS

Pricing

Compare

KI BMS: the alternative to Ashby

What moving from Ashby to KI BMS actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

ATS

Comparison

Premium

Finn GlasCo-Founder + Engineering

·January 18, 2026·

2 min read

KI BMS is what people use when Ashby stops fitting. Below is the honest side-by-side - same product surface, different posture: hosted in Germany, no third-party trackers, one honest price - plus the migration mechanics that decide whether the switch lands in an evening or in a quarter.

At a glance

Ashby is right when you're a 100+-staff tech company with dedicated TA and want an all-in-one stack: ATS + CRM + analytics + scheduler + sourcing in one tool. KI BMS is right when you're 8-100 staff and want a dedicated ATS productive in 10 minutes. Ashby is deep, powerful, expensive; KI BMS is lean, fast, transparent on price. Pipeline functions overlap; the surroundings differ.

Switching

What moving from Ashby actually looks like

The switch goes in three rough phases: export from Ashby, import into KI BMS, and reorganise what came over. Most people allocate an evening for it. The export side is where the time goes - Ashby hands you a CSV/JSON dump and the field mapping isn't always obvious; once that's resolved the import is a couple of minutes. We don't paywall the import path or pretend it's a pro-only feature, and you can run both side-by-side while you decide.

KI BMS vs Ashby: feature comparison

	Ours KI BMS	Theirs Ashby
Hosted in Germany
Careers page included
Analytics suite	Standard	Best-in-class
Talent CRM	Talent pool	Full CRM with nurture
Scheduler built in
KI fit-score built in		Add-on (Ashby AI)
Multi-voice scorecards
Free tier
Starting price	€0 / €1 / €10 / month	Quote (4-5-figure per year)
GDPR auto-anonymisation		Configurable
Language	DE + EN	EN-first

When to pick which

Pick KI BMS when

You're 8-100 staff in DACH. Ashby's depth isn't needed, the price hurts.

Hosting in Germany + DPA in 24h are mandatory.

Public pricing + monthly contracts.

Pick Ashby when

You're 100+-staff tech with ambitious analytics needs (funnel cohorts, pass-through rates, diversity reporting).

Your TA has 3+ dedicated sourcers + a coordinator team for scheduling.

You have procurement with multi-year contracts and accept a 5-figure annual budget.

What Ashby gets right in its league

Ashby is the ATS most Series B-D tech companies prefer - for good reason. Analytics are genuinely best-in-class: funnel cohorts, time-in-stage heatmaps, per-stage pass-through, source ROI with cost-per-hire per source. The scheduler integrates deeply with Google Calendar + Outlook. The talent CRM has nurture sequences. Want all that in one tool - and can pay - Ashby delivers.

Where it tips in DACH mid-market

Three points. One - price. Ashby is quote-only and doesn't start below ~$10,000/year; full config is typically $30,000+. Fits a 200-person Series-C in SF; doesn't fit a 30-person mid-market in Hamburg with 8 hires a year. Two - depth. Ashby's analytics + CRM + scheduler are powerful but demand care - daily tagging, cohort definitions, nurture sequences. A one-person HR function doesn't do that. Three - DACH fit. Ashby hosts in US + EU; DPAs exist but as a template. For many German IT-security officers that's not the easiest conversation.

An honest selection question

If you're an ambitious TA function with 3-5 dedicated people and you take analytics + scheduling + CRM seriously - Ashby pays off. If you're a 1-3-person HR setup and want daily recruiting faster - KI BMS pays off much more. Both are correct answers - they fit different stages.

Step by step

Export from Ashby

Find the export option in Ashby's account settings. Most tools provide a CSV or JSON download. Save the dump locally - that's the source of truth for the next step.

Account settings → Export / Download data

Pick the broadest format the tool offers (usually JSON)

Map fields in KI BMS

Open the import tool in KI BMS. Ashby's field names rarely match KI BMS' 1:1; the import flags any unmapped columns so you can pair them up before anything commits.

Account settings → Import

Resolve the mapping prompts the tool surfaces

Run the import

Run the import. KI BMS shows a preview of the first parsed rows in the import dialog so you can sanity-check the column mapping + a sample of records before anything commits. If you're nervous about a large dump, import a small subset first, verify it landed the way you expected, then run the full file.

Re-create your views, tags, saved searches

Ashby-specific UI metadata (custom views, saved filters, in-app annotations) doesn't transfer with the data export. Spend an evening rebuilding the views you used most - usually a 30-minute job once you've done it once.

Cancel Ashby when you're confident

Run both side-by-side for a couple of weeks if you want to be sure. When you're confident, cancel the Ashby subscription from their side. KI BMS keeps your export option self-serve in account settings - no lock-in either direction.

Switching from Ashby

The five questions we get most often before someone moves their data over.

Start with KI BMS

Free plan, no credit card. We host in Germany. Export + delete are self-serve.

Written by

Finn Glas

Co-Founder + Engineering

Finn is one of the Co-Founders. He owns the engineering side, the infrastructure, and most of the late-night fixes that ship before anyone notices.

finn.glas at aicuflow dot comLinkedIn Website