How long does switching from Notion actually take?

An evening for most accounts. The export from Notion 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 Notion preserves the data: records, fields, history, and attachments come over intact. What doesn't transfer is anything tied to Notion-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 Notion subscription?

Run both side-by-side until you're confident, then cancel Notion 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 Notion's export shape is unfamiliar, we'll say so up front.

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KI BMS: the alternative to Notion

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

Switching

ATS

Notion

DIY

Finn GlasCo-Founder + Engineering

·April 8, 2026·

3 min read

KI BMS is what people use when Notion 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

Notion stays our wiki + strategy tool, no fight. As an ATS it works as long as you have one open role and fewer than 30 applications per quarter. The moment that becomes three roles or 100 applications, you're missing the five things a dedicated ATS does and a wiki doesn't: public application form, auto-mails with variables, KI pre-sort with reasoning, audit log + GDPR retention, conflict-free multi-person pipeline. KI BMS doesn't replace Notion - it takes over the part that needs behaviour.

Switching

What moving from Notion actually looks like

The switch goes in three rough phases: export from Notion, import into KI BMS, and reorganise what came over. Most people allocate an evening for it. The export side is where the time goes - Notion 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 Notion: feature comparison

	Ours KI BMS	Theirs Notion
Structured fields per application		With database properties, manual
Public application form
Auto-mails with variable substitution
KI fit-score with reasoning		Notion AI without recruiting context
Who-changed-what audit log		Per-page version history
GDPR retention + auto-anonymisation
Careers page with custom domain		Notion Sites possible, no ATS form
Conflict-free multi-person pipeline		In theory
Hosted in Germany
Starting price	€0 / €1 / €10 per month	€0 (free) to ~€10 per seat

When to pick which

Pick KI BMS when

Three or more open roles, 50+ applications per quarter, two or more people reading along.

You need a public application form that writes directly into your pipeline.

GDPR retention is an open question - Notion has no 'anonymise after 6 months' switch.

You want KI pre-sorting that knows the role profile, not a generic 'Notion AI summarises' layer.

Pick Notion when

One role, one HR person, fewer than 30 applications across the role's lifetime.

Recruiting is a one-shot project right now; a dedicated tool feels oversized.

You live in Notion and tool sprawl is your biggest worry.

What Notion does well as a recruiting database

Notion is a flexible database with views, filters and a wiki surface HR teams understand on contact. A candidate table with status column, a kanban view by stage, a detail page per application with PDF embedded - built in 10 minutes. If you already live in Notion, the pull to stay there is rational.

What doesn't speak against Notion: overview, search quality, linking 'role' to 'application' to 'hiring manager note'. Notion is a good database. It's just not a workflow engine - and recruiting is a workflow problem the moment volume exceeds two or three roles.

The five structural gaps

One - public application form. Notion Sites can render public pages but can't ship a form that writes into your private talent database. You end up at a third-party form builder (Tally, Typeform) plus Zapier, or hand-typing applications.

Two - auto-mails with variables. A receipt that substitutes {candidate_first_name} and {job_title} and auto-sends on stage change isn't buildable in Notion without a workflow tool. Same external-service trap, or you hand-type every mail.

Three - KI pre-sorting with recruiting context. Notion AI is a general LLM layer; it knows nothing about the requirements profile and won't produce a 0-100 scale with per-application reasoning. You can construct something with a clever prompt, but that's DIY, not default.

Four - audit log + GDPR retention. Notion's version history is per page, not per record. 'Who flipped status to rejected on April 17?' is detective work. There's no automatic anonymisation after 6 months.

Five - conflict-free multi-person pipeline work. Notion is fine while two people edit different rows. The moment both open the same detail page, you get last-write-wins. An ATS writes every mutation atomically against the server, with WS sync for the other tabs.

Keep Notion for what it does well: role briefings, hiring-manager prep, onboarding wikis, consensus notes with cross-links. Move only the operational application funnel into a dedicated ATS - where behaviour + GDPR are built in. KI BMS has a free tier with full pipeline functionality, so the migration bar is near zero; export the Notion database as CSV, one-click import.

Step by step

Export from Notion

Find the export option in Notion'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. Notion'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

Notion-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 Notion 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 Notion subscription from their side. KI BMS keeps your export option self-serve in account settings - no lock-in either direction.

Switching from Notion

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