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 Production Board 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.

Production Board

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Production Board: the alternative to Notion

What moving from Notion to Production Board actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

Productivity

Finn GlasCo-Founder + Engineering

·January 29, 2026·

1 min read

Production Board 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 is a generalist - docs, databases, wikis, light CRMs, lightweight project trackers. Production Board is a specialist - it's a board for production work with steps, statuses, blockers, and live updates. If your team uses one tool for everything, Notion wins by default. If you've watched Notion slow down past five hundred items, that's where we come in.

Switching

What moving from Notion actually looks like

The switch goes in three rough phases: export from Notion, import into Production Board, 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.

Production Board vs Notion: feature comparison

	Ours Production Board	Theirs Notion
Boards / kanban
Live multi-tab updates
Step / phase pipeline		DIY
Wikis + docs
Hosted in Germany
Free tier

When to pick which

Pick Production Board when

Your work is production - things move from step to step, with blockers, owners, and durations.

Notion got slow past your five-hundredth item.

Pick Notion when

Your team needs the docs / wikis / lightweight DBs in one place.

Less than a hundred items total - any tool works at that size.

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 Production Board

Open the import tool in Production Board. Notion's field names rarely match Production Board' 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. Production Board 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. Production Board 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 Production Board

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