How long does switching from Google Docs actually take?

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

Run both side-by-side until you're confident, then cancel Google Docs from their side. We don't lock you in - export from Grants 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 Google Docs's export shape is unfamiliar, we'll say so up front.

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Grants: the alternative to Google Docs

What moving from Google Docs to Grants actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

EXIST

Google Docs

Finn GlasCo-Founder + Engineering

·March 6, 2026·

1 min read

Grants is what people use when Google Docs 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

Google Docs is the default for two-person founder teams - free, real-time, share-by-link. Grants trades the generic-document flexibility for purpose-built grant structure: an Ideenpapier outline reviewers expect, deadline + status carried forward, the 4-week post-rejection revision window tracked. Hosted in Germany. Pick Docs for the long tail of "any document"; pick us for the EXIST.

Switching

What moving from Google Docs actually looks like

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

Grants vs Google Docs: feature comparison

	Ours Grants	Theirs Google Docs
Real-time co-editing
Section structure for EXIST/IGP
Deadline + status tracking
Hosted in Germany
Free tier
Numbering survives 30+ pages

When to pick which

Pick Grants when

EU/German hosting is required by your university, your investors, or your own conviction.

Submission is more than 20 pages, with figures, references, and a budget table.

Pick Google Docs when

Your team already lives in Workspace and the cost of a tool switch outweighs the structure win.

Step by step

Export from Google Docs

Find the export option in Google Docs'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 Grants

Open the import tool in Grants. Google Docs's field names rarely match Grants' 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. Grants 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

Google Docs-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 Google Docs 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 Google Docs subscription from their side. Grants keeps your export option self-serve in account settings - no lock-in either direction.

Switching from Google Docs

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

Start with Grants

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