How long does switching from subsid.ai actually take?

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

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

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Grants: the alternative to subsid.ai

What moving from subsid.ai to Grants actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

subsid.ai

Finn GlasCo-Founder + Engineering

·May 15, 2026·

1 min read

Grants is what people use when subsid.ai 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

subsid.ai is a smart, narrow tool: generative AI trained on successful Forschungszulage and ZIM applications that drafts large chunks of your text for you. They claim to handle ~90% of the application. For exactly those two programmes (Forschungszulage + ZIM), if your goal is to ship a first draft fast and you're comfortable editing AI output, the free tier is genuinely useful. Grants is a broader bet: a full bilingual workspace covering EXIST, EXIST Forschungstransfer Phase I + II, IGP, KMU innovativ, BMBF Verbundprojekt, Horizon EIC, MSCA, ERC, NSF, plus 90+ regional competitions. The editor is section-structured rather than chatbot-style; reviewer-language coaching is inline; the 4-week revision window has its own dedicated workflow. Pick subsid.ai if your only grant is Forschungszulage or ZIM and you want a draft quickly. Pick Grants if you have a multi-year, multi-programme funding strategy.

Switching

What moving from subsid.ai actually looks like

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

	Ours Grants	Theirs subsid.ai
Forschungszulage drafting
ZIM drafting
EXIST Gründerstipendium structured editor
EXIST Forschungstransfer Phase I + II
IGP / KMU innovativ / BMBF Verbund / Horizon / ERC
Free tier with AI generation
Section-structured editor (LaTeX-backed)
Cross-programme reuse of chapters
Bilingual EN + DE		DE only
Hosted in Germany

When to pick which

Pick Grants when

Your funding stack includes EXIST or EXIST Forschungstransfer or anything outside the Forschungszulage / ZIM pair.

You want a workspace that carries your text from one application to the next, not a one-shot generator.

You need EU programme support (Horizon, ERC, MSCA, NSF).

You want English + German parallel drafting (international team or bilingual reviewer pool).

Pick subsid.ai when

Your only funding instruments are Forschungszulage and/or ZIM, with no plan to apply elsewhere.

You want a first draft generated fast and you're comfortable heavy-editing AI output.

You don't need a long-term workspace or cross-programme text reuse.

Step by step

Export from subsid.ai

Find the export option in subsid.ai'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. subsid.ai'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

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

Switching from subsid.ai

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