How long does switching from A paper notebook actually take?

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

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

Sourdough Tracker

Compare

Sourdough Tracker: the alternative to A paper notebook

What moving from A paper notebook to Sourdough Tracker actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

Comparison

Notebook

Finn GlasCo-Founder + Engineering

·January 8, 2026·

1 min read

Sourdough Tracker is what people use when A paper notebook 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

Paper has a real advantage: nothing more honest than a flour-dusted page that's been near the dough. It also has a real disadvantage: you can't search it, you can't sort it, you can't filter feeds vs bakes, and the photos live in a separate device. Sourdough Tracker is the digital equivalent that respects what paper does well - one-tap entries, no nag, your data stays yours - while adding what paper can't: search, filtering, photos in line with the entry they belong to, and per-starter sharing. Many bakers happily run both.

Switching

What moving from A paper notebook actually looks like

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

Sourdough Tracker vs A paper notebook: feature comparison

	Ours Sourdough Tracker	Theirs A paper notebook
Tactile + flour-friendly
Searchable across entries
Photos inline with entries
Sortable feed vs bake feed
Survives a coffee spill		Maybe
Share one starter w/ a friend
Battery / wifi required	Yes

When to pick which

Pick Sourdough Tracker when

You bake more than once a month and want patterns to emerge.

Photos matter to you - and you want them on the same page as the entry.

You want a friend (or your kitchen co-baker) to see one starter without the rest.

Pick A paper notebook when

You want zero screens at the kitchen counter, period.

You bake once or twice a year as a hobby and don't need search.

The hybrid that works

Many of the bakers I admire run both: a digital journal as the system of record (search, photos, sharing) and a paper one for the feel of writing at the counter. Pick whichever feels alive and right; you can always export the digital one to a CSV later if you want to migrate.

Step by step

Export from A paper notebook

Find the export option in A paper notebook'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 Sourdough Tracker

Open the import tool in Sourdough Tracker. A paper notebook's field names rarely match Sourdough Tracker' 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. Sourdough Tracker 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

A paper notebook-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 A paper notebook 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 A paper notebook subscription from their side. Sourdough Tracker keeps your export option self-serve in account settings - no lock-in either direction.

Switching from A paper notebook

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

Start with Sourdough Tracker

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