How long does switching from Camera roll actually take?

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

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

Sourdough Tracker

Compare

Sourdough Tracker: the alternative to Camera roll

What moving from Camera roll to Sourdough Tracker actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

Comparison

Photos

Finn GlasCo-Founder + Engineering

·January 1, 2026·

1 min read

Sourdough Tracker is what people use when Camera roll 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

Photos of starters at peak are the most accurate journal you already keep - they're just not labelled and not searchable. Sourdough Tracker doesn't replace your camera; it just gives each photo a home next to the entry it belongs to. Six months in, your camera roll has 200 photos of jars and you can't tell which feed each one was; the journal has 200 photos attached to feeds, with rise % and ambient temp next to each.

Switching

What moving from Camera roll actually looks like

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

	Ours Sourdough Tracker	Theirs Camera roll
Survives a phone replacement		If you sync
Photos in chronological order
Labelled with rise %, hydration
Filterable by starter
Compare two bakes side-by-side		DIY

When to pick which

Pick Sourdough Tracker when

You want to look at last September's bake to compare to today's.

Pick Camera roll when

You bake once and snap one photo - any tool works.

Step by step

Export from Camera roll

Find the export option in Camera roll'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. Camera roll'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

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

Switching from Camera roll

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