How long does switching from Factorial actually take?

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

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

KI BMS

Pricing

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KI BMS: the alternative to Factorial

What moving from Factorial to KI BMS actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

ATS

Comparison

HR suite

Julia YukovichCo-Founder + CEO

·April 16, 2026·

2 min read

KI BMS is what people use when Factorial 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

Factorial is a strong pick if you want an HR platform for all personnel admin - time tracking, absence, documents, payroll handoff and a recruiting module on top. For 20-200-person companies without dedicated HR software, that's a sensible consolidation. KI BMS is right when recruiting is your bottleneck and you want KI pre-sort with reasoning, a real pipeline and a German careers page instead of a platform's generalist recruiting tab. The most common 2026 architecture: Factorial for HR admin, KI BMS for recruiting in parallel.

Switching

What moving from Factorial actually looks like

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

KI BMS vs Factorial: feature comparison

	Ours KI BMS	Theirs Factorial
Time tracking + absence
Documents + payroll handoff
Recruiting module	Specialist	Module
KI fit-score with reasoning		KI features present, recruiting depth limited
Multi-voice scorecards		Limited
Careers page included		Basic page
GDPR auto-anonymisation		Manual
Hosted in Germany		EU hosting
Starting price	€0 / €1 / €10 per month	Per employee, module-dependent
Contract model	Monthly cancellation	Annual contract typical

When to pick which

Pick KI BMS when

Recruiting is your bottleneck - 5+ open roles or 100+ applications per quarter, and the generalist module no longer suffices.

You want KI pre-sort with reasoning and structured scorecards, not 'another recruiting tab in the platform'.

You already run Factorial (or another HR platform) and just need a better ATS alongside.

Pick Factorial when

You don't have HR software yet and want to consolidate time tracking, absence, documents and payroll handoff first.

Recruiting is small - 1-4 roles a year, the module needs to suffice, not shine.

A single platform is politically easier to procure than two specialists.

What Factorial does right

Factorial is one of the most convincing all-in-one HR platforms for small and mid-sized companies starting from scratch. Time tracking, leave requests, sick notes, document storage, payroll handoff, org chart - all in one place, with a modern UI that doesn't look like admin software from 2008. If you have no HR software and want to build it, Factorial is an honestly good foundation.

The recruiting module is solid for the basics: create a role, receive applications, set status, send mail. That covers a big part of recruiting reality, especially at low volume. What it doesn't deliver is depth exactly where recruiting becomes a bottleneck.

Where the recruiting module hits limits

A generalist recruiting module typically lacks three things. One - KI pre-sort with readable, correctable per-application reasoning. Two - structured multi-voice scorecards forcing several interviewers onto the same criteria axis. Three - per-candidate GDPR retention with auto-anonymisation as a default rather than homework. At 1-4 roles a year, none of this shows. At 5+ open roles simultaneously, each of these three becomes a daily friction loss.

The combination we see in pilot teams

Many teams using KI BMS for recruiting run Factorial or Personio or HeavenHR alongside for HR admin. The tools don't need much integration: on hire, the person is created fresh in the platform, the application record stays in the KI BMS archive with audit log and retention window. Nobody misses deep integration; the clean separation between application funnel and personnel file is exactly what makes the architecture work - and it keeps costs low.

Step by step

Export from Factorial

Find the export option in Factorial'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 KI BMS

Open the import tool in KI BMS. Factorial's field names rarely match KI BMS' 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. KI BMS 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

Factorial-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 Factorial 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 Factorial subscription from their side. KI BMS keeps your export option self-serve in account settings - no lock-in either direction.

Switching from Factorial

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

Start with KI BMS

Free plan, no credit card. We host in Germany. Export + delete are self-serve.

Written by

Julia Yukovich

Co-Founder + CEO

Julia is one of the Co-Founders. She handles design, product direction, and most of the support replies that arrive in the morning.

julia.yukovich at aicuflow dot comLinkedIn