How long does switching from Folk actually take?

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

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

Contact Book

Compare

Contact Book: the alternative to Folk

What moving from Folk to Contact Book actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

Personal CRM

Comparison

Julia YukovichCo-Founder + CEO

·March 29, 2026·

1 min read

Contact Book is what people use when Folk 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

Folk is a beautifully designed CRM that targets small teams + relationship-builders working together. Contact Book targets a single person with their own warm network. If you're a VC scout, BD lead, or a five-person agency that needs shared visibility, Folk is the cleaner fit. If you're an individual who wants their own contact log, that's us.

Switching

What moving from Folk actually looks like

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

Contact Book vs Folk: feature comparison

	Ours Contact Book	Theirs Folk
Single-user fit		Possible
Team workspace	Possible
LinkedIn integration	CSV
Email + calendar sync
Life events + gifts
Hosted in Germany
Free tier
Price (entry)	From €1/mo	$20/mo

When to pick which

Pick Contact Book when

It's just you + your warm network, not a sales team workspace.

Life events + gifts + family graph are part of the value, not noise.

EU jurisdiction is required.

Pick Folk when

You work with two-to-five teammates and need shared contact visibility.

LinkedIn + Gmail are central to your relational workflow.

Step by step

Export from Folk

Find the export option in Folk'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 Contact Book

Open the import tool in Contact Book. Folk's field names rarely match Contact Book' 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. Contact Book 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

Folk-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 Folk 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 Folk subscription from their side. Contact Book keeps your export option self-serve in account settings - no lock-in either direction.

Switching from Folk

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

Start with Contact Book

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