The 4 costs of moving
Moving costs you the history you leave behind, the habits you rebuilt around the old product, the prompts and setups you tuned, and any integrations that stop. Counting them before you move turns a vague reluctance into a decision.
Switching is usually framed as free because both products are free. The money is the smallest part of it, and the other 4 parts are what actually keeps people where they are.
History rarely moves
Export formats differ and imports are rare, so history usually stays behind. For most people this matters less than expected, because old conversations are rarely re-read. Check whether yours are before deciding it is a cost.
Habits are the real cost
You learned what the old product does well, how to phrase things, when not to bother. That knowledge does not transfer, and rebuilding it takes weeks of slightly worse results. This is the cost people feel and do not name.
Prompts and setups need retuning
Instructions tuned for one product's manner behave differently under another's. This is a real cost for anyone who built a working set, and it is small for someone who types plain questions.
Integrations break
Anything connected through an interface stops when the product changes. For a plain chat this is nothing; for a set-up wired into other tools it can be the largest cost on the list.
What people ask before switching
Can I run 2 in parallel?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to switch. Use the new product for a class of work and keep the old product until the habits transfer.
How long does adjustment take?
For plain use, days. For a tuned setup, a few weeks. Expecting the second and getting the first is better than the reverse.
Is a product with no account easier to leave?
By construction, yes: nothing accumulates that has to move, and nothing has to be closed.
Try this alongside what you use now rather than instead of it.
Open the chat