How to Migrate from Pipedrive to HubSpot

Key Takeaways

Pipedrive to HubSpot migration typically takes 2-4 weeks
Export deals, contacts, and custom fields from Pipedrive systematically
Map Pipedrive deal stages to HubSpot pipeline stages carefully
Use custom fields to preserve Pipedrive's unique data structure
Train your sales team on HubSpot's different interface and features

How to Migrate from Pipedrive to HubSpot: The Complete Guide

Pipedrive is beloved by sales teams—it's lightweight, visual, and focused purely on deals and salespeople. But as your business grows and you need marketing, customer service, and deeper analytics, Pipedrive starts to feel limited. That's when HubSpot becomes attractive: one platform for sales, marketing, and service. If you're thinking about making this move, you're not alone. This guide walks you through the entire Pipedrive to HubSpot migration.

Why Companies Switch from Pipedrive to HubSpot

Pipedrive is great at one thing: helping salespeople close deals. But it exists in isolation. If you're also doing marketing, customer service, or complex reporting, Pipedrive doesn't talk to those processes.

Companies typically move to HubSpot because they want:

Integrated marketing and sales — See how marketing activities turn into deals
Better reporting and analytics — Understand your full business pipeline, not just open deals
More automation — Trigger actions based on sales, marketing, or customer service activities
Unified customer view — See everything about a customer in one place
Customer service tools — Handle support tickets without leaving your CRM
Scalability — A platform that grows with your business

If your business has evolved beyond pure sales, HubSpot might be the better fit.

Step 1: Audit Your Pipedrive Account

Start by understanding exactly what you have in Pipedrive.

Document:

Total deals — How many open and closed deals?
Deal stages — What are your pipeline stages? (e.g., Lead, Qualified, Proposal, Negotiation, Won, Lost)
Contacts — How many people in your database?
Companies — How many company records?
Custom fields — What custom fields have you added?
Activities — How many calls, meetings, notes do you have documented?
Pipelines — How many separate pipelines? (Some companies have one pipeline per product or region)
Stages per pipeline — What stages does each pipeline have?
Deal values — Do you track deal amounts? Currencies?
Integrations — What tools are connected to Pipedrive?

This audit shows you the scale and complexity of your migration.

Step 2: Decide What to Migrate

You probably don't need everything.

Consider leaving behind:

Very old closed deals — Deals closed more than 3 years ago
Duplicate contacts — Clean these up before migrating
Archived organizations — Companies you no longer work with
Old custom fields — Fields your team stopped using

In HubSpot, historical deals matter less because you're tracking customer relationships, not just sales. You can archive old Pipedrive data and reference it if needed.

Step 3: Plan Your Pipeline Structure

Pipedrive and HubSpot organize deals differently. You need to think about how to structure your pipelines in HubSpot.

In Pipedrive: You can have multiple pipelines, each with its own stages

In HubSpot: You can also have multiple pipelines, each with different stages

Think about:

Do you need separate pipelines for different products, services, or sales teams?
What stages make sense for your sales process?
Are your current Pipedrive stages the best ones, or is this a good time to optimize?

Many companies use the migration as an opportunity to redesign their pipeline stages for better clarity.

Step 4: Create Your Pipeline in HubSpot First

Before you import anything, set up your pipeline structure.

To create a pipeline in HubSpot:

Go to Settings → Objects & Custom Code → Pipelines
Click Create pipeline
Name it (e.g., "Enterprise Sales", "Mid-Market", "Consulting")
Add your deal stages
Decide if deals should auto-progress between stages
Set the "won" and "lost" stages
Click Save

Repeat this for each pipeline you have in Pipedrive. Get the structure right before you bring data over.

Step 5: Create Custom Properties in HubSpot

Pipedrive might have custom fields that need to exist as properties in HubSpot before you import.

To create custom properties:

Go to Settings → Properties → Deals
Click Create property
Name it to match your Pipedrive custom field
Choose the type (text, number, date, dropdown, etc.)
Click Create

Do this for any custom field from Pipedrive that doesn't have a HubSpot equivalent. Common ones might include:

Annual contract value
Contract end date
Competitor information
Deal type
Industry vertical

Step 6: Export Contacts and Organizations from Pipedrive

Start by getting your contact and organization (company) data out.

To export contacts from Pipedrive:

Go to Contacts section
Select all contacts (or use filters to select specific ones)
Look for an Export option (usually in a menu)
Download as CSV
Save the file

To export organizations:

Go to Organizations section
Select all organizations
Export as CSV
Save the file

These will be the foundation of your HubSpot database. Contacts and companies need to be in place before you import deals.

Step 7: Document Your Automations

Now export your deals. This is the most important part.

To export deals from Pipedrive:

Go to Deals section
Filter for deals you want to export (you might exclude very old closed deals)
Select all deals in the view
Use the Export function
Download as CSV

Important: Pipedrive exports include all deal fields and custom fields. This is good—you want all the details. Just make sure you export all the information you need.

Note on multiple pipelines: If you have multiple pipelines, you might need to export each one separately so you can ensure they end up in the right HubSpot pipeline.

Step 8: Export Activities and Timeline Data

Don't forget the activities—calls, meetings, emails—that are attached to your deals and contacts.

To export activities from Pipedrive:

Go to Activities section
Select the activities you want (you can filter by date range)
Export as CSV

Activities give context to deals and help your team understand the deal history. This is valuable data to preserve.

Step 9: Clean and Prepare Your Data

Before you import to HubSpot, clean up your Pipedrive exports.

Clean your data:

Remove test records — Any dummy companies or contacts you created for testing
Merge duplicates — Look for companies and contacts with similar names or email addresses
Standardize formatting:

- Phone numbers: (XXX) XXX-XXXX

- Currency: Decide on format (e.g., $100,000 vs. 100000)

- Dates: YYYY-MM-DD format

- Names: Proper capitalization

Fill in email addresses — HubSpot uses email to match records, so having emails is important
Remove incomplete records — Records with no name or contact info aren't valuable

Clean data means a successful import. Take time here.

Step 10: Map Pipedrive Fields to HubSpot Properties

Create a mapping document so you know where each Pipedrive field goes in HubSpot.

Example mapping:

Pipedrive Deal Field	HubSpot Property	Notes
Deal Title	Deal name	Direct match
Deal Value	Amount	Direct match
Currency	Deal currency	Create if needed
Stage	Pipeline stage	Maps to your HubSpot pipeline
Close Date	Close date	May need date format adjustment
Person	Contact association	Link via email
Organization	Company association	Link via company name
Custom: Deal Type	deal_type	Map to custom property

This mapping ensures nothing gets lost or misplaced during import.

Step 11: Import Contacts into HubSpot

Start with the foundation: contacts.

To import contacts into HubSpot:

Go to Contacts → Contacts
Click Import
Select Upload file
Choose your contacts CSV
Click Continue
Map your fields (email is critical)
Choose import options:

- Create new contacts: yes

- Update existing contacts: yes
Review the preview
Click Import

Let this complete, then verify the data came over correctly.

Step 12: Import Companies into HubSpot

Companies (organizations in Pipedrive) need to be in place before deals.

To import companies:

Go to CRM → Companies
Click Import
Select your organizations CSV
Map your fields (company name and domain are most important)
Choose import options
Review and click Import

Again, verify that the data looks correct.

Step 13: Import Deals into HubSpot

Now the crucial part: your actual deals.

To import deals:

Go to CRM → Deals
Click Import
Select your deals CSV
Field mapping is critical here:

- Deal name → deal name

- Deal amount → amount

- Close date → close date

- Pipeline/stage → make sure this maps to the right HubSpot pipeline and stage

- Contact → associate to contact (by email)

- Company → associate to company (by company name)

- Custom fields → map to custom properties you created
Review the preview carefully
Click Import

This is the most important import, so double-check your mapping.

Step 14: Import Activities

If you exported activities, import them now.

To import activities:

Activities in HubSpot are handled differently—they're associated with contacts and deals
You might need to format your activity data to match HubSpot's structure
Alternatively, use HubSpot's API or a third-party tool to import activities
Or accept that you're starting fresh with activities in HubSpot and keeping Pipedrive as historical reference

Activities are less critical than deals and contacts, so don't hold up your migration for them.

Step 15: Verify Your Import

Check everything carefully before you declare victory.

Verification steps:

Contact count matches or is close
Company count is approximately right
Deal count matches
Spot check 20-30 random deals for accuracy
Deal amounts are correct
Close dates are properly formatted
Deals are in the right pipeline and stage
Deals are associated with the right companies and contacts
Custom fields have the correct values
No obvious duplicates

If you find issues, ask yourself: should I re-import or manually fix in HubSpot? For minor issues, manual fixes are okay. For systematic problems, re-import.

Step 16: Set Up Sales Workflows in HubSpot

Now that your data is in, set up workflows to automate your sales process.

Create workflows for:

Deal routing — Automatically assign new deals to the right salespeople
Alerts — Notify managers when deals are created or moved
Follow-up tasks — Create tasks for salespeople based on deal stage
Deal velocity tracking — Identify when deals are stalled or moving
Escalations — Flag deals that need attention

HubSpot workflows are more powerful than Pipedrive in this way—you can trigger actions based on any CRM data, not just deal events.

Step 17: Set Up Your Sales Dashboard

HubSpot's dashboards are much richer than Pipedrive's. Set up reporting to track what matters.

Create dashboards to monitor:

Pipeline overview — Where are your deals this month/quarter?
Deal velocity — How quickly do deals move through your pipeline?
Sales rep performance — Who's closing deals?
Win/loss rates — What percentage of deals do you close?
Revenue metrics — What's the revenue forecast for this quarter?

HubSpot's built-in deal reporting is excellent. Use it to drive better sales conversations.

Step 18: Plan Your Cutover

Decide when you're going live with HubSpot.

Consider:

Running both systems in parallel for 2-4 weeks
Letting your sales team get comfortable before fully switching
Creating new deals in HubSpot while still using Pipedrive for reference
Keeping Pipedrive running as a historical database for a few months

Most companies find that salespeople are comfortable with HubSpot within 2-3 weeks if they get good training.

Addressing Common Sales Team Concerns

"HubSpot's interface is different from Pipedrive"

It is. But most salespeople find it's actually better—it's more intuitive and has better information organization. Budget 2-3 weeks for adjustment.

"I'm worried about losing deal history"

You're not. All deals import with their full history. You can see the whole timeline of each deal.

"Will this slow us down?"

Possibly for the first week or two while the team adjusts. But HubSpot's automation usually makes things faster long-term.

"What if we need to go back to Pipedrive?"

You can keep Pipedrive running for a few months as a backup. But we've never seen a company want to go back once they've adjusted to HubSpot.

Timeline and What to Expect

Planning and setup: 3-5 days
Export and data cleaning: 3-5 days
Import to HubSpot: 2-3 days
Verification and fixes: 2-3 days
Workflow setup: 3-5 days
Sales team training: 1-2 weeks
Parallel running and optimization: 2-4 weeks

Total timeline: 2-4 weeks

FAQ

Can I import my Pipedrive deals without losing any information?

Yes, if you map fields correctly. Pipedrive's structure is actually pretty similar to HubSpot's, so most information translates directly.

What if I have multiple pipelines in Pipedrive?

HubSpot supports multiple pipelines. Export each one separately and import them into their corresponding HubSpot pipeline. The migration tool will help you map them correctly.

How do I handle deals that are in progress?

They migrate with their current stage. If a deal is in "Proposal" stage in Pipedrive, it'll be in your equivalent stage in HubSpot. Your salespeople can continue working from there.

Can I keep my Pipedrive data after switching to HubSpot?

Absolutely. Keep your Pipedrive account running for a few months as a reference. Eventually, HubSpot becomes your source of truth and you can deactivate Pipedrive.

What about my Pipedrive activities and notes?

These can be imported, but it requires more technical setup. Many companies keep Pipedrive running just to reference old activities, then start fresh with activities in HubSpot.

How does Pipedrive's visibility/access control translate to HubSpot?

HubSpot has its own permission system. You'll need to recreate user roles and permissions in HubSpot to match your Pipedrive setup. This usually takes a few hours.

Will my sales team need training?

Yes, but less than you might think. HubSpot is more intuitive than Pipedrive for most salespeople. Plan for 2-3 hours of hands-on training per person.

How much does HubSpot cost compared to Pipedrive?

Depends on your plan, but for most growing companies, HubSpot is comparable or cheaper, especially when you factor in the additional marketing and service tools included.

Ready to Make the Switch from Pipedrive?

Pipedrive has served your sales team well, but if your business is expanding beyond pure sales, HubSpot is the natural next step. The migration is straightforward, and your team will appreciate the additional capabilities.

We've migrated dozens of Pipedrive customers to HubSpot successfully. We know the common pitfalls, we know how to preserve your data, and we know how to get your salespeople excited about the new system.

Let's talk about your migration. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation with our HubSpot specialists. We'll review your Pipedrive setup, show you what becomes possible in HubSpot, and create a custom migration plan.

How to Migrate from Pipedrive to HubSpot

Key Takeaways