Migrating from Salesforce to HubSpot is achievable with proper planning and takes 2-8 weeks
Prepare a detailed data audit and mapping document before you start
Use HubSpot's native import tools or third-party migration services for accuracy
Clean your data thoroughly to avoid bringing problems into your new system
Plan for staff training and a gradual transition period
Migrating from Salesforce to HubSpot is one of the biggest decisions a growing business can make. The good news? It's completely doable, and many companies find they're more productive in HubSpot because it's simpler, more affordable, and easier to use. If you're considering making the switch, this guide walks you through exactly what you need to do.
Before we dive into the how, let's talk about the why. Salesforce is a powerful tool, but it comes with a steep price tag, a complex interface, and often requires dedicated IT support. HubSpot, on the other hand, is built with simplicity in mind. It costs less, it's easier to learn, and it includes marketing and customer service tools alongside your CRM—all in one platform.
Companies typically make this switch because they want to:
Reduce costs — Salesforce can get expensive as you add users and features
Simplify operations — HubSpot has fewer settings and customizations to manage
Improve adoption — Your team will actually use a tool that's straightforward
Get integrated marketing — Combine CRM, email, landing pages, and analytics in one place
The first step is understanding what you actually have in Salesforce. This might sound obvious, but many companies are surprised by how much unused data they're carrying around.
What you need to do:
Create a spreadsheet listing all your custom fields in Salesforce
Count how many records you have for each object (Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, etc.)
Identify which data is active and which is outdated
Note any custom objects you've created
Document all your current workflows and automations
List any third-party apps connected to Salesforce
This audit becomes your roadmap. It shows you exactly what needs to move and what you can leave behind.
Here's the truth: you probably don't need to migrate everything from Salesforce. And that's okay.
Some data is better left behind:
Historical records you'll never reference — Do you really need contact records from 2015?
Duplicate or incomplete records — This is your chance to clean house
Custom fields that were never used — If your team never filled it out, you don't need it
Old opportunities marked as lost — Unless you have a specific reason, these create clutter
Start fresh with your active, valuable data. This reduces migration complexity and gives you a cleaner foundation in HubSpot.
Pro tip: Many companies only migrate the last 2-3 years of data, archive the rest, and reference old records through Salesforce if needed.
Data mapping is where you decide where each piece of Salesforce data goes in HubSpot. This is critical because HubSpot's structure is different from Salesforce's.
Here's what your mapping document should include:
|
Salesforce Field |
HubSpot Equivalent |
Notes |
|
Account Name |
Company |
Direct match |
|
Account Owner |
Company Owner |
HubSpot uses different user IDs |
|
Close Date |
Close Date |
Standardized format needed |
|
Custom Field: Industry Vertical |
Industry |
May need custom property |
Key things to know:
HubSpot calls some things differently (Accounts = Companies, Contacts = Contacts)
HubSpot has standard properties you should use when available
You'll need to decide whether to create new custom properties or use existing ones
Some Salesforce complex fields may need to be simplified for HubSpot
Create this document with your sales team, marketing team, and anyone else who uses the CRM. They know which fields matter.
This is the step many people skip, and it's a mistake. Your new CRM is only as good as the data in it.
Run these cleaning steps:
Remove duplicates — Look for accounts and contacts with the same name or email. Merge what you can.
Fill in missing critical fields — Focus on email addresses and company names. Without these, your data is less useful.
Standardize formats — Make sure phone numbers, addresses, and dates all follow the same format.
Delete obviously wrong records — Test contacts, spam email addresses, and inactive records should go.
Validate email addresses — Use a tool to check which emails are real. This matters for marketing and follow-up.
Archive cold leads — If someone hasn't been contacted in 5 years, consider archiving them instead of migrating.
The time you spend cleaning now prevents headaches later. A smaller, cleaner dataset is better than a large, messy one.
You have a few options for actually moving the data:
Option 1: HubSpot's Native Import Tool
Best for: Companies with under 100,000 records
Cost: Free
Time investment: High (you do the work)
Difficulty: Medium
HubSpot has a built-in import tool that lets you upload CSVs. You'll need to format your Salesforce export properly and map fields manually.
Option 2: Third-Party Migration Service
Best for: Large data sets or complex requirements
Cost: $2,000-$15,000+
Time investment: Low (they do the work)
Difficulty: Low
Companies like Synch, Tectonic, or Lakestream specialize in CRM migrations. They handle the technical heavy lifting and usually get things right the first time.
Option 3: Combination Approach
Best for: Medium companies who want to balance cost and quality
Use HubSpot's import for core data
Use a service to handle complex migrations or custom objects
Never migrate everything at once. Test first.
Create a test migration by:
Taking a sample of 1,000 records
Running them through your full migration process
Checking that data appears correctly in HubSpot
Verifying that field mappings worked
Testing that any automations or workflows make sense with the migrated data
This test run usually reveals problems you can fix before doing the full migration. It's worth the extra time.
Once your test run is successful, you're ready to go live.
On migration day:
Set a specific time when people aren't actively using Salesforce
Export all data from Salesforce
Run your final data cleaning
Import into HubSpot
Verify that the record counts match
Check that key properties moved correctly
Communicate the timeline to your team
Most migrations take a few hours to a few days, depending on how much data you have.
After data arrives in HubSpot, check it thoroughly:
Spot check random records — Open 20-30 random companies and contacts. Do they look right?
Check data completeness — Are important fields populated or are they blank?
Validate relationships — Are contacts connected to the right companies?
Test automations — Do your workflows and automations work with the new data?
Review custom properties — Did custom fields migrate correctly?
If you find issues, fix them now rather than living with bad data forever.
You don't have to turn off Salesforce immediately. Many companies run both systems in parallel for a month or two as a safety net. But eventually, you'll want to shut down Salesforce to stop paying for it.
Before you turn it off:
Make sure everyone's comfortable with HubSpot
Verify that all critical data transferred correctly
Archive any historical records you want to keep but don't need in HubSpot
Train anyone who hasn't been trained yet
Cancel your Salesforce subscription
Timeline and What to Expect:
Preparation phase: 2-3 weeks (audit, mapping, cleaning)
Migration phase: 1-2 weeks (testing, running import)
Validation phase: 1 week (checking data, fixing issues)
Training and transition: 2-4 weeks (getting your team comfortable)
Total timeline: 2-8 weeks, depending on your data complexity
Challenge: Custom Objects in Salesforce
Salesforce lets you create custom objects that don't exist in HubSpot by default. You'll need to decide whether to create custom objects in HubSpot (which requires the Professional plan or higher) or convert this data into properties instead.
Challenge: Complex Workflows
Salesforce workflows can be incredibly complex. You may not be able to recreate every single one in HubSpot, and that's okay. Focus on your most critical workflows and rebuild the most important ones first.
Challenge: User Adoption
Your team knows Salesforce. HubSpot is different. Plan for a learning curve. Provide training and expect productivity dips for 2-4 weeks as people get used to the new system.