Switching from Salesforce to HubSpot
HubSpot has no separate one-time “Salesforce migration wizard” — instead, its own Salesforce integration doubles as the import path. Connect it once and HubSpot can pull leads, contacts, accounts, opportunities, cases, campaigns, and custom objects directly out of your Salesforce org, no CSV export required. Here is exactly what moves automatically, what needs an inclusion list to finish syncing, and what you will have to rebuild by hand.
Reviewed by Quick verdict: This is one of the more mechanical CRM migrations, provided you do it in the right order. Install HubSpot’s native Salesforce integration first, then use HubSpot’s built-in importer — “Objects from an app → Salesforce records” — instead of exporting CSVs by hand. Standard objects and custom objects both import this way, but only email addresses sync automatically for leads and contacts on the first pass; every other field only backfills once you configure an inclusion list. You will also need a paid HubSpot plan — the connector isn’t available on the free tier.
Switching Cost & Friction Estimator
Most buyers only budget for the new subscription. This estimates the hidden labor, data-cleanup, and retraining cost of actually making the switch.
Estimate assumes: 1 hour of data-mapping/cleaning labor per 2,000 records, a blended $75/hr ops rate, tiered migration & cleaning tooling fees, and 4 hours of retraining per seat at a $45/hr fully-loaded rate.
Why teams move from Salesforce to HubSpot
Salesforce’s September 2026 repricing
Salesforce just folded Sales Cloud into three bundled editions — Core ($195/user/mo), Advanced ($395/user/mo), and Max ($550/user/mo) — that build in Slack and analytics whether you use them or not; only Max includes the full Agentforce for Sales suite. HubSpot’s Sales Hub starts at $7/seat/mo and tops out around $150/seat/mo at Enterprise, without a mandatory AI-credit layer.
Less admin overhead
Salesforce’s depth comes from configuration: flows, validation rules, and Apex customizations usually need a certified admin or a systems-integrator budget (often $25k–$250k+ for a real implementation). HubSpot’s CRM works close to out-of-the-box, which is why smaller RevOps teams migrate to cut ongoing admin cost, not just license cost.
Marketing, sales, and service in one record
HubSpot keeps marketing emails, deal history, and support tickets on the same contact timeline by default. Getting the equivalent view in Salesforce means licensing and wiring together Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud separately.
Faster time to first value
Teams that don’t need Salesforce’s deepest customization (multi-org architecture, complex approval chains, industry-specific data models) are often live on HubSpot in days rather than the weeks-to-months a Salesforce re-implementation usually takes.
How the migration actually works
HubSpot doesn’t offer a dedicated “Salesforce migration wizard” for orgs that aren’t already syncing the two systems — the path is to stand up the same Salesforce integration you’d use for ongoing sync, then run its object importer as a one-time (or repeatable) pull.
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1. Connect the integration | In HubSpot, go to Settings → Integrations → App Marketplace, install the Salesforce integration, and authenticate with your Salesforce credentials via OAuth. This connection is required before any import option below is available. |
| 2. Start the import | Go to CRM → Contacts, click “Add contacts” → “Import,” then choose “Import data” → “Objects from an app” → “Salesforce records.” |
| 3. Pick the object | Select which Salesforce object to pull in: leads, contacts, accounts, opportunities, cases, campaigns, tasks, events, or any custom object you’ve built. Campaigns must be marked Active in Salesforce or they won’t be offered for import. |
| 4. Filter what comes over | Optionally scope the pull with filters (owner, record type, created date, status) so you’re not importing your entire historical Salesforce database in one pass. |
| 5. Review and import | Check the field-mapping summary, then click “Begin import.” HubSpot’s own documentation notes large imports “may take several hours” while it paces itself against your Salesforce API limits. |
| 6. Set up an inclusion list | For leads and contacts, only the email address syncs automatically on that first pass. Configure an inclusion list (a synced Salesforce report/segment) so the rest of each record’s fields populate — without it, most of your imported contacts will look nearly empty. |
| 7. Repeat per object, then spot-check | Re-run the import for each object type you need, and manually trigger sync on individual records if a particular one doesn’t pick up automatically. |
What this path doesn’t do for you:
Complex Salesforce automation — validation rules, approval processes, Apex triggers — has no direct HubSpot equivalent to import into; each has to be rebuilt as a HubSpot workflow or property rule by hand. There’s also no bulk import of historical activity logs or email history through this connector; that typically needs a dedicated one-time data-migration tool or a CSV export/import pass. And the connector itself requires a paid HubSpot plan (Professional or Enterprise on the relevant Hub) — it isn’t available on HubSpot’s free tier.
Pricing side by side
| Plan | HubSpot Sales Hub | Salesforce Sales Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Free / entry | Free, up to 2 users | Free Suite, up to 2 users |
| Starter tier | $7/seat/mo | Starter Suite — $25/user/mo (Sales Cloud Core — $195/user/mo) |
| Mid tier | $90/seat/mo (+$1,500 one-time onboarding) | Advanced — $395/user/mo |
| Top tier | $150/seat/mo (+$3,500 one-time onboarding) | Max — $550/user/mo (Agentforce for Sales included; 2.75M Flex Credits per org per year) |
Salesforce relaunched Sales Cloud pricing around these three bundled editions in September 2026, folding Slack and analytics into every edition, with Agentforce for Sales included only in Max. Real-world Salesforce implementations often add $25k–$250k+ in one-time systems-integrator costs on top of list price; HubSpot’s onboarding fees are fixed and disclosed up front.
Feature parity check
| Capability | HubSpot | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| Lead & contact management | Yes, native | Yes, native |
| Opportunity / deal pipelines | Yes | Yes, more configurable |
| Custom objects | Yes (Enterprise) | Yes, extensive |
| Workflow automation | Visual, no-code | Flow Builder + Apex for advanced logic |
| Built-in AI | Breeze AI (bundled by tier) | Agentforce (bundled in Max) |
| App marketplace | Large, HubSpot App Marketplace | Larger, Salesforce AppExchange |
| Sandbox environments | Enterprise only | Included from Enterprise up |
| Typical admin skill needed | Low–medium | Medium–high (often certified admin) |
Going the other direction, or want the full comparison first?
Read the HubSpot vs Salesforce comparison Switching from HubSpot to Salesforce instead?Frequently Asked Questions
Does HubSpot have a dedicated Salesforce migration tool?
Not a separate one-time wizard. HubSpot’s built-in Salesforce integration includes an “Objects from an app → Salesforce records” importer that effectively serves as the migration path for both standard and custom objects.
What doesn’t come over automatically?
For leads and contacts, only the email address syncs on the first import — every other field needs an inclusion list configured before it backfills. Salesforce automation like validation rules, approval processes, and Apex triggers has no import path at all and must be rebuilt in HubSpot.
Do I need a paid HubSpot plan to import from Salesforce?
Yes. The Salesforce integration and its object importer require a Professional or Enterprise subscription on the relevant HubSpot Hub — it isn’t available on the free tier.
How long does the import take?
HubSpot’s own documentation notes that large imports “may take several hours,” since the tool paces requests to stay within your Salesforce org’s API call limits.
Can I run HubSpot and Salesforce side by side during the switch?
Yes — because the import runs through the same integration used for ongoing two-way sync, many teams keep both systems connected during a transition period rather than doing a single hard cutover.
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