Salesforce to HubSpot Migration: Steps, Field Mapping and What Breaks (2026)
By Mikhail Oskola, Founder & AI Automation Architect · · 11 min read
Checked: HubSpot's Smart Transfer, supported-apps, custom objects and Salesforce integration help pages, Salesforce's data export, data export FAQ and Data Loader help pages, Salesforce's Main Services Agreement, and the prices on our HubSpot service page on 11 November 2026.
A Salesforce to HubSpot migration works when you map objects before you move anything. Decide what accounts, leads, opportunities and custom objects become in HubSpot, pick one transfer route (HubSpot Smart Transfer, the HubSpot-Salesforce integration or CSV files), import in order, then compare record counts and a sample of deals with Salesforce before you switch it off. Time the cutover against your Salesforce renewal date. For a small team the data move takes one to two weeks. Retailbox Automation wrote this guide. We migrate teams to HubSpot, so it also says when staying on Salesforce is the better call, and what we charge.
Should you leave Salesforce at all?
Teams usually leave because they pay for more Salesforce than they use. The sales team works the pipeline and little else, every change to a field or a report waits for the one admin who knows the setup, and marketing already runs on HubSpot, so contacts live in two places.
Staying makes more sense when Salesforce does work HubSpot would have to rebuild from scratch: many custom objects tied together, quoting and pricing rules, Apex code, or approval processes the business depends on. Each of those becomes a project of its own, and the move stops being a data migration.
If you are still comparing the two on price, setup effort and contracts, start with our HubSpot vs Salesforce comparison. This guide assumes the decision is made.
Decide these before you export anything
Salesforce and HubSpot both have fixed CRM objects, but they don't line up one to one. Most of the work in this migration is deciding what each Salesforce object and field becomes. Settle these points first:
- Leads. Smart Transfer brings Salesforce leads in as HubSpot contacts. Decide which lifecycle stage each lead status turns into, and which record wins when the same person exists as a lead and as a contact.
- Record types and pipelines. If opportunities have several record types or sales processes, decide which HubSpot deal pipeline each one goes to and which stages merge.
- Fields. Every custom field is kept, merged into another or dropped. Count only the fields people actually fill in. HubSpot says a Data Hub subscription is needed for Smart Transfer to carry custom field mappings, so the count affects your plan.
- Custom objects. HubSpot lists custom objects only on Enterprise subscriptions. Below Enterprise, a custom object has to become properties on a standard object, or stay behind.
- Owners. Every record owner needs a HubSpot user before the import, or their records arrive without one.
- The cutover date. Salesforce's Main Services Agreement says subscriptions "automatically renew for additional one year terms" unless either side gives written notice "at least 30 days before the end of the relevant subscription term", unless your order form says otherwise (https://www.salesforce.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/documents/legal/Salesforce_MSA.pdf, read 11 November 2026). Work back from that date, and keep read-only access to Salesforce for a few weeks after the switch.
What Salesforce exports, and what it leaves out
Salesforce has two built-in ways to get data out as CSV files. The Data Export Service produces a backup of the whole org. Weekly export is available in Enterprise, Performance and Unlimited editions, and monthly export in all editions except Database.com. Professional Edition can generate a backup only every 29 days. You can add images, documents, attachments and Salesforce Files to the export, but "Formula (derived) and roll-up summary fields are always excluded from exports" (https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.admin_exportdata.htm&type=5, read 11 November 2026).
Two details from Salesforce's export FAQ catch people out. Export files can be downloaded for 48 hours after the export completes and are removed as soon as a new export is queued. There is also no SLA: "It may be expected for a request to take longer than a week to complete." Records in the Recycle Bin are not included (https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=000383962&type=1, published 17 August 2026, read 11 November 2026). Request the export well before you need it, and download every file the day it arrives.
Data Loader is the other route. It exports any object, custom objects included, handles files of up to 5 million records, and runs on Mac or Windows. Salesforce lists it for Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited and Developer editions (https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.data_loader_about.htm&type=5, read 11 November 2026).
Both routes export records. Your setup is a separate matter: Flows, validation rules, page layouts, reports and dashboards don't arrive in a CSV file. Write them down while you still have the Salesforce login.
How Salesforce maps to HubSpot
HubSpot's Smart Transfer help page publishes its own Salesforce map, and we follow it. It maps accounts to companies, contacts, person accounts and leads to contacts, opportunities to deals, cases to tickets, and carries tasks, events (as meetings), notes, email messages, users, email templates and custom objects. It also lists "Flows and classic Workflow Rules" as becoming HubSpot workflows (https://knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/supported-apps-for-hubspot-smart-transfer, updated 10 November 2026, read 11 November 2026).
The same page names the links it keeps: contact to company and deal to company from the Account Name field, contact to deal from opportunity contact roles, and ticket to company and ticket to contact from cases. Attachments and campaign lists come over in a separate one-time transfer after the main sync. Five Salesforce field types aren't supported: encryptedstring, JunctionIdList, masterrecord, reference and calculated. In practice that means lookup fields and formula fields need a plan of their own.
This is the map we work from, whichever route carries the data:
| Salesforce | HubSpot | What you decide |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts | Companies | Merge duplicate accounts first; Salesforce record ID as the match key |
| Contacts and person accounts | Contacts | Duplicate rule (usually email) and owner |
| Leads | Contacts with a lifecycle stage | Lifecycle stage per lead status; which record wins when a lead is also a contact |
| Opportunities | Deals | Which deal pipeline each record type or sales process goes to |
| Opportunity stages | Deal stages | Which stages merge; what each stage means in HubSpot |
| Opportunity contact roles | Contact-to-deal associations | Whether the role itself still matters to anyone |
| Tasks, events, email messages, notes | Tasks, meetings, email activities, notes | How many years of history the team actually opens |
| Cases | Tickets | Only if service moves to HubSpot too |
| Custom objects | Custom objects (HubSpot Enterprise) | Keep as objects, fold into properties, or leave behind |
| Lookup and formula fields | Not transferred as fields | Rebuild as associations, recalculate in HubSpot, or copy the value as plain data |
| Users | Users | Every owner needs a HubSpot user first |
| Flows and workflow rules | Workflows | Check and test every one; Apex, validation rules and approval processes aren't on HubSpot's list |
| Attachments, campaign membership | Files on records, lists | Whether anyone needs them after the move |
Three ways to move the data: Smart Transfer, the integration or CSV
The route depends on one question: will Salesforce keep running after the move? HubSpot is clear that Smart Transfer "is designed for a one-time migration". If you plan to keep using Salesforce, it says to use the HubSpot-Salesforce integration instead, because the two "use different unique identifiers to match records, so using both at the same time will create duplicate records in HubSpot and Salesforce" (https://knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/transfer-data-from-other-apps-using-hubspot-smart-transfer, updated 10 November 2026, read 11 November 2026).
Smart Transfer is available on all HubSpot products and plans. Only Super Admins can run it, the transfer goes one way into HubSpot, and "You must have a Data Hub subscription to transfer custom field mappings". After the first sync it keeps running in the background to keep the transferred records up to date, which helps while the team still works in Salesforce during the switch.
The HubSpot-Salesforce integration keeps the two systems in sync instead. It is available on Professional and Enterprise HubSpot subscriptions. On the Salesforce side it needs an edition with API access or Salesforce Professional, and it does not support Group Edition (https://knowledge.hubspot.com/salesforce/install-the-hubspot-salesforce-integration, updated 5 November 2026, read 11 November 2026).
| Route | Best for | Limits to know | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Smart Transfer | Leaving Salesforce for good | Super Admins only; one way; custom field mappings need Data Hub; lookup and formula fields not supported | Included on all HubSpot plans; Data Hub if you have custom fields |
| HubSpot-Salesforce integration | Running both systems for a while, or keeping sales on Salesforce | Don't run it alongside Smart Transfer; Salesforce Group Edition not supported | HubSpot Professional or Enterprise |
| CSV export and HubSpot import | Setups Smart Transfer can't read, or full control over every file | Formula and roll-up fields not exported; files kept 48 hours; Data Loader only on Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited and Developer editions | Staff time |
Salesforce to HubSpot migration, step by step
We run these seven steps in this order whichever route carries the records.
The seven steps
- Audit and clean in Salesforce: merge duplicate accounts and contacts, close or archive dead opportunities, and drop fields nobody fills in. Take a full Data Export and keep it as your reference copy.
- Map objects and fields using the table above, and write down every Flow, workflow rule, validation rule and approval process: what triggers it, what it changes, who relies on it.
- Build HubSpot first: properties, deal pipelines and stages, users and teams, plus a property on companies, contacts and deals that holds the Salesforce record ID.
- Run a test transfer or import of a small sample of your messiest records and open each one. Check it sits on the right company, has the right contacts and owner, and kept its stage.
- Run the full move in dependency order: companies, then contacts, then deals, then activities and notes, then attachments. Each file or object links to the ones before it through the Salesforce record IDs.
- Check the result: record counts per object, owners, associations, and the full history of a handful of deals compared field by field with Salesforce. Then rebuild or review every workflow and run each one on a real record before switching it on.
- Train the team, move new work into HubSpot only, and set Salesforce to read-only until the agreed date. Cancel the Salesforce renewal in writing before the notice deadline.
If Salesforce will keep running for a while, use the HubSpot-Salesforce integration for that period instead of Smart Transfer. Running both creates duplicates.
What usually breaks
The general list is in what breaks in a CRM migration. Coming from Salesforce, these are the problems we check for first:
- Records that arrive unlinked. Lookup fields aren't a supported field type in Smart Transfer, and a CSV import only links records you tell it to link. Without the Salesforce IDs kept on both sides, deals turn up with no company and contacts with no account.
- Owners who aren't HubSpot users yet. Their records import without an owner, and the assignment rules and reports built on owners stop making sense.
- Picklist values HubSpot doesn't have. A value in Salesforce that isn't an option on the HubSpot property gets rejected or lands empty. Compare the option lists before the import.
- The same person twice. A lead and a contact for one person both become HubSpot contacts. Without a duplicate rule decided in advance, the sales team inherits the cleanup.
- History on the wrong record. Tasks, events and emails that pointed at a lead, a contact and an opportunity at once need clear rules about where they land.
- Numbers that stop updating. Formula and roll-up summary fields are excluded from Salesforce's data export. Imported as plain values they freeze, so recalculate them in HubSpot or drop them.
- Automation that quietly changes. HubSpot lists Flows and classic workflow rules among the things Smart Transfer turns into workflows. Check each one does what the original did. Apex, validation rules and approval processes aren't on that list, so rebuild them or drop them on purpose.
How long it takes and what it costs
The prices below are from our HubSpot service page, checked on 11 November 2026. They are ranges; your fixed price is agreed after a free 30-minute call. More on what moves the price is in our guide to HubSpot migration cost.
HubSpot licenses are billed separately, by HubSpot, and so is any Data Hub or Enterprise subscription your setup needs.
| Scope | Typical time | Price (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Migration only: clean, map, import, check | 1–2 weeks | Fixed $2,000–$5,000 |
| Full implementation: migration, automations, training | 3–8 weeks | $5,000–$25,000 |
| Keeping it running after launch | Monthly | $299–$2,000 a month, managed support |
| Doing it yourself with Smart Transfer or CSV files | Depends on how much data you have | Your staff's time |
Can you migrate Salesforce to HubSpot yourself?
Yes, if the setup is small and clean. One sales process, no custom objects, a few custom fields, a handful of Flows and a few thousand records is a job a careful admin can do with Smart Transfer. Follow the steps above and don't skip the field-by-field check.
Get help when there are custom objects linked to each other, several integrations writing into Salesforce, automation the sales process depends on, or years of activity history that has to land on the right records. Those problems tend to show up after Salesforce is switched off, when they cost the most to fix.
Who does Salesforce to HubSpot migrations
Retailbox Automation migrates small and mid-size B2B teams to HubSpot from Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, monday.com and spreadsheets: data mapping, deduplication, workflow rebuilding, integrations and team training, with a field-by-field check before the old CRM is switched off.
We're a team of 2–9 people in Orlando, FL, working in this field since 2019, with 470+ jobs on Upwork.
A migration on its own is a fixed price, agreed after a free 30-minute call. The scope and the checks we run are on our HubSpot migration page.
Want this built for your team? HubSpot migration — in business since 2019, 470+ jobs on Upwork.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does a Salesforce to HubSpot migration take?+
With us, the data move on its own usually takes one to two weeks for a small team. Inside a full HubSpot implementation with automations and training, the project runs three to eight weeks. Custom objects, integrations and the number of Flows add more time than the number of records does. Leave room for Salesforce's data export too: its FAQ says an export can take longer than a week.
Can HubSpot import Salesforce opportunities?+
Yes. HubSpot Smart Transfer maps Salesforce opportunities to HubSpot deals, links them to companies through the Account Name field and to contacts through opportunity contact roles. You can also export opportunities to CSV with Data Loader and import them as deals, keeping the Salesforce record IDs so each deal links to the right company and contacts.
Do Salesforce Flows move to HubSpot?+
HubSpot's Smart Transfer page lists Flows and classic Workflow Rules among the Salesforce items that become HubSpot workflows. Treat what arrives as a draft: check each workflow does what the original did and test it on a real record. Apex, validation rules and approval processes aren't on that list, and a CSV export carries no automation at all.
Do I need Data Hub for Smart Transfer?+
Only for custom fields. Smart Transfer is available on all HubSpot products and plans, but HubSpot says "You must have a Data Hub subscription to transfer custom field mappings". Most Salesforce setups have custom fields, so check your plan before you count on it. Custom objects are a separate requirement: HubSpot lists them only on Enterprise subscriptions.
Should I keep Salesforce running after the move?+
Keep it readable for a few weeks so people can look things up, but put new data only into HubSpot. If you need both systems live for longer, HubSpot says to use the HubSpot-Salesforce integration rather than Smart Transfer, because running both creates duplicate records. Check your contract too: Salesforce subscriptions renew for one-year terms unless you give written notice at least 30 days before the end.