Moving Off HubSpot: A Survival Guide for Your Data

You're staring at your HubSpot invoice—$1,700/month and climbing. You've decided to leave, but now comes the hard part: extracting three years of customer data, deal history, and email templates without losing everything.

Here's the truth: HubSpot migration feels scarier than it actually is. Unlike some platforms that lock your data behind API limits or charge export fees, HubSpot lets you download everything via CSV. The real challenge isn't accessing your data—it's organizing it properly and avoiding rookie mistakes that waste weeks of work.

This guide covers the complete HubSpot data export process, from pre-migration audits to post-migration validation. If you're considering alternatives, read our complete Escape HubSpot Guide for pricing comparisons and feature analysis.

Pre-Migration Audit

Before exporting a single CSV file, document your current HubSpot setup. This prevents "oh crap, we forgot about X" moments two weeks into your new platform.

Complete this checklist:

• Document all workflows: Screenshot every workflow in Marketing Hub and Sales Hub. Note trigger conditions, delays, and actions. HubSpot workflows can't be exported—you'll need to recreate them manually.
• List all integrations: Zapier connections, API integrations, Chrome extensions, Slack notifications. You'll need to reconnect these in your new CRM.
• Screenshot dashboards and reports: Custom reports don't export. Capture the logic: "New leads this month from organic search where industry = SaaS." You'll rebuild these from scratch.
• Calculate current spend: Total monthly cost including Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, additional contacts, API limits. This becomes your "before" number for ROI calculations.

Pro tip: Create a Google Doc titled "HubSpot Setup Documentation" and share it with your team. You'll reference this constantly during migration.

What HubSpot Lets You Export

HubSpot provides straightforward CSV exports for most data. Here's what transfers cleanly and what requires workarounds:

Clean Exports (CSV Download)

• Contacts: Name, email, phone, company, custom properties, lifecycle stage, lead source
• Companies: Company name, domain, industry, employee count, custom fields
• Deals: Deal name, amount, stage, close date, associated contacts, custom properties
• Tickets: Ticket subject, status, priority, associated contacts, custom fields
• Email templates: HTML and plain text versions download as files

Harder to Extract

• Activity history: Emails sent, calls logged, meetings scheduled. These export as separate CSVs and require matching to contacts via timestamps.
• Workflow logic: No export option. You'll manually recreate automation rules.
• Custom reports: Dashboard configurations don't export. Rebuild from scratch in your new platform.
• Landing pages: HTML exports available but formatting breaks. Easier to rebuild from scratch.
• Sequences: Email sequence content exports, but timing/delay logic doesn't. Plan to manually recreate.

Bottom line: Expect 80% clean export (core data) and 20% manual recreation (workflows, reports, sequences).

Data Export Step-by-Step

HubSpot's export process is straightforward once you know where to click. Budget 2-4 hours for this step depending on data volume.

Export Contacts (CSV)

1. Navigate to Contacts → Contacts
2. Click Actions → Export
3. Select All contacts or filter by lifecycle stage
4. Choose All properties (includes custom fields)
5. Click Export → Download CSV file
6. Verify: Open the CSV—check that custom properties appear as columns

Export Companies (CSV)

1. Navigate to Contacts → Companies
2. Click Actions → Export
3. Select All companies
4. Choose All properties
5. Click Export → Download CSV file
6. Verify: Confirm industry, domain, and custom fields exported correctly

Export Deals (CSV)

1. Navigate to Sales → Deals
2. Click Actions → Export
3. Select All deals or filter by pipeline
4. Choose All properties
5. Click Export → Download CSV file
6. Verify: Check deal amounts, close dates, and associated contacts (listed by ID)

Export Tickets (CSV)

1. Navigate to Service → Tickets (if you have Service Hub)
2. Click Actions → Export
3. Select All tickets
4. Choose All properties
5. Click Export → Download CSV file
6. Verify: Ticket status, priority, and associated contacts included

Activity History Considerations

HubSpot stores activity (emails, calls, notes) separately from contacts. To preserve history:

• Export Engagement data from Reports → Analytics Tools → Engagement
• Match activities to contacts using Contact ID column
• Expect messy data—not all activities have clear contact associations

Pro tip: Don't stress about exporting every logged call from 2019. Focus on active deals, recent contacts (last 12 months), and current pipeline. Historical "noise" rarely matters in your new CRM.

Data Cleanup Opportunity

Your HubSpot export will include three years of cruft: duplicate contacts, stale leads, bounced emails, and test records from onboarding. Migration is the perfect excuse to clean house.

Remove Duplicates

• How: Sort CSV by email address → Delete duplicate rows
• Why: HubSpot often creates duplicates from form submissions with slight email variations (john@company.com vs John@company.com)

Update Stale Records

• Filter: Contacts with "Last Activity Date" older than 18 months
• Decision: Delete or tag as "Cold Archive" → Move to separate list in new CRM
• Why: Dead leads clutter your pipeline and inflate contact counts

Verify Email Addresses

• Tool: Use NeverBounce or ZeroBounce (cite without linking) to verify email deliverability
• Why: Importing bounced emails damages your sender reputation in your new platform
• Cost: ~$0.005 per email verification (worth it for lists over 5,000)

Bottom line: A clean 3,000-contact list beats a messy 10,000-contact list every time. Your new CRM contact management will thank you.

Migration Timeline

Breaking migration into weekly phases prevents overwhelm and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Week 1: Setup New Platform

• Create account in new CRM (e.g., PipeCrush)
• Configure custom fields to match HubSpot properties
• Set up user accounts and permissions
• Connect email inbox for sending/receiving

Week 2: Import Data

• Import Contacts CSV → Verify custom fields mapped correctly
• Import Companies CSV → Link contacts to companies
• Import Deals CSV → Associate with contacts and companies
• Import Tickets CSV (if using support features)

Week 3: Recreate Workflows

• Rebuild top 3 most critical workflows (e.g., lead nurture sequence, demo follow-up)
• Test workflows with test contacts
• Configure email sequences for automated follow-ups

Week 4: Team Training

• Onboard sales team: How to log activities, move deals, send emails
• Onboard support team: Ticketing workflow, AI chatbot responses
• Create cheat sheet: "How to do X in [new CRM] vs HubSpot"

Week 5+: Parallel Running

• Run both HubSpot and new CRM simultaneously for 2-4 weeks
• Log all new leads in new platform
• Reference historical data in HubSpot (read-only)
• Cancel HubSpot once team feels confident

Pro tip: Don't rush. A smooth 5-week migration beats a chaotic 1-week scramble that loses data.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Learn from teams who've botched HubSpot migrations:

Mistake #1: Trying to Replicate Everything Exactly

What happens: You spend 60 hours rebuilding obscure workflows you used once in 2020. Fix: Migrate only what you actively use. If you haven't touched a workflow in 6 months, don't recreate it.

Mistake #2: Rushing the Transition

What happens: You cancel HubSpot on Day 3, realize you forgot to export email templates, and panic. Fix: Run parallel for 2-4 weeks. Keep HubSpot active (read-only) until you're 100% confident.

Mistake #3: Not Training the Team

What happens: Your sales team refuses to use the new CRM because "HubSpot was easier." Fix: Schedule live training sessions. Create a Loom video: "How to log a call in [new CRM]." Answer questions in Slack.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Data Validation

What happens: You import 8,000 contacts, then discover 2,000 have broken email formats or missing phone numbers. Fix: Run validation checks BEFORE importing. Clean CSVs in Google Sheets or Excel first.

Post-Migration Checklist

After importing data and training your team, validate these critical items:

• All active deals imported with correct amounts and close dates
• Top 100 contacts accessible with full history (notes, emails, calls)
• Deal pipelines configured with proper stages
• Email sending working (test with personal email)
• Workflows active and triggering correctly (test with dummy contact)
• Integrations reconnected (Zapier, Slack, calendar)
• Team can log calls, send emails, move deals without Slack questions
• HubSpot downgraded to free tier or canceled (save $1,700/month)

Final step: Celebrate. You just saved your company $20,000+ per year while maintaining full control of your customer data.

Conclusion

HubSpot migration isn't the nightmare you imagined. The platform lets you export everything via CSV, and modern CRMs like PipeCrush make importing data painless.

The real work isn't technical—it's organizational. Document your current setup, clean your data before importing, and give your team time to adjust. A methodical 5-week migration beats a chaotic 5-day scramble every time.

Ready to escape HubSpot's pricing trap? Read our complete Escape HubSpot Guide for alternative platform comparisons, feature analysis, and total cost of ownership calculations.

Next step: Try PipeCrush free—import your HubSpot contacts in under 10 minutes and see the difference for yourself.

FAQ

How long does a HubSpot migration take?

A complete HubSpot migration typically takes 4-6 weeks for a clean transition. This includes 1 week for setup, 1 week for data import, 1 week for workflow recreation, 1 week for team training, and 2-4 weeks of parallel running. You can rush it in 1-2 weeks if needed, but plan for 5+ weeks to avoid mistakes and data loss.

Will I lose my historical data?

No. HubSpot lets you export all contacts, companies, deals, tickets, and email templates via CSV. Activity history (emails sent, calls logged, notes) exports separately but can be matched to contacts using Contact IDs. The only data you can't export is workflow logic and custom report configurations—these must be manually recreated in your new platform.

Can I export HubSpot workflows?

No. HubSpot doesn't provide a direct export option for workflows. You'll need to screenshot each workflow, document the trigger conditions and actions, and manually recreate them in your new CRM. Focus on your top 3-5 most critical workflows first—most companies discover they only actively use a handful despite having dozens configured.

What's the hardest part of migrating from HubSpot?

The hardest part isn't the data export—it's recreating workflows and training your team on the new platform. HubSpot's workflow builder is visual and intuitive, so replicating complex automation logic takes time. The second challenge is overcoming team resistance—sales reps who've used HubSpot for years need hands-on training and patience during the adjustment period.

Should I run both systems in parallel?

Yes. Run HubSpot (read-only) and your new CRM simultaneously for 2-4 weeks. Log all new leads and activities in the new platform, but keep HubSpot accessible for referencing historical data. This parallel period catches migration mistakes (missing contacts, broken workflows) before you fully commit. Cancel HubSpot only after your team feels confident in the new system.