HubSpot’s own migration service vs a migration partner
What HubSpot’s CRM Data Migration Service covers, what it leaves to you, and when that’s enough.
The short answer: HubSpot’s CRM Data Migration Service moves records, core configuration, activities and files from your old CRM. It doesn’t clean or restructure data, build workflows or reports, train users or handle other integrations. It can be enough for a simple, clean move; anything with real automation, reporting or a sales team to onboard needs more.
HubSpot offers its own CRM Data Migration Service to help new customers bring data across from their old system. It’s a genuinely useful option, and for some companies it’s enough. The important thing is to know exactly what it covers and what it leaves to you.
What HubSpot’s service covers
According to HubSpot Academy, the service aims to replicate your existing CRM in HubSpot as closely as possible. It covers:
- Configuration: properties, pipelines, dropdown options, currencies and, if requested, users and teams.
- Records: contacts, companies, deals, tickets and products.
- Activities and files: calls, meetings and other engagements where the source CRM stores them, plus attachments and lists.
- Continuous sync during the project, so your team can keep working in the old CRM until cutover.
What it leaves to you
The same lesson is clear about what’s not included:
- Data cleansing. It doesn’t clean, consolidate or restructure your data beyond standard model adjustments. Duplicates and messy fields come across as they are.
- Workflows and reports. Building automations, reports and email templates is your responsibility, or your partner’s.
- Training. User training isn’t part of the service.
- Other integrations. It covers the connection to your source CRM, not the other tools your team relies on.
When HubSpot’s service is enough
- Your data is already clean and your structure is simple.
- You have few automations, or someone in-house who can rebuild them.
- Your team is small and can learn HubSpot without a structured rollout.
When you need more
- Your data needs real cleaning and deduplication.
- Lead routing, follow-up and alerts have to work on day one.
- Leadership relies on reports that must be rebuilt and reconciled.
- You have integrations beyond the CRM itself.
- You need your sales team using HubSpot, not just your data sitting in it.
Replicating your old system “as closely as possible” also means replicating its problems. A migration is the best chance you’ll get to fix them. See setting up HubSpot for your sales team.
Using both
The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Some companies use HubSpot’s service for the raw data transfer and a partner for cleaning, automation, reporting and adoption. If you do, agree who owns reconciliation, so someone is accountable for every record being right. Our packages cover the full move and everything after it, with a 30-day guarantee on the result.
Sources and further reading
- Getting started with the HubSpot CRM Data Migration Service, HubSpot Academy
Platform features and policies change. Check the vendor’s current documentation before acting on any detail in this article. This article is general information, not legal advice.