--- title: "How to Migrate Off HubSpot: Evaluate, Plan and Test" description: "A step-by-step plan for migrating off HubSpot: evaluate a replacement, follow the data, move one asset class at a time, and test before you lose access." image: https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hubfs/JSC%20Linkedin%20OpenGraph%20Image%202.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/how-to-migrate-off-hubspot#main-content) [![JSC (1200 x 240 px)](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JSC%20(1200%20x%20240%20px).png?width=172&height=34&name=JSC%20(1200%20x%20240%20px).png)](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com) - Services - [HubSpot Consulting](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hubspot-consulting) - [Automation & Analytics](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/automation-analytics) - [Content Operations](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/content-operations) - [Web & Content Development](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/web-content-development) - [Case Studies](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies) - [WSI](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/wsi) - [Wiseman, Schwartz, Cioschi & Trama](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/wiseman-schwartz-cioschi-trama) - [Globe Runner](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/globe-runner) - [Documint](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/documint) - [FutureThink](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/futurethink) - [JSC Labs](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/jsc-labs) - Resources - [Blog](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog) - [Case Studies](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies) - [Funnel Vision Newsletter](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/newsletter) - [Funnel Vision Podcast](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/funnel-vision-podcast) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Services - [HubSpot Consulting](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hubspot-consulting) - [Automation & Analytics](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/automation-analytics) - [Content Operations](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/content-operations) - [Web & Content Development](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/web-content-development) - [Case Studies](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies) - [WSI](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/wsi) - [Wiseman, Schwartz, Cioschi & Trama](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/wiseman-schwartz-cioschi-trama) - [Globe Runner](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/globe-runner) - [Documint](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/documint) - [FutureThink](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies/futurethink) - [JSC Labs](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/jsc-labs) - Resources - [Blog](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog) - [Case Studies](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies) - [Funnel Vision Newsletter](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/newsletter) - [Funnel Vision Podcast](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/funnel-vision-podcast) - [CONTACT US](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/contact) [CONTACT US](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/contact) [All posts](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/all) November 11, 2026 HubSpot Consulting # How to Migrate Off HubSpot: Evaluate, Plan and Test the Move Between increasing prices, AI solutions and attractive, budget-concious options, HubSpot's got some serious competiton. ![JSC Blog CTAs (4)](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JSC%20Blog%20CTAs%20(4).png?width=250&height=262&name=JSC%20Blog%20CTAs%20(4).png "JSC Blog CTAs (4)") ![Picture of John Steele](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1651756967091.jpeg?width=56&height=56&name=1651756967091.jpeg) By  John Steele · 5 minute read On this page Key takeaways - Start an evaluation with each platform's point of view and who it's built for, not a feature checklist. - Work out why people pay for a platform. With AI, the reason should be something you can't easily build yourself, like a dataset or infrastructure. - List every feature you use in a month, then trace how data enters, syncs and reports in the new platform before you commit. - Move one asset class at a time, time the move to your renewal, and test every core function before you lose access to your old data. HubSpot's own [Q3 2026 results](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001404655/000119312526447249/hubs-ex99_1.htm) show smaller customers signing up slower and spending less, and searches for "HubSpot alternatives" jumped this year. If you're still choosing where to go, start with our rundown of [HubSpot alternatives](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/hubspot-alternatives). This post covers the move itself: how to evaluate a replacement, plan the migration and test it before you lose access to your old data. I'm in the middle of this move myself. My Marketing Hub Professional renewal is in November, and I've been paying about $7,000 a year. ## Start with what makes each platform different The usual advice is to list your features and find a cheaper tool with the same checklist. I don't think that's where to start. Every CRM and marketing automation platform has a point of view: a way of organizing contacts, deals and activity that makes the whole different from the sum of its parts. Start any evaluation at the core of what makes each one unique. In a market with entrenched, old-school players, seasoned challengers and hungry insurgents, the differentiators aren't hard to find. Each platform will tell you what it does that HubSpot and Salesforce don't. ### Figure out who it thinks it serves The differentiators tell you who a platform is built for. If HubSpot and Salesforce are the big players, every differentiator is a direct challenge to that status quo, aimed at someone they underserve. If a platform's biggest differentiator is how it handles sales and deals, like Pipedrive, it's built for salespeople and sales-led marketing departments. If it differentiates by allowing a ton of technical customization and removing guardrails on core things like objects, like Attio, it's built for engineers and tech-savvy marketers. If you aren't the person a platform is built for, you'll spend your time working against it. ### Find what it does well Once you know how a platform is different and who it serves, you can figure out what it does well. Reviews help, and so do the company's own materials. If what it does well is something you care about, that's a win. ### Follow the money The last question for your dossier: why do people pay for this platform? This matters more now than it used to, because AI makes it possible to spin up versions of existing software, or build new tools and features yourself. Work out what a platform has that you can't get elsewhere. In many cases it's a robust dataset, or a way of handling infrastructure that would be complicated to recreate. If the answer lines up with what you need, the platform belongs on your shortlist. | Question | Where to find the answer | | --- | --- | | What makes it different? | Its homepage and comparison pages, especially the ones aimed at HubSpot and Salesforce | | Who does it think it serves? | The differentiators: sales pipeline, technical flexibility, ease of use, price | | What does it do well? | Reviews, and the features the company leads with | | Why do people pay for it? | The data or infrastructure you couldn't build or buy elsewhere | ![Platform dossier: four questions to answer about every HubSpot replacement: what makes it different, who it serves, what it does well and why people pay](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/hubspot-migration-platform-dossier.webp?width=1432&height=759&name=hubspot-migration-platform-dossier.webp)Click to enlarge ## Compare it to what you actually use ### Check every feature you touch in a month Now review the platform's features against what you have. Start by listing every feature you use in a given month, then check whether the replacement has it and how it stacks up. Some features won't be front and center. Sometimes the flexibility to integrate or build your own is just as good, and in some cases better. ### Follow the data Next, examine how data moves through the platform. Some of this comes up in the earlier steps, but look specifically for: - **New data:** how much work it takes to add new customer data and keep it organized - **Syncs:** how much of your data will need to come in from other systems, and how often those syncs run. A sync that runs once a day rules out instant, automated messaging. - **Hidden costs:** middleware like Zapier and Make, API costs and AI usage fees - **Reporting:** whether you can manage and report on data inside the platform, or will need to export it ![Follow the data: check new data entry, sync frequency, hidden integration costs and reporting before you commit to a new platform](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/hubspot-migration-follow-the-data.webp?width=1432&height=679&name=hubspot-migration-follow-the-data.webp)Click to enlarge ### Get comfortable with the tradeoffs Before you can feel comfortable moving off a platform, you have to be comfortable with the tradeoffs. Design and organization is where most of them show up. You'll need to migrate email designs, active lists, reports and workflow-based automations, and when you rebuild them, you may find you can't make an exact replica. That's when to weigh price and ease of use against what you're giving up, and remember why you started. Change is hard, but not every gap will matter to your results. ## Plan the move ### Research how other people did it Once you've done the due diligence, research how people approach these migrations. Some platforms have started using data migration tools like [Import2](https://www.import2.com/), which I used to move my HubSpot records. Take advantage of anything that makes the process easier. Look for best practices from the platform itself, and for accounts from people who have made the same move. For one of those accounts, listen to the first episode of the Funnel Vision podcast. Documint founder Josh Mamroud walks through [why his team left HubSpot and what they built to replace it](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/podcast/episode-1-josh-mamroud-documint), a stack built on PostHog and Customer.io. His biggest lesson: bring your engineers into the decision early. [![Funnel Vision podcast episode 1: Documint founder Josh Mamroud on leaving HubSpot. Watch now.](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/funnel-vision-ep1-josh-mamroud-watch-now-1200.webp?width=1200&height=426&name=funnel-vision-ep1-josh-mamroud-watch-now-1200.webp)](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/podcast/episode-1-josh-mamroud-documint) ### Move one asset class at a time When you're ready, move methodically, one asset class at a time. Import services will usually handle contacts and companies. What they can't do is make sure your email templates and workflows render properly in the new system. If active lists control a lot of your automation, expect extra work. Many platforms don't have them, so you'll need to learn their version of segmentation. I don't advise letting AI lead a project like this. I do advise using it where it can make bulk imports more efficient. If your data needs to be transformed before the new system can read it, AI can save a lot of time. ### Time it to your renewal Time any move to a renewal date, and leave yourself enough runway before it. HubSpot subscriptions generally run to the end of the term, so a move that isn't ready by renewal means another year of the old bill, or a fallback like dropping to a lower tier. If you'd rather stay and are just exploring, approach your provider near the end of a quarter, when quotas are most aggressive. In Q4, remember that most sales teams are pretty much wrapped by the first or second week of December. ### Test before you lose access Give yourself time for three things before your old account closes: 1. The data move itself 2. A test script that checks every core function in a real browser and on a mobile device 3. Fixing whatever the tests turn up while you can still reach your old data ## How it played out for me - **CRM: staying on HubSpot**, on a much smaller plan. My contact history lives there, and nothing about the job requires Professional. - **CMS: staying on HubSpot.** I've built 15–20 custom modules for my site and edit them from the command line with Claude Code. Moving the site is a project of its own, on its own timeline next year. - **Email and automation: moving to [Customer.io](https://customer.io).** My email is moving toward behavior-triggered sequences, which is what Customer.io is built for. - **Social: moving to a standalone scheduler.** My target for the whole stack is $2,500 to $3,000 a year, against the roughly $7,000 I pay now. ## Budget is a bigger question Budgeting for a move is more complicated than comparing license fees. To know what your marketing stack should cost, you need to know what each of your marketing channels returns. That's what a [HubSpot audit from JSC](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hubspot-consulting) is for. It looks at what your portal is doing, what it's costing you, and what's worth keeping, whether you end up leaving HubSpot or staying on a smaller plan. If you want more of these teardowns, including how this one turns out, [subscribe to Funnel Vision](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/newsletter). Full disclosure: it's my newsletter. Share [mailto:?body=https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/how-to-migrate-off-hubspot](mailto:?body=https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/how-to-migrate-off-hubspot) ![Picture of John Steele](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1651756967091.jpeg?width=44&height=44&name=1651756967091.jpeg) John Steele 5 minute read HubSpot and marketing automation consultant for B2B startups and SMBs. [More from John Steele →](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/author/john-steele) Funnel Vision Every 2 weeks: one automation or AI trend, plus a Workflow To Watch you can use today. [Subscribe](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/newsletter) More on HubSpot Consulting - ![](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads%20(4).png?width=40&height=40&name=JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads%20(4).png) [HubSpot Alternatives: 8 Platforms for Small Teams](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/hubspot-alternatives) November 11, 2026 - ![](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads%20(3).png?width=40&height=40&name=JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads%20(3).png) [How to Turn HubSpot Lifecycle Stages Into a Revenue Model](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/hubspot-lifecycle-stages) November 10, 2026 - ![](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads.png?width=40&height=40&name=JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads.png) [How to Set Up Lead Scoring in HubSpot for B2B SaaS (2026)](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/hubspot-lead-scoring-b2b-saas) August 2, 2026 Work with JSC need a hand with hubspot? Book a 30-minute call to talk through your setup. [Book a call →](https://calendly.com/johnsteeleconsulting/30min) On this page   [![JSC (1200 x 240 px) (3)](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JSC%20(1200%20x%20240%20px)%20(3).png?width=1200&height=240&name=JSC%20(1200%20x%20240%20px)%20(3).png "JSC (1200 x 240 px) (3)")](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com) Grow your startup or small business by exploring the most efficient levers for short-term and long-term growth: Positioning, Content & Automation. [mailto:john@johnsteeleconsulting.com](mailto:john@johnsteeleconsulting.com) pages [Home](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com) [HubSpot Consulting](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hubspot-consulting) [Automation & Analytics](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/automation-analytics) [Content Operations](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/content-operations) [Web & Content Development](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/web-content-development) resources [Blog](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog) [Case Studies](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/case-studies) [Funnel Vision Newsletter](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/newsletter) [Funnel Vision Podcast](https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/funnel-vision-podcast)   Copyright © 2023, John Steele Consulting ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "John Steele", "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/author/john-steele" }, "dateModified" : "2026-11-11T05:45:32.260Z", "datePublished" : "2026-11-11T05:46:31.000Z", "headline" : "How to Migrate Off HubSpot: Evaluate, Plan and Test", "image" : [ "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hubfs/JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads%20(4).png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/how-to-migrate-off-hubspot", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hubfs/JSC%20(1200%20x%20240%20px).png" }, "name" : "John Steele Consulting" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#organization", "@type" : [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService" ], "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "US", "addressLocality" : "Philadelphia", "addressRegion" : "PA" }, "alternateName" : [ "JSC", "John Steele Consulting LLC" ], "areaServed" : [ { "@type" : "City", "containedInPlace" : { "@type" : "State", "name" : "Pennsylvania" }, "name" : "Philadelphia" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "United States" } ], "description" : "Digital marketing consultancy for startups, SMBs and agencies: HubSpot CRM consulting, marketing automation, content operations and web development. Every engagement starts with a fixed-price Blueprint that sets scope and budget, then JSC assembles the right team to build it.", "founder" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#john-steele" }, "foundingDate" : "2022", "hasMap" : "https://maps.google.com/?cid=4576559856291336264", "hasOfferCatalog" : { "@type" : "OfferCatalog", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "Offer", "itemOffered" : { "@type" : "Service", "description" : "HubSpot CRM cleanup, attribution modeling, workflow automation, and ongoing HubSpot administration.", "name" : "HubSpot Consulting", "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hubspot-consulting" } }, { "@type" : "Offer", "itemOffered" : { "@type" : "Service", "description" : "Marketing automation, GA4/GTM implementation, attribution modeling, and executive dashboards.", "name" : "Automation & Analytics", "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/automation-analytics" } }, { "@type" : "Offer", "itemOffered" : { "@type" : "Service", "description" : "Editorial systems, content ROI audits, AEO optimization, and topic strategy.", "name" : "Content Operations", "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/content-operations" } }, { "@type" : "Offer", "itemOffered" : { "@type" : "Service", "description" : "Web design, custom HubSpot modules, email development, and content production.", "name" : "Web & Content Development", "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/web-content-development" } } ], "name" : "JSC Service Lines" }, "image" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JSC%20(5)-1.png", "knowsAbout" : [ "HubSpot CRM consulting", "HubSpot CMS development", "HubSpot administration", "Marketing automation", "Marketing operations", "Marketing attribution", "GA4 and Google Tag Manager", "B2B SaaS marketing strategy", "Content operations", "Content strategy", "Editorial systems", "Answer Engine Optimization", "AI visibility optimization", "Web design and development", "Email campaign development", "Content production systems", "Lead scoring and routing", "B2B marketing analytics" ], "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 35, "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/JSC%20(5)-1.png", "width" : 175 }, "name" : "John Steele Consulting", "priceRange" : "$$", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/john-steele-consulting", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/johsteele/", "https://www.instagram.com/jsc4you/", "https://www.youtube.com/@johnsteeleconsulting", "https://maps.google.com/?cid=4576559856291336264" ], "slogan" : "Strategy and execution for growing businesses, scoped up front and built by the right team.", "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#john-steele", "@type" : "Person", "description" : "15+ year digital marketing leader specializing in HubSpot CRM consulting, marketing automation, content operations, and B2B SaaS marketing strategy. Founder of John Steele Consulting and publisher of the Funnel Vision newsletter.", "image" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1651756967091.jpeg", "jobTitle" : "Founder & Principal Consultant", "knowsAbout" : [ "HubSpot CRM", "Marketing automation", "Marketing attribution", "B2B SaaS marketing", "Content operations", "Answer Engine Optimization" ], "name" : "John Steele", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/johsteele/" ], "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com", "worksFor" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#organization" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "description" : "Digital marketing consulting for startups, SMBs and agencies: HubSpot, automation, content operations and web development.", "inLanguage" : "en-US", "name" : "John Steele Consulting", "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#organization" }, "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/how-to-migrate-off-hubspot#article", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "articleSection" : "Startup Marketing", "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#john-steele", "@type" : "Person", "name" : "John Steele", "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/meet-jsc" }, "breadcrumb" : { "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com", "name" : "Home", "position" : 1 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog", "name" : "Blog", "position" : 2 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/how-to-migrate-off-hubspot", "name" : "How to Migrate Off HubSpot: Evaluate, Plan and Test", "position" : 3 } ] }, "dateModified" : "2026-11-11T06:25:19+0000", "datePublished" : "2026-11-11T05:46:31+0000", "description" : "A step-by-step plan for migrating off HubSpot: evaluate a replacement, follow the data, move one asset class at a time, and test before you lose access.", "headline" : "How to Migrate Off HubSpot: Evaluate, Plan and Test", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 458, "url" : "https://24216250.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/24216250/JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads%20%284%29.png", "width" : 802 }, "inLanguage" : "en-US", "isPartOf" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog#blog", "@type" : "Blog", "description" : "How to introduce startups to the world, find their most valuable clients and build scalable operations to reach them.", "name" : "The Starting Gun", "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#organization" } }, "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/how-to-migrate-off-hubspot", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/#organization" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "Article", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : [ "John Steele" ] }, "datePublished" : "2026-11-11T05:46:31+0000", "description" : "A step-by-step plan for migrating off HubSpot: evaluate a replacement, follow the data, move one asset class at a time, and test before you lose access.", "headline" : "How to Migrate Off HubSpot: Evaluate, Plan and Test the Move", "image" : "https://24216250.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/24216250/JSC%20Top%20Personas%20-%20Linkedin%20Ads%20%284%29.png", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://24216250.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/24216250/JSC%20(1200%20x%20240%20px).png" }, "name" : "John Steele Consulting" }, "url" : "https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/blog/how-to-migrate-off-hubspot" } ```