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Agency Migration Guide

Pipedrive to HubSpot Migration


What actually transfers, what quietly does not, and what has to be rebuilt by hand.

We mapped Pipedrive against HubSpot feature by feature: 56 features, 10 synced objects, 11 documented traps and 18 items that have to be rebuilt. The whole map is on this page, ungated.

The PDF is the same reference, formatted to send to a client.

Get The Guide And The Calculator

The full Pipedrive to HubSpot reference as a branded PDF you can send straight to a client, plus the Excel calculator we scope these migrations with: every one of the 56 features as a row, enter your counts, get hours.

Three files: the guide as a PDF, the same guide unbranded in Markdown for your AI tool, and the full Excel effort calculator.

PDF documentPDFMarkdown documentMDExcel workbookXLS
Pipedrive logoHubSpot logo

Pipedrive to HubSpot is a medium migration, typically 2-12 weeks. Of 56 features we mapped, 49 carry across as they are and 7 land with something lost. The work is not moving records: it is the 18 items nothing moves for you.

Migration Scorecard

Complexity: Medium
Migration complexity
Medium
Typical timeline
2-12 weeks
Recommended method
Smart transfer
Native sync
Data sync, two way
Smart transfer
Supported
HubSpot subscription
HubSpot Free CRM for default field sync; Data Hub (Data Hub) Starter ($15/mo/seat) for custom field mappings; Enterprise for custom objects

Feature parity across 56 capabilities

4988%
713%
  • Maps directly: 49 (88%)
  • Maps partially: 7 (13%)
  • No equivalent: 0 (0%)

10

Objects synced natively

11

Limitations and traps

18

Manual rebuild items

5

Source editions covered

Where this comes from: Our own research corpus, verified 2026-07-31, behind every number on this page.

The Ten Objects That Sync Natively

What the connector moves for you, and which way each one flows.

Persons

Two wayTwo way

Becomes Contacts

Email address is the primary deduplication key. HubSpot requires a valid email address to sync contacts by default. Pipedrive Persons without email addresses will be excluded from sync. HubSpot splits a full name into First Name and Last Name - the first word goes to First Name, everything after the first space to Last Name.

Organizations

Two wayTwo way

Becomes Companies

Company name and domain are used for deduplication. When an app has both a company name and company domain field, HubSpot will match two records if they have the same company name but a different domain, and vice versa.

Deals

Two wayTwo way

Becomes Deals

Deal stage labels must match exactly between systems. Smart Transfer will create a workflow that fills the Close date property in HubSpot with the value from the correct field in Pipedrive. Pipeline stages must be configured in HubSpot before deal sync. An accompanying sync of contacts and/or companies is required to ensure associated records are created.

Email Activities

Into HubSpotInto HubSpot

Becomes Email Activities

HubSpot Smart Transfer syncs Pipedrive email ACTIVITIES but not logged emails. A Data Hub subscription is required to sync Pipedrive activities. Documented in HubSpot's Smart Transfer data sync object mappings (knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/supported-apps-for-hubspot-smart-transfer, read 2026-07-31).

Meeting Activities

Into HubSpotInto HubSpot

Becomes Meetings

Requires a Data Hub subscription (activity sync). Documented in HubSpot's Smart Transfer data sync object mappings (knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/supported-apps-for-hubspot-smart-transfer, read 2026-07-31).

Call Activities

Into HubSpotInto HubSpot

Becomes Calls

Requires a Data Hub subscription (activity sync). Documented in HubSpot's Smart Transfer data sync object mappings (knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/supported-apps-for-hubspot-smart-transfer, read 2026-07-31).

Task Activities

Into HubSpotInto HubSpot

Becomes Tasks

Requires a Data Hub subscription (activity sync). Documented in HubSpot's Smart Transfer data sync object mappings (knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/supported-apps-for-hubspot-smart-transfer, read 2026-07-31).

Notes

Into HubSpotInto HubSpot

Becomes Notes

Note transfer is supported. Documented in HubSpot's Smart Transfer data sync object mappings (knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/supported-apps-for-hubspot-smart-transfer, read 2026-07-31).

Products

Two wayTwo way

Becomes Products

Products transfer, and associated products on deals move as deal line items in the one-time post-sync transfer. Documented in HubSpot's Smart Transfer data sync object mappings (knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/supported-apps-for-hubspot-smart-transfer, read 2026-07-31).

(Custom) Activities

Two wayTwo way

Becomes Engagements

Custom and standard Pipedrive activities sync to HubSpot engagements. Listed as a shared object on the app's HubSpot marketplace listing (read 2026-07-31); no default field mappings are published for it.

Eleven Things the Sync Does Not Tell You

Each one is documented, and each one has ended a migration in a bad week.

Only Contacts, Companies, and Deals Sync via Native Data Sync

The native HubSpot Marketplace integration with Pipedrive only syncs contacts (Persons), companies (Organizations), and deals. Activities, notes, calls, emails, tasks, and other engagement data do NOT sync through the native integration.

Workaround: Use Smart Transfer for one-time activity migration (limited), third-party tools (Trujay, Import2, Migratr), or custom API integration for activity sync.

Activities Do Not Transfer via Data Sync

Pipedrive activities (calls, meetings, tasks) do not export in a structured way that can be imported into HubSpot. Additionally, a Pipedrive activity can only link to one object at a time (deal, lead, or project), whereas HubSpot Engagements can be associated with multiple contacts, companies, and deals simultaneously. This structural difference means activities require transformation, not simple copying.

Workaround: Use third-party migration tools for activity transfer. Accept that some activity history may need to be left behind for cost-effective migration.

Notes, Call Logs, and Email Attachments Do Not Sync

Standard Pipedrive exports and the native sync do not include notes, call logs, or email attachments attached to deals. These are considered 'soft data' requiring separate handling.

Workaround: Employ a capable migration application such as Trujay, Import2, or Migratr specifically for engagement history.

Attachments Cannot Be Transferred via Data Sync

File attachments on Pipedrive deals, organizations, and persons are not included in a standard data export or native sync. There is no automated way to transfer them. They can be transferred to HubSpot with a one-time post-sync transfer through Smart Transfer.

Workaround: Use Smart Transfer's post-sync attachment transfer, or manually download from Pipedrive and re-upload to corresponding HubSpot records.

Smart Transfer Syncs Email Activities but Not Logged Emails

HubSpot Smart Transfer will sync email activities from Pipedrive, but not logged emails. Additionally, HubSpot does not distinguish between public emails and private emails as Pipedrive does - private emails become public upon migration.

Workaround: Inform team about privacy change. Consider whether email history migration is necessary for your use case.

Custom Objects Not Supported by Smart Transfer

The transfer of custom objects is not supported by HubSpot Smart Transfer. Custom objects or fields simulating object relationships require custom API-based solutions.

Workaround: Use custom API migration scripts or third-party tools. Requires HubSpot Sales Hub Enterprise or above for custom objects.

Record Associations Can Break During Migration

Contacts, deals, and companies may lose their associations during migration, breaking key relationships. When importing a deal CSV into HubSpot, it has no connection to the contact or company it originally lived on.

Workaround: Use Smart Transfer which preserves associations, or ensure CSV imports include association identifiers. Post-migration re-association may be needed.

User Ownership Mapping Must Be Explicit

Pipedrive user accounts don't automatically match HubSpot accounts. Without explicit user mapping, records land in HubSpot without an owner, and workflow triggers that depend on record ownership fire incorrectly or not at all.

Workaround: Build explicit user mapping before migration. Map each Pipedrive user to their corresponding HubSpot user.

Property Type Mismatches Prevent Syncing

Fields with mismatched types between Pipedrive and HubSpot cannot be synced. Dropdown options must match perfectly between platforms. Read-only properties cannot be mapped.

Workaround: Audit and align field types and dropdown values before enabling sync. Create custom properties with correct types.

Free Tier Limited to Default Field Mappings Only

The free HubSpot Data Sync only syncs default/standard fields. Custom field mappings require a Data Hub (Data Hub) Starter subscription.

Workaround: Upgrade to Data Hub Starter ($15/month/seat) for custom field mapping capabilities.

Smart Transfer Works Best Under 10,000 Records

HubSpot Smart Transfer is optimized for simple Pipedrive setups with contacts, companies, deals, standard fields, and record counts under 10,000. Larger datasets or complex configurations may require professional migration services.

Workaround: For larger datasets, use professional migration services, API-based migration, or break migration into smaller batches.

One Things a Migration Does Not Rebuild

These are Pipedrive's own code and products. A HubSpot migration does not port them, so they carry no hours in any estimate. They still need a decision, because the client is giving something up.

Custom App Development

Custom Pipedrive apps must be completely rebuilt for HubSpot's app framework. Different APIs, UI components, and authentication.

The 18 Items That Get Rebuilt by Hand

This is the list that separates a quote that holds from one that does not.

Data And Objects

Products and Product Catalog

Pipedrive Products must be recreated in HubSpot's Products library.

Custom Fields on Activities

Pipedrive custom activity types and custom fields on activities must be recreated as HubSpot engagement properties.

Lead Labels and Categories

Pipedrive's lead labeling system needs to be replicated using HubSpot properties or lifecycle stages.

Automation

Pipedrive Automations

All Pipedrive automations must be rebuilt from scratch in HubSpot. The logic structures differ fundamentally between platforms - no direct translation is possible. A 'Logic Audit' of Pipedrive workflows is needed before rebuilding.

Email Templates

Pipedrive email templates must be manually recreated in HubSpot.

Email Sequences

Pipedrive email sequences must be rebuilt as HubSpot Sequences.

Smart Contact Data / Enrichment

Pipedrive's Smart Contact Data enrichment feature needs to be replaced.

Reporting

Custom Reports and Insights

Pipedrive reports and Insights dashboards must be rebuilt from scratch. HubSpot's reporting logic and visualization capabilities differ from Pipedrive, and attempting to replicate Pipedrive reports in HubSpot might lead to frustration.

Sales Goals and Targets

Pipedrive goals and targets must be reconfigured in HubSpot.

Revenue Forecasting

Pipedrive's revenue forecasting setup must be reconfigured.

Sales And Marketing Config

Deal Pipelines and Stages

Pipedrive pipelines and deal stages must be set up in HubSpot BEFORE migrating deal data so stage values match.

Web Forms and LeadBooster

Pipedrive's LeadBooster (chatbot, live chat, web forms, prospector) must be replaced with HubSpot equivalents.

Saved Filters and Views

All saved filters, custom views, and list segmentation in Pipedrive must be recreated as HubSpot saved views or active lists.

Meeting Scheduler

Pipedrive Scheduler links and configurations must be replaced with HubSpot meeting links.

Users And Permissions

User Roles and Visibility Groups

Pipedrive's visibility groups and permission sets must be recreated in HubSpot.

Teams Structure

Pipedrive team hierarchy must be recreated.

Integrations

Third-party Integrations and Marketplace Apps

All Pipedrive Marketplace apps and third-party integrations must be evaluated and replaced with HubSpot App Marketplace equivalents.

Zapier/Make Automations Involving Pipedrive

Any Zapier or Make automations that reference Pipedrive must be updated to use HubSpot triggers and actions instead.

The Sequence

Sync First, Then Migrate

Order is the content here. These are a dependency chain, and running them out of order is a documented way these migrations fail.

  1. 1

    Check Pipedrive License Expiration Date and Plan Overlap Timeline to Avoid Losing Access

    Check Pipedrive license expiration date and plan overlap timeline to avoid losing access

  2. 2

    Audit and Clean Pipedrive Data

    merge duplicates, delete unused contacts, validate fields

  3. 3

    Document All Active Automations, Email Templates, Sequences, and Integrations

    Document all active automations, email templates, sequences, and integrations

  4. 4

    Create Comprehensive Field Mapping Workbook

    inventory all Pipedrive fields by object and map to HubSpot equivalents

  5. 5

    Configure HubSpot

    set up deal pipelines/stages, create custom properties, configure user accounts and roles

  6. 6

    Install Pipedrive Data Sync From HubSpot Marketplace and Initiate Smart Transfer

    Install Pipedrive Data Sync from HubSpot Marketplace and initiate Smart Transfer

  7. 7

    Smart Transfer Audits Data and Creates Properties/pipelines Automatically Based on Pipedrive Config

    Smart Transfer audits data and creates properties/pipelines automatically based on Pipedrive config

  8. 8

    Select Objects and Data Types to Transfer; Review and Adjust Field Mappings

    Select objects and data types to transfer; review and adjust field mappings

  9. 9

    Run Smart Transfer to Sync Contacts, Companies, and Deals

    Run Smart Transfer to sync contacts, companies, and deals

  10. 10

    Use Smart Transfer Post-sync Transfer for Attachments

    Use Smart Transfer post-sync transfer for attachments

  11. 11

    Migrate Activities and Engagement History Using Third-party Tools If Required (Trujay, Import2, Migratr)

    Migrate activities and engagement history using third-party tools if required (Trujay, Import2, Migratr)

  12. 12

    Rebuild Automations, Email Templates, Reports, Dashboards, and Forms in HubSpot

    Rebuild automations, email templates, reports, dashboards, and forms in HubSpot

  13. 13

    Validate Data

    spot-check records across contacts, deals, companies; verify associations and ownership

  14. 14

    Train Team on HubSpot; Go Live; Accept Brief License Overlap Period

    Train team on HubSpot; go live; accept brief license overlap period

Typically 2-12 weeks end to end, depending on how much of the source configuration is actually in use.

Effort Estimator

How Big Is This Migration?

A handful of questions, no email required. The ranges come from the research above: every feature we mapped carries an effort figure, and this adds up the ones that apply to you.

Custom fields and properties across all records

Everything beyond the out-of-the-box fields, added up across contacts, companies, deals and anything custom.

Automations, workflows and rules

Anything that fires on its own: workflows, sequences, assignment and validation rules, approvals.

Custom reports and dashboards

Only the ones the business actually uses. Reports nobody opens do not need rebuilding.

Marketing assets to rebuild

Email templates, forms, landing pages, lists and segments taken together.

Third-party integrations wired into the current system

Anything connected by API, webhook or installed package that has to keep working afterwards.

Roughly how many contact records

This affects the sync approach and the reconciliation effort, not the per-record work. The connector moves records; people do not.

Estimated Effort

Answer a couple of questions and an hours range appears here.

Built from our research on 56 Pipedrive features. It is a range, not a quote.

A planning range, not a quote. It is delivery effort only, with no project management line and no agency markup, so add your own. What moves it most in practice is data quality.

What Goes Wrong Most Often

The failures that show up again and again, in roughly the order they bite.

Live Data Overlap

if team keeps entering data into Pipedrive after migration cutover date, those new records won't exist in HubSpot

Broken Associations

CSV-imported deals lose connection to contacts and companies - use Smart Transfer to preserve associations

Missing Activity History

activities, notes, calls, and emails don't export by default through standard tools

User Ownership Errors

without explicit user mapping, records land in HubSpot without an owner, breaking ownership-based workflows

Email Privacy Loss

private emails in Pipedrive become public upon migration to HubSpot

Pipeline Timing

configure pipelines and deal stages BEFORE migrating object data

Reporting Differences

don't try to replicate Pipedrive reports 1:1 - redesign for HubSpot's strengths

Contacts Without Email Addresses Will Be Excluded From Default Sync - Handle These Separately

Contacts without email addresses will be excluded from default sync - handle these separately

Duplicate Records

HubSpot is unforgiving with duplicates - clean Pipedrive thoroughly before migration

Questions

Pipedrive To HubSpot, Answered

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