How to Migrate from HubSpot to a Lighter Solution Without Losing Your Data

HubSpot has become synonymous with all-in-one CRM. But for many SMBs, this power comes at a price: excessive complexity, skyrocketing costs, and unused features. In 2024, 34% of HubSpot users were considering migrating to a lighter solution, according to a G2 study. This figure reaches 47% for companies with fewer than 50 employees.

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably among those wondering: “Is it really necessary to pay so much for features I don’t use?”

The short answer: no. Here’s how to migrate from HubSpot to a lighter solution, step by step.

Why SMBs Are Leaving HubSpot

The Ferrari Syndrome for Getting Bread

HubSpot offers more than 500 features. An average SMB uses between 15 and 25. It’s like buying a Ferrari to drive 3 miles a day in the city.

The most common reasons for leaving:

Disproportionate cost: The Marketing Hub Pro plan starts at $800/month. With add-ons, the bill often exceeds $1,500 monthly.
Growing complexity: Each update adds features. The interface becomes a maze.
Constant training: Teams spend more time learning the tool than using it.
Technical dependency: Customizing HubSpot often requires a developer or partner agency.

The Numbers That Make You Think

An analysis of 200 SMB HubSpot accounts reveals telling statistics:

Metric	Observed Average
Features used	18 out of 500+
Initial training time	40 hours
Actual monthly cost (licenses + training + support)	$2,100
Time spent on HubSpot administrative tasks	6h/week

For a company of 20 people with 3 HubSpot users, this represents an annual investment of more than $25,000. Not counting the opportunity cost.

Before Migrating: Essential Questions

Question 1: What Do You Really Need?

List the HubSpot features you use daily. Not those you “could” use. Those you actually use.

For most SMBs, this list boils down to:

Contact forms on the website
Contact and company management
Newsletter sending
Basic sales pipeline tracking
Customer feedback collection

These needs don’t justify a platform costing $2,000/month.

Question 2: What Data Must You Absolutely Keep?

Identify critical data:

Contacts and their custom properties
Interaction history
Lists and segments
High-performing email templates
Form data

HubSpot allows exporting this data in CSV format. But be careful: some relational data (associations between contacts and companies) requires separate exports.

Question 3: Which Integrations Are Essential?

HubSpot integrates with more than 1,000 applications. But how many do you actually use? List active integrations:

Your website (WordPress, Webflow, etc.)
Your billing tool
Your calendar
Your communication tools (Slack, Teams)

A lighter solution will cover 80% of these needs. For the rest, tools like Zapier or Make fill the gaps.

The 6-Step Migration Plan

Step 1: Audit Your HubSpot Usage (Week 1)

Before leaving, understand what you’re leaving. Log into HubSpot and analyze:

Contacts and segmentation

Total number of contacts
Number of active lists
Custom properties used
Segmentation rules in place

Forms

Number of active forms
Monthly submission volume
Custom fields
Workflows triggered by forms

Emails

Sending frequency
Average open rate
Most used templates
Automations in place

Sales pipeline

Pipeline stages
Number of active deals
Custom deal properties

Document everything in a spreadsheet. This mapping guides your choice of alternative solution.

Step 2: Choose the Right Alternative (Week 2)

The market is full of HubSpot alternatives. Your choice depends on your priority needs.

If your priority is data collection (forms + newsletters + feedback)

Skedox brings these three functions together in a clean interface. No complex CRM. No superfluous features. Just the essentials for collecting, organizing, and leveraging data from your prospects and customers.

Advantages for former HubSpot users:

Contact migration in a few clicks
Customizable forms without code
Unified mailing list management
Integrated feedback widget
Cost reduced by at least 10x

If your priority is sales CRM

Pipedrive or Freshsales offer lightweight alternatives focused on sales.

If your priority is advanced email marketing

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) or Mailerlite offer robust email features at lower cost.

Step 3: Export Your HubSpot Data (Week 3)

HubSpot makes data export easy. Here’s the procedure:

Contact export

Go to Contacts > Contacts
Select all contacts or filter according to your needs
Click “Export” > “Export view”
Choose CSV format
Select all properties to export

Company export Same procedure from Contacts > Companies.

Deal export From Sales > Deals, export with associated properties.

List export Each list can be exported individually. Note the segmentation criteria to recreate them.

Form export Form submissions are exported from Marketing > Forms. Also export each form’s settings (screenshot recommended).

Points of attention:

Export data in batches if you have more than 100,000 contacts
Check that dates are in the correct format
Keep HubSpot IDs for future reference
Save exports in a dedicated, dated folder

Step 4: Configure Your New Solution (Week 4)

Once data is exported, configure your new tool.

Initial configuration

Create your account and set up your organization
Define roles and permissions
Configure your sending domain (SPF, DKIM)

Form recreation

Reproduce your active forms
Adapt fields to the new platform’s capabilities
Configure notifications and redirects

With Skedox, creating a form takes less than 5 minutes. The drag-and-drop editor allows you to reproduce any HubSpot form without technical skills.

List configuration

Import your contacts by segment
Recreate segmentation rules
Verify GDPR compliance (consents)

Step 5: Migration and Testing (Week 5-6)

Data import

First import a test sample (100 contacts)
Check field mapping
Verify data integrity
Proceed with full import

Functional testing Before switching over, test each feature:

Form submission - contact created
Newsletter subscription - added to list
Test email send - deliverability OK
Feedback widget - feedback received
Notifications - alerts received

Parallel operation period Keep HubSpot active for 2 weeks. Gradually redirect forms to the new solution. Compare data from both systems.

Step 6: Switchover and HubSpot Deactivation (Week 7-8)

Final switchover

Replace all forms on your site
Update links in your emails
Inform your team of the switchover date
Disable HubSpot workflows

HubSpot cancellation

Check your renewal date (often annual)
Export a final complete backup
Download your historical reports
Cancel within contractual deadlines

Archiving Keep your HubSpot exports for at least 2 years. You may need historical data.

Pitfalls to Absolutely Avoid

Pitfall 1: Underestimating Dependencies

HubSpot integrates everywhere. Check that nothing breaks:

WordPress plugins linked to HubSpot
Chatbots using the HubSpot API
Automated reports fed by HubSpot
Integrations with your accounting

Pitfall 2: Neglecting Automated Workflows

If you use automated sequences in HubSpot, document them in detail. Recreate them in your new solution before migration.

Pitfall 3: Forgetting Users

Technology changes, but habits persist. Train your teams:

Presentation session for the new solution
Documentation of new processes
Point of contact for questions
2-week adaptation period

Pitfall 4: Migrating at the Wrong Time

Avoid migrating:

During peak business periods
Just before a product launch
During summer or year-end holidays
When your technical team is on another project

Pitfall 5: Wanting to Reproduce Everything Identically

Migration is an opportunity to simplify. Don’t recreate complex processes just because they existed in HubSpot. Ask yourself: “Is this really useful?”

Concrete Benefits After Migration

Cost Reduction

A B2B services SMB shared their post-migration figures:

Item	Before (HubSpot)	After (lightweight solution)
Monthly license	$890	$79
Support/consulting	$300	$0
Annual training	$2,000	$200
Annual total	$14,280	$1,148

Savings: $13,132 per year. Immediate ROI.

Time Savings

Teams report:

70% less time on administrative tasks
New employee onboarding in 1 hour instead of 2 days
Form creation in 5 minutes instead of 30

Mental Simplification

Fewer options means fewer decisions. Teams focus on the essentials: converting prospects and satisfying customers.

HubSpot Migration Checklist

Use this checklist to not forget anything:

Preparation

Complete audit of HubSpot usage
List of features actually used
Inventory of active integrations
Alternative solution chosen
Migration schedule validated

Data export

New solution configuration

Switchover

Conclusion: Migrating from HubSpot, a Strategic Decision

Migrating from HubSpot to a lighter solution is not an admission of failure. It’s a strategic decision that aligns your tools with your real needs.

HubSpot remains excellent for large companies with complex marketing automation needs. But for an SMB that wants to collect leads, manage a newsletter, and gather feedback, it’s often oversized.

Migration requires preparation. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for a smooth process. But the benefits are immediate: costs divided by 5 to 10, simplified interface, more efficient teams.

Ready to take the step? Try Skedox for free and discover a lighter approach to data collection. Your forms, newsletters, and feedback united in a single platform, without the complexity or price of HubSpot.

How to Migrate from HubSpot to a Lighter Solution