Migrate to Zoho as HubSpot Prices Surge in 2025

Back in 2024, HubSpot made a “we’re making things better for you” blog post and email campaign to announce their new pricing model.

Before that, you paid for the plan, and everyone piles in. Simple.

But now, they flipped it to seat-based pricing, meaning you pay per user who can actually do stuff in the system.

(Sidenote: Seat-based pricing isn’t a crime, most CRMs have that pricing model. But…)

Instead of one flat plan where your whole team can jump in, you need to buy extra paid seats for every active user.

So essentially, you’re paying more for the exact same thing you already had.

Zoho, on the other hand, hasn’t increased their prices since 2021 (and that only applied to renewals into early 2022).

All the while, rolling out AI features (Zia), expanding vertical CRMs, and building one of the deepest SaaS ecosystems on the market.

HubSpot went the other route. The route that frustrates 99% of growing businesses.

So, if you’re sick of getting scammed by overpriced software, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll show you the specific plan we’ve used for 22+ years on our migration from HubSpot to Zoho.

All migrations are unique to the business and to the platform; and therefore, come with a whole host of challenges.

Let’s get started:

Step 1 – Plan and Audit Your HubSpot Data

HubSpot’s structure differs wildly from Zoho’s. It’s marketing-first, which means CRM data is entangled in landing pages, workflows, and campaigns.

Here’s how we start:

• Map Core Objects: HubSpot’s Contacts, Companies, Deals, and Tickets → Zoho Contacts, Accounts, Deals, and Desk.
• Custom Properties: Identify and trim custom fields. HubSpot encourages liberal field creation; Zoho has tighter, more structured modules.
• Lifecycle Mapping: HubSpot uses “Lifecycle Stages” and “Lead Status.” We translate these into Zoho’s lead pipeline or custom fields for accurate segmentation.
• HubSpot Lists & Campaigns: These require special treatment. We convert dynamic/active lists and campaign interactions into Zoho Campaigns or Tags.

A thorough audit here will make or break your migration.

Step 2 – Export HubSpot Data

HubSpot’s export process is deceptively basic. While CSVs are simple to get, preserving relationships is not.

We export:

• Full object data (Contacts, Deals, Companies, Tickets).
• Email history and engagements (requires API calls or third-party tools).
• Attachments and Notes (retrieved via HubSpot API).
• Marketing history like form submissions or CTA clicks (exported and optionally imported into Zoho Campaigns).

We also build a rollback-safe archive before every migration.

Step 3 – Import into Zoho CRM

We build your Zoho system before data even touches it:

1. Custom Module Setup – Based on the mapping doc, including picklists, tags, fields, and layouts.
2. Test Migration – Import a subset of records to validate integrity, especially where HubSpot used external tools.
3. Structured Imports – Import follows a logical order: Accounts → Contacts → Deals → Activities → Notes → Attachments → Campaigns.

This stage is where most “DIY” migrations break down.

Step 4 – Rebuild Automations & Marketing Logic

HubSpot’s workflows, lead scoring, and email campaigns rely on interconnected triggers.

Here’s what we do:

• Workflows – Recreate using Zoho’s Blueprints, workflows, and assignment rules.
• Lead Scoring – Translate logic into Zoho Scoring Rules with behaviour-based conditions.
• Campaigns – Rebuild core email journeys using Zoho Campaigns or Marketing Automation.

Landing Pages – If you’ve used HubSpot CMS, we advise migrating to Zoho LandingPages or embedding forms into your existing site.

Step 5 – Validate and Go Live

Post-import, we execute a final quality control sweep:

• Module-by-module checks for record counts, custom field integrity, and linked objects.
• Workflow simulation to make sure leads are routing correctly and emails are sending.
• User training with a “train the trainer” model so your team is Zoho-ready from day one.

Only once everything’s verified do we go live.

Download Our Free CRM Transition Checklist

You don’t need another “seat” or another slick announcement post.

What you need is a CRM that actually works for you, and costs less while doing more.

So here’s what we suggest: call us before the next billing cycle hits.

We’ll map, migrate, and rebuild your CRM, without the inflated price tag, without the panic, and without the nonsense.

However, if migration is something you prefer doing in-house, we want to give you a free migration checklist as a gesture of goodwill.

You can use this checklist when managing your migration from HubSpot to Zoho.

NOTE: This checklist was made by CRM consultants with 22+ years of experience migrating CRM data.

So I want to emphasise it’s not a ChatGPT-made lead magnet so our sales manager can harass you with emails.

Nope!

Send us a message down below and we’ll get you the checklist before the end of the day.

Best of luck.

FAQ

Because it boosts revenue per customer without needing new sign-ups. It forces businesses to pay for every active user instead of letting teams share access

Zoho hasn’t raised prices since 2021, and even then, it only applied to renewals in early 2022. Meanwhile, they’ve kept expanding features like AI (Zia) and industry-specific CRMs.

Preserving relationships between objects during export and import is the toughest challenge. HubSpot data is deeply entangled with marketing tools, while Zoho structures are stricter.

You can, but most DIY migrations fail when automations and workflows need to be rebuilt. Experienced consultants usually map, migrate, and validate data more safely