Can You Use HubSpot and Salesforce Together? How the Native Integration Works

In scientific and life-science markets, Salesforce is treated as the industry-standard CRM. Many companies stay on it deliberately: if an acquisition is on the table, being on the same platform as a likely acquirer makes integration far easier. So the real question for most marketing teams is not "Salesforce or HubSpot?" It is "can we keep Salesforce and add HubSpot for marketing?" The answer is yes, and the native integration is one of the most underrated tools in the HubSpot stack. This post explains how the HubSpot–Salesforce integration works, what syncs, how to set it up, and how to turn synced CRM data into marketing that connects to revenue.

Key takeaways

• HubSpot offers a native Salesforce integration that you install from HubSpot rather than build from scratch, and it has long supported syncing data between the two platforms.
• HubSpot includes CRM capabilities as part of the platform, and paid HubSpot products include access to CRM records and objects — so even a Marketing Hub plan gives Salesforce data (contacts, companies and opportunities) a place to live in HubSpot.
• Sync behaviour is controlled at the field-mapping level, including sync direction, so you decide which fields flow one-way (Salesforce as source of truth) or sync bi-directionally. Contacts match by email, and custom objects and company data can also sync.
• Salesforce opportunities map to HubSpot deals, which unlocks closed-loop, multi-touch revenue attribution for marketing.
• Not everything syncs as people expect: HubSpot campaigns do not sync to Salesforce campaigns, and Salesforce API call limits apply — so scope your sync deliberately.

Can you use HubSpot and Salesforce at the same time?

Yes. HubSpot and Salesforce are designed to run together, and the native integration connects the two platforms without replacing either. HubSpot offers a native Salesforce integration that you install from HubSpot rather than build from scratch, and it has long supported syncing data between the two platforms. If you keep Salesforce as your CRM, you connect the two and let data flow between them — you do not have to rip out Salesforce to get HubSpot's marketing engine.

For teams that keep Salesforce for acquisition-readiness reasons, this matters: your CRM stays exactly where it is and remains the source of truth, while HubSpot handles the marketing work Salesforce is weaker at.

Do you still get a CRM if you keep Salesforce?

Yes. HubSpot includes CRM capabilities as part of the platform, and paid HubSpot products include access to CRM records and objects rather than requiring a separate CRM purchase. That is the point most buyers miss: even a Marketing Hub plan includes CRM records and objects, so your Salesforce data has a place to live in HubSpot. Your Salesforce objects — accounts, contacts and opportunities — map to the corresponding HubSpot objects and stay in step across both systems.

In practice this means a Marketing Hub plan can still "mirror" Salesforce. Your sales team keeps working in Salesforce; your marketing team works in HubSpot; the shared records line up because HubSpot has a CRM built in to hold them.

Why do scientific companies keep Salesforce as the CRM?

Salesforce is seen as the industry standard in scientific and life-science markets, and many companies stay on it to keep future integration simple — particularly if they expect to be acquired and want to be on the same platform as a likely buyer. Keeping Salesforce also avoids disrupting a sales team that is already productive in it.

The trade-off is that these companies often run a fragmented stack around Salesforce — for example Pardot (Account Engagement) for marketing automation, Apollo for prospecting, WordPress for the website and a separate tool for resources. The native HubSpot integration lets you keep Salesforce as the CRM while consolidating the marketing side of that stack into one platform.

How do you connect HubSpot to Salesforce?

You connect HubSpot to Salesforce in two phases: install the integration, then configure the sync so marketing gets usable data.

Phase 1 — connect the integration. Install the Salesforce app from HubSpot's Connected Apps. In HubSpot, open the Marketplace, find Salesforce, click Install, and sign in with your Salesforce credentials. If you want to test first, you can connect a Salesforce sandbox during install. Make sure the Salesforce side has the right access: the connected Salesforce user should be a Salesforce admin with API access and permissions for the objects you want to sync, because what syncs is limited by that user's Salesforce permissions. Use HubSpot Embed for Salesforce, which HubSpot recommends going forward, rather than the legacy Visualforce module.

Phase 2 — configure the sync. Set up contact sync first. HubSpot matches Salesforce leads and contacts to HubSpot contacts by email, then syncs values based on your field mappings and sync direction. Installing the app does not automatically create contacts — you import them or let sync triggers create them over time. Then map the fields marketing actually needs (see the next section).

What data syncs between Salesforce and HubSpot?

Contacts, company/account data, custom objects and opportunities can all sync, based on the field mappings and rules you set. The table below summarises what syncs and how to control it.

If you do not want everything to sync, use an inclusion list: in the Salesforce sync rules you can limit which records sync by selecting an active segment. This keeps the sync scoped and helps manage Salesforce API usage.

Does data sync one way or both ways?

You choose the direction, and you can set it per field. A one-way sync keeps Salesforce as the source of truth and stops HubSpot writing back, so data only flows Salesforce → HubSpot. A two-way sync lets a HubSpot update push back to Salesforce — useful for marketing fields you want reflected on the CRM side.

Setting the direction deliberately is what protects a Salesforce-first team. Fields the sales team owns can be one-way (read-only into HubSpot), while marketing-owned fields can be two-way. This is exactly the "rules of what syncs" conversation to have before you switch the sync on.

How do you use synced Salesforce data in marketing?

Once the sync is live, synced Salesforce fields become the raw material for better segments, automation and reporting. The main ways to unlock value are:

• Build smarter audiences in Segments (Lists). Use synced Salesforce fields to segment by lead status, account attributes, campaign membership or opportunity stage. Salesforce Campaign ID can sync to the contact record and be used for segmentation in HubSpot.
• Personalise campaigns with sales data. Sync fields like lead status or opportunity stage into HubSpot properties, then, for example, exclude active opportunities from top-of-funnel nurture, or tailor emails by sales stage.
• Trigger automation in Workflows. Once Salesforce fields are in HubSpot, use them as enrolment criteria or branching logic. HubSpot also supports a Create Salesforce task action in contact-based workflows.
• Connect marketing to revenue in Reports and Dashboards. Sync Salesforce opportunity data to HubSpot deals so you can use multi-touch revenue attribution and tie campaigns to actual revenue.
• Improve scoring and enrichment. With fuller, cleaner records, use synced data in Lead Scoring, workflows and personalisation. Enriched fields like job title, industry and company size make segmentation and automation sharper.

Do sales reps need a HubSpot licence?

Not every sales rep needs a paid Sales seat just to access HubSpot. A view-only seat can be enough for read-only access, while a Sales seat is required for Sales Hub Professional or Enterprise features. So if your team is staying in Salesforce, you have options short of buying a full seat for everyone.

A view-only seat lets users view records, dashboards, customer data and reports, but not edit records or change settings. For alerts, a HubSpot workflow can create a Salesforce task instead of sending a HubSpot notification. So when a contact hits a key page or fills in a form, the rep gets a task in Salesforce — where they already work — with the owner, priority and notes set, and HubSpot fields pulled into the note. That workaround delivers the same outcome as a Pardot page action without every rep needing a Sales seat.

What are the limitations to know before you start?

The integration is powerful, but a few things do not sync the way people expect. Know these before you scope the project:

• HubSpot campaigns do not sync to Salesforce campaigns. They are separate.
• Salesforce campaigns send only limited data into HubSpot, including the campaign ID on the contact record.
• Company name behaviour can differ depending on whether the sync runs against a Salesforce lead or a contact/account. If account sync is on, the associated Salesforce account can sync to the HubSpot company instead.
• Salesforce API call limits apply, and a single contact sync can use multiple API calls — another reason to use an inclusion list and scope the sync.

What is the recommended rollout order?

If your goal is to unlock CRM data for marketing while keeping Salesforce, roll out in this order:

1. Install the Salesforce integration.
2. Sync contacts and confirm your field mappings.
3. Enable company sync if account-based targeting matters.
4. Create an inclusion segment if you want a controlled sync scope.
5. Build segments, workflows and revenue reports from the synced fields.

This sequence gets the foundations right first — the matching, the fields and the scope — before you build marketing on top, which is where the value actually lands.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to leave Salesforce to use HubSpot? No. HubSpot integrates natively with Salesforce and can run alongside it. You keep Salesforce as your CRM and source of truth while HubSpot handles marketing, with data syncing between the two.

Do I get a CRM with HubSpot if I keep Salesforce? Yes. HubSpot includes CRM capabilities as part of the platform, and paid HubSpot products include CRM records and objects rather than requiring a separate CRM purchase. Even a Marketing Hub plan gives your Salesforce contacts, companies and opportunities a place to live in HubSpot.

Does the HubSpot–Salesforce sync go one way or both ways? Both are possible, set per field. A one-way sync keeps Salesforce as the source of truth (Salesforce → HubSpot only); a two-way sync lets HubSpot updates push back to Salesforce.

Can I sync Salesforce custom objects to HubSpot? Yes. You can create a custom object sync from the Salesforce Data sync tab in HubSpot and map the custom object's fields to corresponding HubSpot properties.

How does marketing prove revenue impact after connecting Salesforce? Sync Salesforce opportunity data to HubSpot deals. That lets you use multi-touch revenue attribution to connect campaigns — emails, webinars, form fills — to the opportunities and revenue they influenced.

What does not sync between HubSpot and Salesforce? HubSpot campaigns do not sync to Salesforce campaigns. Salesforce campaigns send only limited data into HubSpot (including campaign ID on the contact record), and Salesforce API call limits apply to the sync.

Do all my sales reps need a HubSpot licence? No. A view-only seat is enough for read-only access to records, dashboards, customer data and reports, while a Sales seat is needed for Sales Hub Professional or Enterprise features. HubSpot workflows can also create Salesforce tasks, so reps get alerts in Salesforce without a paid seat.

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