HubSpot vs Salesforce: the most important data model differences explained
HubSpot vs Salesforce data models and integration essentials.
When people talk CRM, two names always come up: HubSpot and Salesforce.
They’re both powerful, but they don’t use data the same way.
HubSpot is built around the individual.
Salesforce is built around the company.
If you use one (or both), you can’t overlook the differences. They are directly tied to the accuracy of your reports.
HubSpot’s data model: contact at the center
In HubSpot the primary object is the Contact (individual person).
Most interactions start with the person’s record, then link that Contact to a Company via association.
Everything else flows from there.
- HubSpot deduplicates Contacts by email and Companies by domain.
- Deals represent opportunities tied to contacts and companies.
- Tickets capture service and support interactions.
- Custom Objects (Enterprise feature) let you model unique things like subscriptions, events, or assets.
For teams that think in terms of leads and customers as individuals, this model feels natural. You start with the person and build the rest around them.
Salesforce’s data model: account at the center
Salesforce flips the order.
The Account sits in the middle, representing a business or organization.
Then:
- Contacts hang off Accounts to represent the people inside.
- Leads exist separately for unqualified prospects. They convert into Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities.
- Opportunities capture sales deals tied to Accounts.
- Cases handle service requests.
- Custom Objects are everywhere - admins extend Salesforce constantly to fit industry specifics.
This approach reflects Salesforce’s enterprise roots. It’s company-first, hierarchy-driven, and assumes you’ll structure everything around the business entity.
Mapping HubSpot and Salesforce Objects
When you connect the two systems, you’re trying to marry different worldviews: people at the center vs. companies at the center.
Here’s how the standard mappings fall:
- HubSpot Contact → Salesforce Contact or Lead
- HubSpot Company → Salesforce Account
- HubSpot Deal → Salesforce Opportunity
- HubSpot Ticket → Salesforce Case
1. HubSpot now has a Lead object, but it’s optional to sync.
You’ll need to decide whether HubSpot Leads should create Salesforce Leads, Contacts, or both.
2. HubSpot deduplicates Contacts by email and Companies by domain. Review both before syncing to avoid duplicates.
3. HubSpot can sync Custom Objects to Salesforce custom objects, but only on Enterprise plans and with manual configuration.
Should you integrate HubSpot and Salesforce?
In almost every case, yes.
Running them independently creates duplicate records, inconsistent reporting, and endless back-and-forth between teams.
When it’s done well, you get:
- Centralized data - sales and marketing looking at the same truth.
- Improved lead management - visibility from first form fill to closed deal.
- Marketing automation plus sales execution -HubSpot drives the campaigns, Salesforce tracks the outcomes.
- Cleaner reporting - revenue attribution across platforms.
- Custom workflows - logic that spans both systems instead of stopping at the integration wall.
What this integration actually involves
Installing HubSpot’s managed package in Salesforce is the easy part.
The real work is in configuration:
- Create a dedicated Salesforce integration user with API access and the right permissions.
- Set up an inclusion list in HubSpot so only the right records sync.
- Map fields carefully - watch out for picklists, required fields, and the Website vs. Domain mapping trap.
- Decide whether HubSpot should create Salesforce Leads, Contacts, or both.
- Build workflows in HubSpot to manage ownership and assignment.
- Configure Salesforce so HubSpot activities (emails, meetings, tasks) show up in a clean way.
- Test everything with sample records before syncing your full database.
When the integration’s set up well, everything lines up. When it’s not, you end up with more duplicates, broken syncs, and teams blaming each other.
Long story short
From the outside, HubSpot and Salesforce look like similar CRMs. Underneath, they’re built on very different models: Contacts-first vs. Accounts-first.
That’s why integration matters, and why the details matter even more.
If you get the mapping and configuration right, you don’t have to choose between them. You can have HubSpot’s usability and Salesforce’s depth working together.
The integration isn’t set-and-forget, but it’s not rocket science either. Lay the right foundation, test it often, and you’ll keep both systems clean enough to do the job they were built for: helping your team win and keep customers.
👉 For the latest step-by-step instructions, check HubSpot’s official Salesforce Integration Overview.
Need help beyond the docs?
At RevBlack, we specialize in cleaning up HubSpot ↔ Salesforce integrations that have gone sideways.We design integrations that scale, not just “connect.”
Book a call with Tate Stone and he’ll walk through your setup, highlight where the risks are, and give you a plan to get both systems aligned.
