Why I'm ditching HubSpot for Twenty - and why you might want to consider it too

Why Am I Moving From Rental to Ownership With My Data Operations?

Twenty lets me own my data operations instead of renting space in someone else's ecosystem, giving me complete control over where my data lives and how it's accessed. With HubSpot, your data lives on their servers, follows their rules, integrates through their APIs - you get convenience, but you give up control.

In my experience working with UK businesses over the past 20 years, I've seen how data control becomes critical as companies mature. When I audit clients' tech stacks, the same pattern emerges every time - businesses that started with all-in-one platforms eventually need more flexibility than those platforms can provide.

I've worked with dozens of clients who found they were paying for comprehensive solutions while only using a fraction of the features. What they really needed was a system that adapted to their established processes, not the other way around. Recently, I helped a marketing agency realise they were spending £800+ monthly on HubSpot while only using the basic CRM functions - that's when I knew I needed to reassess my own setup.

Twenty gives me a CRM that I can host where I choose, customise how I need, and integrate without being locked into someone else's vision of how my business should work. This isn't about HubSpot being bad - it's about what fits my business model better. I need flexibility over features, control over convenience.

Why Has HubSpot Become Too Complex for My Business Needs?

HubSpot's comprehensive approach creates functionality overhead because I have my own content systems, marketing tools, and service processes already established. HubSpot now offers five integrated hubs covering everything from marketing to content management, but this creates functionality I simply don't need.

In my experience auditing client tech stacks over two decades, I see this pattern constantly - businesses paying for comprehensive platforms while fighting to make them work with their actual business processes. What I tell every client is this: the best system is the one your team actually uses consistently. When you're forcing your established workflows into someone else's predetermined structure, you're fighting against efficiency, not creating it.

The more HubSpot expanded, the more I found myself paying for features I'd never use while struggling to make it work the way my business actually operates. I've spent countless hours trying to configure HubSpot's workflows to match my client engagement process, when what I really needed was something simpler that just worked.

This mismatch between platform capability and actual business needs is something I've observed across multiple client engagements - companies often succeed better with focused tools that excel at specific functions rather than attempting to force their processes into all-in-one solutions.

What Does Twenty Offer That Changes the Game for Service Businesses?

Twenty offers complete control over where my data lives and how I customise my CRM workflows, which directly connects to the "Get Better" stage of my Flywheel framework (which connects traffic, conversion, tracking, and optimisation into a single growth system). When you're trying to optimise your growth engine, you need systems that adapt to your process, not the other way around.

Twenty provides self-hosting capabilities (requiring technical expertise or developer support), unlimited customisation of fields and workflows, and direct database access for complex queries. Most importantly, I only pay for what I actually use rather than subsidising features I'll never touch.

What I've seen repeatedly with the businesses I work with is that they get better results when their systems support their natural workflow rather than forcing them to adapt to the software's assumptions about how they should operate. This is exactly why I'm making this switch now.

In my client work, I've found that service-based businesses particularly benefit from this focused approach - they know what they need from their CRM and don't want to pay for or navigate around features they'll never use.

How Important Is Data Residency for UK Businesses Post-Brexit?

Data residency creates significant compliance complications for UK businesses under post-Brexit data protection requirements, making Twenty's hosting flexibility critical for maintaining control over customer information. With HubSpot, your customer data lives on their servers, in their data centres, under their privacy policies.

For many UK businesses I work with, especially those dealing with sensitive customer information, this creates complications with data residency requirements and compliance obligations. Twenty lets me choose where my data lives - I can host it in the UK, apply my own security measures, and maintain direct control over who has access to what information.

When I explain this to clients, the initial reaction is often "that sounds complicated." But after walking through the control it gives them, most realise the technical complexity is worth the business benefits. In my experience, your customer data is one of your most valuable assets - why would you want that sitting in someone else's filing cabinet?

This data sovereignty consideration has become increasingly important in my client conversations, particularly with businesses handling sensitive customer information or operating in regulated industries.

Who Should Consider Twenty Over HubSpot?

The decision to switch from HubSpot to Twenty depends entirely on your business requirements and current usage patterns - it's not a universal recommendation.

Stick with HubSpot if:

You're using multiple HubSpot hubs and they integrate well with your processes. Your team is already trained on HubSpot and productivity would drop during a switch. You need the marketing automation features and don't have alternatives established. You're growing fast and need something that works out of the box without technical setup.

Consider Twenty if:

You're primarily using HubSpot as a CRM and database. You have your own marketing, content, and service systems already established. Data privacy and residency are important to your business operations. You want more control over customisation and integrations. You're comfortable with a more technical setup process or have developer support available.

The honest answer is this: if HubSpot is working well for your entire business operation, don't fix what isn't broken. But if you're like me and only using a fraction of what you're paying for, it might be time to reconsider.

What I tell clients is the same thing - the best system is the one your team actually uses consistently. Don't switch for the sake of switching. I've seen businesses make system changes for all the wrong reasons and end up worse off than when they started.

What's My Transition Plan and What Am I Tracking?

I'm approaching this switch methodically, connecting to the "Know What's Working" principle from my Flywheel framework by measuring everything before, during, and after the transition.

Phase 1: Data Audit and Export

Complete data mapping covers all active contacts, deals, and custom properties in HubSpot first. Export and clean historical data to remove duplicates before import. Document current integrations and workflows to ensure nothing critical is missed during the transition.

Phase 2: Twenty Setup and Testing

Configuration matching exact field requirements comes first to ensure workflow continuity. Test integrations with existing tools including email, calendar, and reporting systems. Run parallel systems for a testing period to catch any gaps before committing fully.

Phase 3: Team Transition and Monitoring

Team training on new system and processes requires careful scheduling to maintain productivity. Monitor key metrics including data entry time, report generation speed, and integration reliability. Track any productivity dips and address them quickly.

What I'm Measuring:

Time to generate weekly pipeline reports will show efficiency gains or losses. Data accuracy after migration requires regular spot-checking of records. Team adoption rate and workflow friction points need daily monitoring. Integration stability with our existing tech stack must be rock-solid.

The goal isn't to prove HubSpot was wrong - it's to prove that Twenty is right for how my business actually works. This measurement approach is something I recommend to every client making significant system changes. You need concrete data to validate your decisions.

In my experience, businesses that don't measure system changes properly end up making the same mistakes repeatedly. I've seen companies switch systems without proper benchmarking, then wonder why their productivity dropped. That's why I'm tracking everything from day one - if this switch doesn't improve how we work, I need to know immediately.

Is Twenty Really Better Than HubSpot for Growing Businesses?

Twenty isn't universally "better" than HubSpot - the answer depends entirely on how your business operates and what you actually need from your CRM system. Twenty excels if you need focused CRM functionality without the overhead of an integrated marketing and service platform. HubSpot remains superior if you're using multiple hubs and benefit from their seamless integration.

Don't make this decision based on what's "better" in general - make it based on what fits your actual workflow. In my experience working with businesses for 20 years, the companies that thrive are the ones that choose systems that support their existing processes rather than forcing them to adapt to the software's predetermined structure.

The businesses I work with that struggle most with their tech stack are often those that chose solutions based on features lists rather than how those features align with their actual operational needs.

What Are the Risks of Moving Away From an Established Platform Like HubSpot?

Data loss during migration poses the greatest risk, which is why I'm running both systems in parallel during testing with a complete rollback plan prepared. Team productivity typically drops when learning any new system, making proper training and gradual transition essential.

Integration gaps often surface after migration when teams discover that daily workflows relied on connections they hadn't properly documented. The other significant risk is losing HubSpot's marketing features if you're actually using them - make sure you have alternatives lined up first.

I've seen businesses make this switch and realise later that they'd built critical workflows around features they thought they didn't use. This is why thorough process mapping before any system change is critical to avoid losing business momentum.

How Do You Migrate Data From HubSpot to Twenty Without Losing Momentum?

Successful CRM migration requires exporting everything before starting any migration work, then importing data in stages rather than attempting a complete switch overnight. Clean the data during the export process to remove duplicates and outdated information, starting with a small subset to test the process.

Keep HubSpot running until you're confident the migration worked properly and your team is comfortable with the new system. Most importantly, document your current processes before you change anything - you'll need that reference if something goes wrong.

What I tell clients is that the migration itself isn't the hard part - it's maintaining business continuity while you're learning a new system that requires careful planning. I've seen businesses lose weeks of productivity because they rushed the transition without proper preparation.

Parallel operation during the transition period gives your team time to adapt to new workflows without the pressure of potentially losing important customer information or missing critical follow-ups.