HubSpot LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration: how it works + best alternatives
Learn how the HubSpot LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration works, what you need (plans), and the best alternatives to import leads, build lists, and enroll sequences with Hublead.
Whether you’re connecting, DMing, or information-gathering, there are a lot of reasons why you’d want to bring all your prospecting activities from LinkedIn into HubSpot.
But how do you manage it? When it comes to integrating LinkedIn with HubSpot, you have a few options:
- HubSpot’s Native LinkedIn Sales Navigator Integration (the oldest version)
- HubSpot’s LinkedIn CRM Sync (the newest native option)
- Hublead (a third-party solution that works with any HubSpot plan and any LinkedIn plan)
In this article, we’ll walk you through each and compare them to help you decide which works best for your prospecting flow.
HubSpot LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration: which one should you choose?
Compare HubSpot LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration
Selling instead of updating your CRM. Getting your time back. Connecting HubSpot to LinkedIn, for real this time.
If you've dreamed about it but never knew where to start, this comparison table will help you find the right option for your business in seconds.
See what you need, choose wisely.
Want to see the full feature breakdown for each integration? Jump to the details below.
Our verdict
You're looking for a tool that simplifies your life and gives you time to sell, but here you are, lost amongst all the propositions. Read our honest reviews and discover the tool made just for you!
LinkedIn CRM Sync: Powerful, but heavy.
LinkedIn CRM Sync is a much more interesting tool than the native integration. There are plenty of interesting and time-saving features such as contact import and the use of smarlinks. But the documentation is dense, onboarding takes a lot of effort, the price is high, and reviews are quite mixed.
Our advice: use LinkedIn CRM Sync if you already have the required subscriptions and don't mind a slower start.
⚠️ This tool is not made for you :
- If you only use LinkedIn, not Sales Navigator
- You use both LinkedIn and Sales Navigator
- If you have a small team (less than 10)
Native Integration: Simple, but limited.
The Native Integration is an informative tool rather than a productive one. Manual actions are still the norm, there's no sync, and the time saved is minimal. On top of that, the prerequisites (Sales Navigator Advanced and Sales Hub Pro/Enterprise) are expensive for what little value you get; especially next to an integration like Hublead, which does far more at a lower price.
Our advice: use it if you're already paying for the subscription and only want easy access to your data.
⚠️ This tool is not made for you :
- If you only use LinkedIn, not Sales Navigator
- If you use both LinkedIn and Sales Navigator
- If you have a small team (less than 10)
- If you need to import contacts
- If you want to increase your selling time by cutting down on admin time
Hublead: Powerful and simple, no compromise.
Hublead is a tested and proven tool built specifically for this use case and constantly evolving. It is easy to get started with and designed around your workflow. No prerequisites are required, whether you're on LinkedIn or Sales Navigator. The only trade-off is that there are no InMails sent from HubSpot, no smartlinks, but you can try it free before deciding.
Use it if: you want a complete tool that's easy to set up and use, built to save you time, and comes with no prerequisites.
⚠️ This tool is not made for you :
- If you use a lot of smartlinks
- If you absolutely want to send InMails from your CRM
Case Study: Which HubSpot LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration should I use for my business?
Still don’t know which tool to choose?
Let us know what is most important in your Sales journey; we’ll tell you which one is made for you.
Ready to fix your outbound process?
Native integration
Native Integration vs CRM Sync: what are the differences
You've scoured the internet trying to understand the difference between native integration and LinkedIn CRM Sync, yet you still don’t know which one to choose. Don't worry, here you’ll find your answer.
The first thing you need to understand is that both LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration and LinkedIn CRM Sync are related. In fact, HubSpot's onboarding recommends installing Embedded Profiles (the native integration) before CRM Sync to get the full Sales Navigator experience.
While the first one is useful to get information while you are on your CRM, the second one is used to sync your data and make sure your CRM is updated.
⚠️ Important: these extensions don't work with a basic LinkedIn profile. You'll need:
- Sales Navigator Advanced Plus edition (10+ accounts)
- Sales Hub Pro or Sales Hub Enterprise in HubSpot
- Admin rights in both Sales Navigator and HubSpot
Want the same features without the requirements? Try Hublead.
LinkedIn CRM Sync
Log your activities from Sales Navigator to HubSpot
Tired of losing time logging every contact and activity into HubSpot?
With LinkedIn CRM Sync, your activities are automatically logged from Sales Navigator to HubSpot. Contacts are created and updated without you lifting a finger. Find your notes, calls, messages sent, connection requests, and even your smart links directly in your CRM. Stop waiting, start acting.
Create lists in Sales Navigator directly from HubSpot
Want to create lists with leads you've already identified in HubSpot? Create new opportunities? Stop jumping between screens; do it all directly from HubSpot. Export your contacts to Sales Navigator. t's that easy.
The extension even allows you to get lead recommendations based on the type of contacts you have already worked with !
Keep your data up to date
You spend your time trying to keep your data up to date, but you can’t keep up with every company change or job move. LinkedIn CRM Sync automatically informs you of the information to be updated in your CRM. Never miss an opportunity; be there for your clients when it matters the most.
Measure your ROI
You want to try the integration, but you're not sure about the outcome. How do you measure the investment? Is it really worth the price?
See exactly how LinkedIn impacts your pipeline, conversion, and revenue with attribution reports built right into LinkedIn Business Manager. From now on, you can instantly see key metrics like your total ad spend, pipeline generated, and total revenue.
Native integration
If you simply need to see LinkedIn insights and don't need automatic contact creation or data sync, the native integration is made for you. Think of it as the original, more limited version of LinkedIn CRM Sync: same idea, far fewer features. Useful if you want to stay informed, not built to save you time.
Identify LinkedIn insights directly from Hubspot
Need data on your companies and contacts? Say no more. Connect HubSpot to Sales Navigator and access everything you need directly in your CRM: job title, company, location, industry, company size, related lead insights, and more, all in one tab.
Send InMails in your CRM
Want to reach your contacts directly from your CRM? Stop wasting time switching between HubSpot and LinkedIn; send messages directly from HubSpot. Keep in mind: nothing is synced, so you'll still need to log your actions manually if you want to see them in your timeline.
Add contacts to your Sales Nav lists
Transform your process by adding HubSpot contacts directly to your Sales Navigator list. Analyze the insights, select your contacts, and add them straight to your next sequence. From contact to customer, it's just one step away. You can even set reminders like "Send an InMail" or "Send a connection request."
How to set up the integration
Now that you have the keys to choose the solution that best fits your business, let's walk through how to set each one up.
Third party integration, Example of Hublead
Hublead vs other Third Party Integrations
Hublead isn’t the only third-party integration that connects LinkedIn to HubSpot:
Amongst the other integrations, you can find
Whether you’re optimizing Sales Navigator Advanced Plus features or just looking to connect HubSpot with free LinkedIn, consider how each tool handles CRM settings, sync data processes, and overall user experience. Ultimately, you want a powerful tool that supports effective outreach and scales with your sales pipeline, without forcing you to leave HubSpot at any step.
Here's a quick comparison table for these tools.
Save hours on LinkedIn with Hublead
With Hublead, you can work from LinkedIn (with the Chrome Extension) or directly from the dashboard.
Want to know what the extension can actually do? See for yourself. Tired of switching tabs to update contacts, or wasting time checking whether they're already in your CRM? Here's what Hublead can do for you.
Create and update contacts and companies within seconds
You prospect a lot on LinkedIn or Sales Navigator, and you're tired of double-checking whether a contact already exists in HubSpot. With Hublead, you can avoid duplicates and create a new contact or company to your HubSpot contact records with a single click-no spreadsheets. Hublead scans LinkedIn profiles by URL, name, or company info, then updates your HubSpot contacts and data instantly. You can now update and manage your HubSpot properties directly while on a LinkedIn profile.
Enrich your data
You want your data clean and complete. Tired of guessing your prospects' emails? Get verified information in just one click. Hublead offers data-enrichment capabilities, too. Supercharge lead generation with Hublead’s built-in email finder. Reach out to prospects beyond LinkedIn, right from inside your HubSpot workflows. No email address found? No worries, your credits are automatically refunded.
Sync your messages and invitations
Want to remember what you talked about in past conversations, or give a teammate access to your exchanges? With Hublead, stop losing time and see your last messages directly inside HubSpot.
From Sales Navigator to HubSpot lists and sequences (the workflow)
Whether you need to create lists, build sequences, write notes, or add tasks to a contact, do it all without leaving LinkedIn.
If your reps work inside Sales Navigator, the goal is simple: get leads into HubSpot in a clean way, so you can segment them in lists and enroll them in sequences without manual copy-paste.
1) Export leads from Sales Navigator (batch by batch)
Sales Navigator exports are typically done in batches (for example, 25 at a time depending on your plan).
2) Import into HubSpot with Hublead
Hublead creates or updates the HubSpot contact, so the lead becomes usable for lists, workflows, and sequences.
3) Build a HubSpot list from those imports
Create an active list using the source filter we recommend in our KB: Original Source Drill Down 2 = 1451878. This reliably isolates contacts imported through Hublead.
4) Enroll contacts into a HubSpot sequence
From that list, enroll contacts into the right sequence. If you have HubSpot Sales Enterprise, you can also automate enrollment with a workflow.
This is the Sales Navigator and HubSpot integration approach that helps teams move from Sales Navigator lead sourcing to HubSpot lists and sequences with a repeatable process.
Want the step-by-step version? Read the playbook: Sales Navigator to HubSpot lists and sequences (via Hublead).
Enrich and report in HubSpot with Hublead
Track LinkedIn activity in HubSpot
Whenever you send a connection request on LinkedIn or Sales Navigator, Hublead logs it straight to the contact's HubSpot record, and once they accept, that's logged too. But it doesn't stop at "connected": every message in the conversation is imported as well, word for word, right on the timeline. Anyone on the team can open the contact in HubSpot and read exactly what was said, no digging through LinkedIn, no asking a rep to recap a thread before picking it up.
Measure your ROI (Funnel)
Want to know if your LinkedIn outreach is actually working? Open the dashboard to see your entire lead funnel at a glance: invitations sent, accepted, messages sent, and replies, for any time period you choose. The Team outreach table breaks it down rep by rep, so you always know who's converting.
Bulk Enrich
You want to enrich several contacts at once, but you don't have Sales Navigator? Use the Bulk Enrich feature in the dashboard and get phone numbers and emails of multiple contacts in one go.
Lead Search
Only use LinkedIn, but still want to find qualified leads using keywords and filters? Say no more; our Lead Search feature helps you find the right leads directly from your Hublead dashboard.
Ready to fix your outbound process?
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HubSpot have LinkedIn integration?
Yes, but only through two limited native options. "Native integration" lets you view LinkedIn insights inside HubSpot and send InMails, but it doesn't create contacts or sync automatically. "LinkedIn CRM Sync" goes further (contact and company import, enrichment) but requires Sales Hub Pro/Enterprise plus Sales Navigator Advanced Plus, and onboarding takes about 9 steps. That's why most teams add a lighter, purpose-built tool like Hublead, which works with any HubSpot plan and any LinkedIn account.
How do I import LinkedIn connections to HubSpot?
You have two options: export your LinkedIn connections as a CSV and import them into HubSpot manually, or use a Chrome extension like Hublead. With Hublead, you click "Add to CRM" on any LinkedIn profile and it creates the HubSpot contact and company record for you, checking first for duplicates so you don't end up with the same person twice.
How do I integrate LinkedIn with HubSpot?
Install the Hublead Chrome extension. Navigate to LinkedIn and start importing contacts with a single click using the Hublead button. Sync LinkedIn messages to HubSpot, and Hublead will automatically synchronize new messages. Hublead's AI-powered algorithm can help find emails & phone numbers, and it checks in real-time if a LinkedIn contact already exists in HubSpot to avoid duplicates.
What is the difference between HubSpot's Native LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration and LinkedIn CRM Sync?
They're actually two different native options, not one. Native integration is HubSpot's original, lighter LinkedIn app: it shows LinkedIn insights on the contact record and lets you send InMails, but it doesn't import contacts or sync automatically. LinkedIn CRM Sync is the more capable option: it can import and enrich contacts and companies, but only if you're on Sales Hub Pro or Enterprise with Sales Navigator Advanced Plus, and onboarding takes about 9 steps.
Can Hublead work with any HubSpot/LinkedIn plan?
Yes. Unlike LinkedIn CRM Sync, which needs Sales Hub Pro/Enterprise and Sales Navigator Advanced Plus, Hublead works with any HubSpot plan, including HubSpot Free, and with any LinkedIn account: Free, Premium, Sales Navigator (Core, Advanced or Advanced Plus) or Recruiter. Some features, like automatic message sync, depend on your Hublead plan rather than your LinkedIn or HubSpot plan.
