Moving your website to a new host sounds scary. Most people worry about downtime, lost emails, or a broken site. The truth is that a host switch is simple if you do the steps in the right order.
Below are 10 website migration tips that keep your site online the whole time. We also list which hosts move your site for free, with real prices. All prices were checked on November 14, 2026.
Quick answer
To migrate a website with zero downtime, keep your old host running, copy the site to the new host, test it there, and only then point your domain’s DNS to the new server. Lower your DNS TTL to 300 seconds a day or two before the switch, and wait at least 72 hours before you cancel the old plan. Many hosts move your site for free: Hostinger and Kinsta both offer unlimited free migrations, and SiteGround has a free SiteGround Migrator plugin for WordPress. Move your domain registration later, as a separate step, because domains less than 60 days old cannot be transferred.
Hosts that help you migrate (prices checked November 2026)
This table shows what each host offers for moving a site, plus its real first-term and renewal prices. Several prices are Black Friday offers, so look closely at the renewal column.
| Host | Best for | Migration help | First-term price | Renewal price | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger Premium | Cheapest host with free moves | Unlimited free migrations | $1.99/mo (48 months, $95.52 upfront) | $10.99/mo | 30 days |
| SiteGround StartUp | Easy WordPress self-move | Free SiteGround Migrator plugin | $1.99/mo (12 months) | $17.99/mo | 30 days |
| Bluehost Starter | Simple WordPress sites | Free site migration tool | $3.99/mo (36 months) | $9.99/mo | 30 days |
| Namecheap Stellar | Moving from another cPanel host | Transfer assistance from cPanel hosts | $22.88 first year ($1.98/mo) | $44.88/yr | 30 days |
| Kinsta Single 20GB | Hands-off managed WordPress moves | Unlimited free migrations | $0 first month, then $17.50/mo for 3 months | $35/mo | 30 days (after free period) |
| Cloudways (DigitalOcean) | Moving to a cloud server | Free migration listed on plans | From $14/mo (pay as you go) | $14/mo | Free trial instead (5 days) |
Not sure which host to move to? Our guide on how to choose web hosting walks through it in 5 steps. If free migration is your main need, see our full list of hosts with free website migration.
1. Pick your new host by the renewal price, not the sale price
Most people switch hosts because the renewal bill was a shock. Do not repeat that mistake. Look at what you will pay after the first term ends.
Here is the gap at four hosts, checked November 14, 2026:
- Hostinger Premium costs $1.99/mo for 48 months, then renews at $10.99/mo.
- SiteGround StartUp costs $1.99/mo for 12 months, then renews at $17.99/mo.
- Bluehost Starter costs $3.99/mo for 36 months, then renews at $9.99/mo.
- Namecheap Stellar costs $22.88 for the first year, then renews at $44.88/yr.
A longer first term locks in the low price for more years. Our post on cutting your hosting renewal price shows more ways to keep the bill low.
Do this if: you are moving because your old host got expensive. Compare the renewal price first.
2. Do not cancel your old host yet
This is the most important tip on the list. Your old host is your safety net. If something breaks on the new server, your visitors still see the old site.
Hostinger’s own migration page says the same thing: do not cancel your old hosting until the move is finished. Keep the old plan active until your site has run well on the new host for at least 3 days.
Do this if: your old plan renews soon. Pay for one more month if you must. It is cheap insurance.
3. Take a full backup before you touch anything
A full backup means three things: your website files, your database, and your email (if your host runs it). Many people only copy the files and lose the database, which holds all posts, pages, orders and users.
- Files: download the whole site folder (often called public_html) by FTP or the file manager.
- Database: export it from phpMyAdmin or with a backup plugin.
- Email: save important mailboxes with an email app, because most migrations do not move email.
Keep one copy on your own computer or in cloud storage, away from both hosts. Our website backup tips explain the simple 3-2-1 rule.
Do this if: you have never downloaded a copy of your site. Do it today, even if you are not moving.
4. Use free migration help when the host offers it
You do not have to move the site yourself. Many hosts will do it for you at no cost, or give you a free tool. Here is what each host’s official page said on November 14, 2026:
- Hostinger: unlimited free website migrations on its hosting plans. Each site needs its own request. Sites built on Wix, Squarespace or Shopify cannot be moved.
- Kinsta: unlimited free WordPress migrations on all plans. Kinsta says moves usually happen within 1 business day, and it removes malware found during the move for free.
- SiteGround: a free SiteGround Migrator plugin for WordPress sites. You can also request a professional migration from the Client Area.
- Bluehost: a free site migration tool on Starter, and a free WordPress migration plugin on its WordPress plans.
- Cloudways: free migration is listed on its Flexible plans, and “free managed migration” on its Autonomous plans.
- Namecheap: its migration team will move your hosting account from any other cPanel-based host.
Free help saves hours, but read the limits. Some hosts only move WordPress, and some only move one site for free.
Do this if: your site runs on WordPress or cPanel. A free migration is almost always the easiest path.
5. Lower your DNS TTL one or two days before the switch
TTL (time to live) tells the internet how long to remember where your site lives. If your TTL is 24 hours, some visitors may keep going to the old server for a full day after you switch.
Log in to wherever your DNS is managed (your registrar, your old host, or a service like Cloudflare). Change the TTL on your main A record to 300 seconds (5 minutes). Do this 24 to 48 hours before the move, so the old, long TTL has time to expire.
Tip: Cloudflare‘s Free plan costs $0 per month and includes DNS. Moving your DNS there first makes future host switches faster, because you only change one record.
Do this if: you want the switch to take minutes, not hours.
6. Test the site on the new host before visitors see it
Never point your domain at a site you have not checked. You can preview the new copy in a few ways:
- Use the temporary URL or staging link the new host gives you.
- Edit the hosts file on your computer so only you see the new server.
- Use a preview tool in the new host’s dashboard, if it has one.
Click through the home page, a few posts, the contact form, the login page and the checkout (if you sell things). Look for missing images, broken links and error messages.
Do this if: your site makes money. One broken checkout page can cost more than a year of hosting.
7. Plan for your email, because it often breaks
Email is the part most people forget. If your old host runs your email, switching DNS can stop new messages from arriving.
- Check your MX records before the move and write them down.
- If you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, copy the same MX records to the new DNS. Your email will keep working.
- If your old host runs your email, create the same mailboxes on the new host first, then move the messages.
Do this if: your email address uses your own domain (like you@yourbusiness.com).
8. Freeze changes during the move
If someone posts a comment, places an order or writes a new post while the move is happening, that data may land on the old server and be lost.
Pick a quiet time, like late at night for most of your visitors. Stop publishing posts for a day. For stores and membership sites, turn on maintenance mode during the final copy. Kinsta’s migration page says busy shop, membership and community sites need maintenance mode during migration to prevent data loss.
Do this if: you run a WooCommerce store, a forum or a membership site.
9. Move your domain later, as a separate step
Your domain and your hosting are two different things. You can move hosting today and keep your domain where it is. That makes the migration simpler and safer.
If you do want to move your domain too, know these rules:
- The 60-day rule: a domain must be at least 60 days old and not transferred in the last 60 days. This is an ICANN rule.
- Unlock and get the code: unlock the domain at your current registrar and ask for the auth code (also called the EPP code).
- It takes time: Namecheap says a transfer finishes within 30 minutes to 6 days. Cloudflare says it can take up to 10 days, depending on the old registrar.
- You get an extra year: most .com transfers add one year to your domain.
Prices for a .com transfer, checked November 14, 2026:
- Namecheap: $10.48 to transfer a .com, then $15.88 per year to renew.
- Porkbun: $11.08 to transfer a .com, and $11.08 per year to renew.
- Cloudflare Registrar: sells domains at cost with no markup. Your domain must use Cloudflare DNS first.
See our list of the best domain name registrars and these domain renewal mistakes before you move.
Do this if: your domain renewal price is high. Otherwise, leave the domain alone until the site move is done.
10. Check everything after the switch, then cancel
Once DNS points to the new host, run through this short checklist:
- SSL: the padlock shows and https works on every page.
- Forms and email: send a test message through your contact form.
- Speed: test a few pages. A new host should be the same speed or faster.
- Search Console: watch for new crawl errors in Google Search Console for a week.
- Scheduled tasks: make sure backups, cron jobs and newsletters still run.
Most new hosts give you 30 days to get a refund. Hostinger, SiteGround, Bluehost and Namecheap all list a 30-day money-back guarantee, and Kinsta gives 30 days after any free period. Do your checks inside that window. If the new host is not working out, you can still go back.
When everything has worked for at least 72 hours, cancel the old host. Download one last backup before you do.
Do this if: you want peace of mind. A 10-minute check now saves a bad surprise next month.
Moving a modern app? The same rules apply
If you are moving from or to a platform like Vercel, Netlify, Railway or Cloudflare Pages, the idea is the same. Deploy your code on the new platform first, test the preview URL, lower your DNS TTL, then switch the domain. Your code already lives in Git, but databases and user uploads do not, so back those up first.
How we picked these tips
We based this list on the steps we use when we move our own sites, plus the official migration pages of Hostinger, Kinsta, SiteGround, Bluehost, Cloudways and Namecheap. We checked every price and refund window on each company’s official page on November 14, 2026. We left out companies whose pricing page we could not check that day. Affiliate links did not change the order or the advice.
Who should choose what
- Want the cheapest host that moves your site for you? Hostinger Premium, at $1.99/mo for 48 months with unlimited free migrations.
- Want someone else to handle everything on WordPress? Kinsta, with unlimited free migrations and a $0 first month right now.
- Happy to click a plugin yourself? SiteGround, with its free SiteGround Migrator plugin.
- Moving from another cPanel host on a tight budget? Namecheap Stellar, at $22.88 for the first year.
- Outgrowing shared hosting? Cloudways cloud servers start at $14/mo. Read the signs you have outgrown shared hosting first.
FAQ
How long does a website migration take?
A small site can move in under an hour, but plan for 1 to 3 days. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to reach everyone, and Kinsta says its free migrations usually finish within 1 business day.
Will my site go down when I switch hosts?
Not if you keep the old host running until DNS has switched. Visitors see the old site, then the new one, with no gap.
Is website migration free?
Often, yes. As of November 2026, Hostinger and Kinsta offer unlimited free migrations, and SiteGround and Bluehost offer free WordPress migration tools.
Do I have to move my domain when I change hosts?
No. You can keep your domain at your current registrar and just point its DNS to the new host. Move the domain later if you want.
Can I move a Wix or Squarespace site to a new host?
Not directly. Hostinger’s migration page says sites built on Wix, Squarespace or Shopify cannot be migrated, so you would need to rebuild the site on the new platform.
Will changing hosts hurt my SEO?
Not if your URLs stay the same and the site stays online. Check Google Search Console for errors in the week after the move.
How much does it cost to transfer a .com domain?
As of November 14, 2026, a .com transfer costs $10.48 at Namecheap and $11.08 at Porkbun. Most transfers also add one year to your domain.
Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you buy through them. It costs you nothing extra.
Update log
- November 2026: Published, using pricing checked on November 14, 2026.
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