One thing annoys us about building a house. When it’s done, it’s there forever. However, creating an online business leaves space for migration. When it comes to website migration, people are often scared. It sounds like a gut-wrenching task. We won’t lie, sometimes, it is!
However, transferring your website to a new hosting doesn’t have to be hellish. If you’ve never done it, we’re here to help you out. Consider this a website migration bible. It’s an in-depth guide that explains how to prepare and migrate your website to a new hosting for free.
What Is a Website Migration?
First things first. Even though it’s self-explanatory, let’s see what a website migration is.
As the name implies, migration means you’re moving something; in this case, it’s a website. To make and host a website, you need web hosting. After a while, you can become unsatisfied with the service and migrate your website to another hosting service.
This process is referred to as website migration.
It’s like registering a business in, say, the United States and then moving to Panama or wherever, for whatever reason (paying less taxes, for instance!). Migrations aren’t that simple, and in most cases, they affect visibility in search engines, whether small or large.
When migrating a website, you transfer all its assets and resources to another host. These assets include, but aren’t limited to, content, domain, design, and much more. The website’s size determines the complexity and, by extension, the duration of the website migration.
One specific case to mention is switching the URL from HTTP to HTTPS, which technically doesn’t require you to migrate to another host. However, it’s also a form of website transfer that can affect its visibility and, in some ways, its Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Website Migrations: Typical Examples & Purposes
Let’s now explore the purposes and examples of website transfers. Given the enormous scope of this process, website owners usually have justifiable reasons to start it. Some of these reasons include:
- Improved data protection. A simple migration from HTTP to HTTPS results in stronger encryption, which protects transmitted data more efficiently. HTTPS is essentially the same as HTTP, but the ‘S’ stands for Secure due to added encryption.
- Added hosting functionalities. The most typical example is transferring a website to another host. If you’ve become unsatisfied with the current host, switching to another one with more resources, faster speeds, and superior uptime can drastically improve the experience.
- eCommerce requirements. Some people transfer their websites to WooCommerce web hosts because they want to implement an online store on their website. This swift upgrade helps websites earn more by endorsing online sales.
- Website restructure. Broadly altering the website’s structure is often deemed a migration. Examples include adding new subdomains in different languages, altering permalinks, and adding redirects to point new links to the old pages to prevent SEO ranking losses.
- Website redesign. Even redesigns fall into the ‘migration’ category. Significant design changes, such as rebranding, altering fonts, and UX changes, are great examples. Since they chiefly affect website visibility and SEO, they’re considered migrations.
How to Transfer a Website for Free?
Now that we have the basics covered, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of the subject.
Transferring a website is usually free, but many web hosts charge a fee. While the cost is usually not too high, it’s irrational to spend your money if you don’t have to. Luckily, our frequently recommended option, Hostinger, is known for its free website migrations.
Hostinger is subsequently among the top managed WordPress hosting services and hosting providers. If you decide to migrate to Hostinger, you’ll have to subscribe to it, and luckily, there’s a Hostinger coupon that allows you to enjoy an additional 10% off on already discounted plans.
Migrate a Website With Hostinger
Before we explain how to migrate a website with it, please click the blue button and sign up for it. The process takes less than a few minutes, and you’ll even get a free domain for a year, WHOIS privacy, lots of storage, and a complimentary website transfer.
Transferring a Website for Free: A Full Guide
After subscribing to Hostinger, it’s time to get on with the process:
- Go to the ‘Websites‘ section of the hPanel.
- Click ‘+Add Website‘ and then select ‘Migrate Website‘ from the drop-down menu.
- Return to ‘Home‘, and open the drop-down menu next to ‘Websites‘.
- Click ‘Migrations‘ and then fill in the migration request on the website.
- Choose how you want to migrate your website. You can use login details or upload backup files. The former option is simpler because you provide only the website URL and admin login details. Hostinger performs the rest.
© Hostinger - Wait for the migration to end and point a domain to Hostinger. The provider will email you when it’s done. You can preview the site using the SkipDNS tool and your new hosting plan IP address. If it’s working, follow the next guide to point a domain to Hostinger.
Pointing a Domain to Migrate Your Website
- Return to the ‘Home‘ section of the hPanel.
- Select ‘Websites‘; you’ll see ‘Domain not connected‘ under the newly migrated website.
- If so, go to the previous provider and find its nameservers.
- Select the option to alter them and enter Hostinger’s nameservers, which you can find under ‘Plan Details‘ under ‘Websites‘.
- Apply the change, and the website should be ready after a short propagation (48 hours).
Don’t forget to close your account on the old web hosting service. However, ensure the website works well and the migration has been completed.
Can I Migrate an Offline Website?
Yes, offline websites can also be transferred to your desired hosting. Again, we recommend Hostinger because it simplifies the process and performs everything manually. Moreover, all migrations are free, so you’re not limited to the number of websites you can transfer.
If you have an offline website ready for transfer, follow these steps:
- Go to ‘Websites‘ and select ‘+ Add Website‘.
- Click ‘Migrate Website‘.
- Return to ‘Home‘ and select’ Migrations‘ in the drop-down menu next to ‘Websites‘.
- Now, instead of selecting login details for transfer, choose the other option to upload backup files.
- Select your website backup files and review them before you submit the request.
- Hostinger will handle the transfer and inform you by email when it’s completed.
Remember that offline sites are moved to a temporary subdomain, but you can connect them to a custom domain later. This guide explains how to claim a free domain from Hostinger and use it to connect your freshly moved website to it.
Advantages & Risks of a Website Migration
Moving into the uncharted territory isn’t risk-free.
It’s like changing a house or apartment. You never know what lurks in the shadows. While this process is far less frightening, it can be stressful if your life depends on your online business. Luckily, migrations can go two ways: the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’.
Advantages
The main advantage is a fresh start. After completing the transfer successfully, you can finally start working on your new business goals. If you’ve chosen Hostinger, the fastest web hosting, it will undoubtedly improve speeds and reduce the bounce rate.
Furthermore, you’ll get plenty of eCommerce tools if you want to start selling online. Another thing to look forward to is UX improvement. Fast and reliable hosts allow for the swift implementation of new, potentially interactive elements to ensure the UX is snappier than before.
Generally speaking, it’s all about improving the formula, be it the UX, rebranding, more security via HTTP-to-HTTPS transfer, or other aspects. People often catch a few technical problems, mitigate them, and refresh their websites for smoother performance.
Risks
What if you don’t get it right? We don’t want to be the fear-mongers, but many things can go awry.
An incorrect transfer will first affect your website’s visibility. Imagine appearing high in SERPs, perhaps on the first page, only to be ‘pulled back’ to the third or fourth page. This results in a massive revenue loss, which could take months or years to compensate for with hard work.
Damage is often a chain reaction, so a failed migration can result in improper redirects or damaged internal or external backlinks. Backlinks are useless if an external website links to old pages and does not redirect them to their newer versions. The loss of backlinks also induces a loss of authority score.
Let’s not forget things like slower loading speed, skewed website structure, etc.
For this reason, we believe it’s essential to let the professionals handle your website migration. Hostinger, with its free migration feature, performs everything for you and prevents damage to ensure your website performs as well, if not better than before.
Can You Migrate a Site Built With a Website Builder?
Transferring a website with an open-source CMS like WordPress is rarely a problem.
However, the issue arises with transfers of websites built within custom website builders. Website builders have a vast advantage for those who want to design a website without coding. Wix is often a great option, and we can’t overstate its excellence in this aspect.
But what if Wix suddenly becomes insufficient, and you want to upgrade (if such a thing is possible)? Can you go to Hostinger or any other reputable web host, request a migration, and have it perform everything for you? Unfortunately, the answer is always a bold no.
Custom website builders are particular, and because they’re so ‘different’, it’s impossible to fully migrate a website to a web hosting platform. Look at website builders and hosts as two different operating systems: iOS and Android.
Can you open your iOS notes on an Android device? Go ahead and try. So, what’s the solution regarding website migrations from a website builder? Sadly, it’s the one you fear the most: recreating a website.
Hostinger Website Builder: An Option to Consider
Hostinger offers a helpful website builder among the top options in 2026.
While it doesn’t allow for a transfer, you can at least try to recreate the website. It’s straightforward to use and offers a drag-and-drop editor powered by plenty of AI tools to speed up the process. Even with this ‘nudge’, a full website recreation can take weeks, depending on its complexity.
The situation worsens if you have countless blog posts and products for sale, all of which need to be carefully arranged and optimised to fit the new ‘frame’ of the website builder.
Not to mention the potential adverse effects on SEO and the inability to create an identical website because every website builder has different templates. If you’re willing to try and have enough patience, opt for Hostinger Website Builder or even test Wix risk-free.
Website Migration: Closing Remarks
A simple website migration can turn into a scene from Wrong Turn. However, the process can be simplified with the right tools, so to speak. While you can often perform it manually, leaving it to professionals is advisable. Our team recommends Hostinger for this purpose.
Above all, it’ll migrate your site for free, but equally important is how meticulously and precisely it’ll do it. Provided your website is ‘eligible’ and isn’t made in a custom website builder, the migration usually takes 24 hours, with a 48-hour DNS propagation period.
Nothing stops you if you’ve already considered all the ins and outs of this process and decided to fire up the green light. You can migrate your website for free, turn a new page in your business book, and look forward to new opportunities and more future revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to migrate my website?
It should cost nothing, but it’s worth mentioning that some providers charge you a so-called migration fee. Our GreenGeeks review criticised this aspect of the famous eco-friendly provider that charges $15 to transfer a website. Conversely, Hostinger charges nothing.
Does site transfer impact my SEO?
Yes, the effect on SEO is necessary, but it doesn’t always have to be adverse.
As hinted at before, you must undertake essential SEO tasks to prevent catastrophe, such as updating your robots.txt file, crawling the website for errors, setting up redirects, changing the domain nameservers, performing a speed test, improving mobile optimisation, etc.
How to transfer a WordPress website?
Transferring a WordPress website is usually very simple.
Hostinger, or another web host you choose, will usually ask you for your WordPress admin login details. Provide them, submit the request, and let the service perform the transfer for you.