Hostinger migrates your WordPress site for free — you submit a request with your current site’s login details or a backup file, and their migration team moves everything for you, usually within 48 hours. You can start the request during signup or anytime later from hPanel under Websites → Migrate website.
Is the migration really free?
Yes. Free migration is included with Hostinger’s hosting plans — there is no per-site fee and no upsell to complete the move. Hostinger’s own tutorials describe the process the same way: buy a plan, submit the migration request, and their team handles the transfer. Independent reviews note straightforward moves often finish in about 30 minutes, with Hostinger quoting up to 24–48 hours for complex sites. Either way, you are not paying extra for it.
What the free migration moves (and what it does not)
The migration covers your site’s content:
- All WordPress files — themes, plugins, uploads, wp-config adjustments as needed
- The database — posts, pages, comments, settings, users
- Server config like .htaccess — redirects and rules come along
Some things do not move automatically and need separate handling:
- Email — Hostinger’s own docs state plainly that website migrations do not include email services; mailboxes must be moved separately (their Email Import tool covers this).
- DNS records — you re-point the domain yourself after the move (Step 3).
- Cron jobs, FTP accounts, and custom SSL certificates — recreate these on Hostinger after migration.
Knowing this list upfront prevents the classic “where did my email go?” surprise on moving day.
Before you request: 4 checks that prevent failures
Hostinger’s support guide on fixing migration-request errors lists the failures they see most. Run through these first:
- Keep your domain pointed at the OLD host for now. If the domain already points to Hostinger’s nameservers, the migration form refuses with “You can only migrate a website hosted on another provider here.” Move the site first, switch DNS after.
- Make sure your wp-admin login page loads. A 404 or 503 on the login URL fails the request. If you changed the login URL with a security plugin, note the real one down.
- Have the correct admin username and password ready. Wrong credentials are the top failure reason. If your old site uses two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA, or login verification on wp-admin, temporarily disable it — it blocks Hostinger’s migration system from logging in.
- Take your own backup. The migration is reliable, but a personal backup (your old host’s backup tool, or the All-in-One WP Migration plugin below) means you can never lose anything.
Step 1 — Submit the migration request
You have two entry points; both lead to the same request form.
Option A: during signup
After buying a Hostinger plan, the onboarding flow asks whether you want to create or migrate a website. Choose I’ll migrate a website and click Next. Then pick your method:
- Enter login credentials — give the migration team your current site’s WordPress admin URL, username, and password. Easiest option; they pull everything themselves.
- Upload a backup — upload your site’s ZIP file plus the separate SQL database file, and enter the destination domain name. Use this if you prefer not to share logins, or if the old host is already cancelled.
Option B: anytime later from hPanel
Log in to hPanel, go to Websites, and choose Migrate website. Fill in the same details — domain name, current platform, admin credentials or backup files — review the migration summary, and click Submit request.
Non-WordPress sites (Joomla, plain HTML/cPanel sites) follow a slightly different form that asks for the platform and hosting-panel login instead; WordPress multisite, Shopify, Squarespace, and Blogger sites are not supported by the automatic tool.
Step 2 — Wait and track the request
Once submitted, Hostinger’s migration specialists take over. Track progress in hPanel under Website → Migrate Website → Manage Migration Requests. Hostinger’s tutorials say a correct request is typically done within 48 hours; simple WordPress sites often finish much sooner. You will get a notification when it is complete. Do not change your DNS until you get that confirmation — switching early can break the migration mid-flight.
Step 3 — Point your domain to Hostinger
Only now do you move traffic. Two methods, per Hostinger’s own getting-started guide:
- Change nameservers (recommended) — at your domain registrar, switch the nameservers to Hostinger’s. This brings all DNS management into your Hostinger dashboard, which makes future changes easier.
- Point via A record — if you prefer keeping DNS where it is, update the A records for both the www and non-www versions to Hostinger’s server IP, with a TTL around 14400 seconds.
DNS propagation takes up to 24 hours worldwide, though many visitors see the new site within an hour or two. During the window, some people see the old site and some the new — that is normal, not an error.
After the move: the 7-point checklist
Run through this before you cancel the old hosting:
- Permalinks — in wp-admin go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes (without changing anything). This rebuilds rewrite rules and fixes most “page not found” errors after migration.
- SSL certificate — install a free SSL in hPanel and confirm the site loads over HTTPS. If browsers show mixed-content warnings, update any hardcoded http:// links to https://.
- Homepage and key pages — open them in a private/incognito window and check images, menus, and forms load.
- Contact forms and checkout — submit a test entry. Forms that send mail depend on working email/DNS, so test after DNS has settled.
- wp-admin login — log in with your existing credentials and check the dashboard for errors or missing plugins.
- Caching — if you use a caching plugin, purge the cache once; stale cache from the old server causes confusing “it works for me” bugs. Hostinger’s LiteSpeed Cache works well on their servers.
- Email — remember email did not migrate. Recreate mailboxes in hPanel and run the Email Import tool with your old provider’s IMAP details.
Give it 48 hours of normal traffic before cancelling the old plan. If anything looks off, Hostinger’s support chat can check the migration — and your personal backup from the pre-flight checks means you always have a way back.
The manual alternative: All-in-One WP Migration
If you would rather move the site yourself — or the automatic tool does not support your setup — the free All-in-One WP Migration plugin (from WordPress.org’s plugin directory) is the simplest DIY path:
- On the old site: install the plugin, go to All-in-One WP Migration → Export, and download the backup file.
- On the new Hostinger site: install WordPress, install the same plugin, go to Import, and upload the file.
- When prompted, confirm the overwrite, then go to Settings → Permalinks and save twice to rebuild URLs.
Two caveats: the free version has an import size limit (large media libraries may need the paid extension or a manual FTP + database move), and you still handle DNS, SSL, and email yourself exactly as in the checklist above. For most standard blogs and business sites, though, the free automatic migration in Step 1 is less work and less risk.
FAQ
How long does Hostinger’s free migration take?
Hostinger’s tutorials quote within 48 hours for a correct request. Simple WordPress sites are often done in under an hour; complex ones with large databases take longer. You can watch the status under Website → Migrate Website → Manage Migration Requests.
Will my site go down during migration?
No — the migration copies your site while the old one keeps serving visitors. Downtime only enters the picture during the DNS switch, and even that is usually minutes of inconsistency rather than an outage, because you switch DNS after the copy is verified.
Can Hostinger migrate my site if my old hosting already expired?
Only via the backup-upload method — and only if you still have a backup file. The credential method needs a live, log-in-able old site. This is why the personal backup in the pre-flight checklist matters.
Does migration include my email accounts?
No. Hostinger states that website migrations do not include email services. Move mail separately with hPanel’s Email Import tool (you will need your old provider’s IMAP server name and the mailbox passwords).
Which Hostinger plan do I need to get free migration?
Free migration comes with Hostinger’s hosting plans generally, including the entry-level shared plans — you do not need VPS or Cloud for it. Pick the plan that fits your site’s size; our web hosting comparison breaks down Premium vs Business if you are unsure.
What if the migration request fails?
The usual causes are wrong wp-admin credentials, a login page that does not load, 2FA/CAPTCHA blocking the login, or the domain already pointing to Hostinger. Hostinger’s guide “How to fix common errors when creating a migration request in Hostinger” covers each with fixes — correct the issue and resubmit.
Is Hostinger’s website migration really free?
Yes. Hostinger offers free website migration handled by their team — you submit a request from hPanel under Websites → Migrate website and they move the files and database for you. There is no separate migration fee on top of your hosting plan.
How long does a migration to Hostinger take?
Migrations are usually completed within 48 hours of submitting the request. You can follow the progress any time under Websites → Migrate Website → Manage Migration Requests in hPanel.
Will my website go down during the migration to Hostinger?
Not if you do it in the right order. Keep your domain pointing at the old host while Hostinger copies the site, verify the migrated copy on Hostinger’s temporary URL, and only then switch your nameservers — visitors never see downtime.
What do I need to provide for the free migration?
For a live WordPress site, your WordPress admin login so Hostinger can copy the site directly. If the site is offline, upload a .zip of the files and a .sql database export instead. Before requesting, disable two-factor authentication and anti-bot checks on the source site so the migration team can get in.
Does Hostinger’s free migration include my emails?
No — the migration covers your website files and database only. Email accounts and stored messages are not transferred, so plan to recreate mailboxes in hPanel and move any important messages separately before you cancel the old hosting.
Next steps: if you have not chosen a plan yet, start with our Hostinger WordPress hosting guide to pick the right tier, then submit the migration request during signup — it adds about two minutes to checkout and saves you hours of manual moving. Our referral link takes 20% off your first Hostinger purchase in the cart.