How to Migrate a WordPress Site to Hostinger for Free (Step by Step)

Hostinger migrates WordPress sites from other hosts for free on Web, Cloud, and Agency plans. You submit a request from the dashboard, Hostinger copies the site, and your old site stays online until you point the domain over.

Check that your site qualifies

The free migration covers a site that:

• Is hosted with a provider other than Hostinger and runs self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org)
• Is moving to a Web, Cloud, or Agency plan. VPS plans are not eligible
• Is a single-site install that is online. Multisite is not supported, and WordPress.com sites need a different process
• Has two-factor authentication and anti-bot checks turned off on the WordPress login page
• Has enough free disk space at your current host for a backup

Moves between two Hostinger accounts or plans are not covered by the free service.

What does not move automatically

Hostinger's migration does not copy cron jobs, DNS records, custom SSL settings, or FTP accounts. Email also has to be moved separately. Make a note of any of these you rely on before you start.

Step 1: Prepare your Hostinger plan

You need an active hosting plan with at least one domain added. If you have not bought a plan yet, see how to sign up for Hostinger.

Step 2: Start the migration request

1. In the Hostinger dashboard, open Websites and click Import Website. You can also go to Home → Websites → Migrations.
2. Choose Migrate from another host.
3. Enter the domain of the site you are moving and continue.

Step 3: Give Hostinger access to WordPress

1. Select WordPress as the access method.
2. Enter your WordPress login URL, admin username, and password.
3. Review the migration summary and click Submit request.

If Hostinger cannot log in, you can upload a backup instead: one compressed archive of the site files plus a .sql database export.

Step 4: Wait for the copy to finish

Track progress in the Migrations section of the dashboard. Hostinger emails you when the migration is done. Completion time varies with site size. You can have up to five active requests at once, one per site.

Step 5: Test before you switch the domain

Check the migrated copy before any visitors see it. Hostinger suggests its SkipDNS tool with your plan's IP address, and the final step of the flow shows a screenshot preview.

Step 6: Point your domain to Hostinger

Only after you are happy with the copy, update your domain's nameservers (or A record) to Hostinger. Until then, visitors keep seeing your old host. DNS changes usually spread within a few hours but can take up to 48 hours, so keep your old hosting active for a few days.

After the move

• Recreate any cron jobs, DNS records, and FTP accounts you noted earlier.
• Move email using Hostinger's email migration guide.
• Cancel your old host only after DNS has fully switched and email works.

Comparing what you will pay at Hostinger after the intro term? See the Hostinger renewal price breakdown.

Source: How to migrate a website to Hostinger (Hostinger Help Center).