To move a live site from a Hostinger Web or Cloud hosting plan (managed in the Hostinger dashboard, which older Hostinger pages call hPanel) to a Hostinger VPS running cPanel/WHM, you back up the files and database, build the destination account, copy the content across, test the new server, and only then point the domain’s DNS to the VPS. Hostinger’s own migration guide follows this order, and the sequence matters: DNS is the last step, not the first.
What this migration covers and what it does not
The source is a Hostinger Web or Cloud hosting plan. The destination is a Hostinger VPS with cPanel/WHM installed. Hostinger’s guide describes a manual move: you download the site yourself, create a cPanel account on the VPS, transfer the content, and repoint the domain. It is not an automated migration service, and it is not a move between two VPS plans.
Hostinger also publishes a separate VPS tutorial whose worked example uses AlmaLinux and Virtualmin. Virtualmin is a different control panel, so do not follow that tutorial’s panel steps when your target is cPanel/WHM.
Before you start: inventory the site
Write these details down before you download anything. Each one changes a later step.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- Domain and site name: the domain that will be repointed, and any subdomains or add-on domains that live on the same plan.
- Database: whether the site uses one, its database name, and the username and password the application uses to connect. Most WordPress sites store these in
wp-config.php; other applications use their own configuration files. - Services tied to the domain: email accounts and mail routing, cron jobs, custom SSL certificates, FTP accounts, and any DNS records you have added beyond the basic website records.
- Plan end date: keep the source hosting plan active until the destination is verified and DNS has settled.
Migration steps
Phase 1: Back up the files and database
- In the Hostinger dashboard, download the site’s file backup for the plan that hosts the site.
- If the site uses a database, download a database backup as well.
- If the dashboard backup is unavailable or incomplete, use the alternatives Hostinger lists: download the files over FTP and export the database from phpMyAdmin. See the comparison table below.
- Store both backups somewhere outside the Hostinger account, and check that the files open and the database export is not empty.
Phase 2: Prepare the VPS and the destination account
- If the VPS order is still in setup, activate it.
- Sign in to cPanel/WHM and complete the Initial Setup Wizard. Hostinger’s guide does not list every wizard value, so use the settings that match your server and your plans for the site.
- In WHM, create a new account for the site.
- Add the domain to that cPanel account. Confirm that the domain appears under the account before you go further.
Phase 3: Transfer the content
- Upload the site files with cPanel File Manager or FTP. Both are named in Hostinger’s guide.
- Confirm the files landed in the document root that cPanel uses for the domain. Hostinger does not give one universal path, so check the path shown for your account rather than assuming a default.
- If the site uses a database, create a database in the destination cPanel account, then import the source database backup into it.
- Open the application’s configuration file and replace the old database name, username, and password with the new values. Hostinger calls out this step specifically, because a site that imports cleanly can still fail if it keeps connecting to the old database.
Phase 4: Test the destination before changing DNS
- Reach the new server before you change public DNS. Hostinger’s migration page says to point the domain only once the content is fully migrated, so treat this as the gate.
- Load the home page and several inner pages, including pages that read from the database.
- Test forms, logins, checkout or contact functions, and any search or file upload features.
- Check that the services in your inventory exist on the VPS. Recreate email accounts, cron jobs, SSL certificates, and FTP accounts that you still need. The file and database steps do not carry them across.
Phase 5: Point the domain to the VPS
- Update the domain’s DNS record or records so the site points to the VPS. The exact record values depend on how your domain is managed, so use your registrar’s or DNS provider’s current instructions for the record type.
- Before you save, review the existing mail and other records. Changing an address record without checking mail routing can break email that is still working.
- Expect a propagation period. Hostinger’s Help Center advises considering up to 24 hours after a DNS update. The guide does not give a publication date, so treat that as general guidance, not a guarantee that every visitor and resolver switches at the same moment.
- Keep the Hostinger plan running during propagation and check the site from both old and new paths until traffic has settled on the VPS.
Backup methods compared
Hostinger’s guide lists the dashboard backup as the first option, with FTP and phpMyAdmin as alternatives. They differ in how complete they are and how much you have to do yourself.
| Method | What it backs up | Effort | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger dashboard file backup | Site files for the plan (the guide does not list every item it includes) | Low: one download | Confirm it includes the document root you need before relying on it |
| FTP download | Whatever directories you copy from the site’s file tree | Medium: you choose the folders | Missing hidden files or folders outside the document root if you do not check the tree |
| phpMyAdmin export | The database contents you export | Medium: you must pick the database and export it | Exporting the wrong database or a partial export; the file must be imported in full |
For file transfer on the destination side, cPanel File Manager is the simpler choice for a small site. FTP suits large directories or many files, where a browser upload is slow or times out.
Timing the cutover
There are two timing options. An immediate cutover updates DNS as soon as the content is copied. A planned cutover waits until a low-traffic period, after destination checks pass. Hostinger’s VPS checklist recommends scheduling the move for low traffic, updating DNS to the new server IP, testing services afterward, and monitoring resource use. That checklist is general VPS advice, so use it as a supplement to the cPanel steps above.
For most small business and blog sites, a planned cutover is the safer choice. It gives you a window to fix the database configuration, mail, and cron jobs while the old server still serves visitors.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Rank #3
- HP MicroServer Gen10 Plus Tower Server for Business with Microsoft Windows Server 2019 OS!
- Intel Xeon E-2224 Quad-Core 3.4GHz 8MB CPU, Up To 4.6GHz Turbo
- 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 PC4-21300 2666MHz Unbuffered Memory
- 16TB (4 x 4TB) 7.2K 6Gb/s SATA 3.5" HDDs in RAID
- Hard drives and memory upgrades included separately NOT installed, installation required.
Troubleshooting common problems
- The home page loads but database pages show a connection error: the configuration file still points to the old database name, user, or password, or the import did not finish. Check the new values against the database you created in cPanel.
- The site shows the default cPanel page or a blank directory listing: the files are in a different folder than the one the domain serves. Move them into the document root shown for the account.
- Email stops working after the DNS change: mail records were changed or removed while updating the site record. Restore the mail records you inventoried, and recreate mailboxes on the VPS if you need them there.
- Some visitors still see the old site: DNS has not finished propagating. Wait the advised period, then check from a different network before changing anything else.
- Scheduled tasks do not run: cron jobs are not part of the file and database move. Recreate each job in the destination account and confirm the output or log.
Scope limits to note
Hostinger’s guide for this route covers website content and the database. It does not state that email, cron jobs, DNS records, custom SSL configuration, or FTP accounts move automatically, and it does not define how they would transfer. Hostinger’s assisted migration service for inbound moves excludes several of these items, but that is a different service in a different direction, so do not read its exclusions as a rule for this manual route. Plan to inventory and rebuild these items yourself.
The guide also does not cover every cPanel screen, command, or server setting. Where a step depends on your account or plan, use the current cPanel and Hostinger documentation for that screen.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
“
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
