Move your WordPress site to your own server
Use the WPShift migration plugin to copy your site from its current host. Check the result on a temporary address before you point the domain at the new server.
Free plan available. Paid plans include a 7-day trial. Server costs are separate.
How the migration works
- 01
Install the migration plugin
Install the WPShift plugin on the WordPress site you want to move and authorise the transfer from inside WordPress. You do not need to hand over your current host's control panel or SSH credentials for this.
- 02
Choose the destination
Select a server you already manage with WPShift, or create one first. WPShift prepares the destination site, its system user and its database before anything transfers.
- 03
Copy the site
The plugin transfers the database, uploads, plugins and themes. Large media libraries move in chunks so the transfer does not have to complete in one request. Your current site stays online at its existing host throughout.
- 04
Check the imported site
The copy gets a temporary address. Open it and test your pages, forms, and any shop or member functions. Fix what needs fixing before anything about your live domain changes.
- 05
Switch your domain
When the copy is right, point the domain's DNS at the new server and check that HTTPS is working. Keep the old hosting available until you have confirmed the live result.
What gets copied
The WordPress database and the site files, including media, themes and plugins. Your original site is not modified and nothing is removed from your current host, so you decide when to change DNS and when to cancel that hosting. Domain registration and email are separate services and are not part of the transfer.
Moving an active shop or membership site?
Orders, registrations, comments and form entries keep arriving at the old site after the copy is taken. Plan the final transfer and the domain switch around that activity, so the data created in between is accounted for rather than left behind on a host you are about to cancel.
Questions about moving
Does WPShift need my current hosting login?
Not for this workflow. The plugin authorises the transfer from inside WordPress, so you do not have to share your existing host's control panel or SSH credentials.
Does the migration remove my original site?
No. The original stays at your current host, unchanged. You decide when to point DNS at the new server and when to cancel the old hosting.
Can I preview the result first?
Yes. The imported site gets a temporary address you can open and test before your domain points anywhere new.
Can I move back after changing DNS?
You can point DNS back if the original hosting is still active. Check anything created since the switch before you do. On a shop or a membership site, that is where recent orders and sign-ups will be.
How long does a migration take?
It depends on the size of the database and the media library, and on how fast the current host serves the files. The transfer runs in the background and reports its progress, so the wait does not require you to sit and watch it.
Try the migration with one site
Create an account, prepare a server and review the imported copy before changing your live domain.
Free plan available. Paid plans include a 7-day trial. Server costs are separate.