There are few things worse than discovering that your WordPress hosting provider is not up to your standards, especially if you’re new to their service. If you find yourself in this situation, employing one of the many free website migration services available and jumping ship is a solid plan. While it’s not the only reason for migrating your site, it’s a pretty common one.
Over time, the community around our favourite CMS has rallied to develop several WordPress migration services – both free and premium – to make this process as painless as possible.
In this piece, we’ll introduce you to four services – two free and two premium – and help you to decide which one is right for you along the way.
However, before we get to that, let’s talk a bit about WordPress migrations and the most common causes behind them:
What is a WordPress migration?
Simply put, a WordPress migration is the process of moving a WordPress install from one server to another without affecting its functionality. There are several reasons why you would want to go ahead with this, such as:
- Moving to a be
tter hosting provider. In this context, better could mean anything – for example, lower prices or faster loading times.
- Pushing a local WordPress site to a live server.
- Moving a site from a subdomain to the main directory.
If you fall into any of these categories, and have put off migrating your site because the process sounds complicated, we’re here to show you otherwise! Let’s take a look at four of the best WordPress migration services available.
The best free WordPress migration tools
The two free tools featured below are manual solutions for migrating WordPress sites. Although they’re free, both of them are solid solutions if you’re comfortable with migrating your site.
1. Duplicator
Duplicator – WordPress Migration Plugin
- Author(s): Snap Creek
- Current Version: 1.5.0
- Last Updated: September 24, 2022
- duplicator.1.5.0.zip
Requires
Duplicator is a WordPress plugin that enables you to do two things: create a copy – or duplicate – of your site, then install it somewhere else. After installing the plugin, you’ll find a new Duplicator tab on your WordPress dashboard. It’s here you create and administer your duplicates (or ‘packages’), and the process is simple.
Each new package includes an installer, enabling you to set it up elsewhere using a process similar to WordPress’ five-minute install – without the need for Duplicator on your new site.
Key features
- Provides you with a list of past copies, and enables you to create new duplicates quickly.
- - Scans your site both before and after the process to ensure it went smoothly.
- Creates scheduled backups and uploads them to the cloud (via the premium version).
Why you should use Duplicator
Duplicator keeps the migration process simple (which is ideal for first-timers), and runs its own diagnostics to ensure your site is copied over correctly.
All-in-One WP Migration
- Author(s): ServMask
- Current Version: 7.65
- Last Updated: September 19, 2022
- all-in-one-wp-migration.7.65.zip
Requires
All-in-One WP Migration offers similar functionality to Duplicator, albeit with some slight differences. The plugin’s functionality is spread across three sections within its admin screen – Export, Import, and Backups.
The first enables you to create copies of your site, the second handles uploads, and the third provides a safety net in case your host doesn’t play nicely with big files.
Moving your site is as simple as installing WordPress on your new server, setting up this plugin, then using the Import function.
Key features
- Enables you to upload your copy via the dashboard, or through File Transfer Protocol (FTP) using its Backup option.
- Excludes some components from the migration process, such as themes and plugins, if set.
- Tested extensively across many popular hosting providers.
Why you should use All-in-One WP Migration
This plugin is perfect for users who don’t want to mess around with separate installation scripts, such as Duplicator. All-in-One WP Migration enables you to handle the entire moving process without leaving your dashboard.
The best premium WordPress migration services
Unlike the above tools, the following two WordPress migration services take the entire process off your hands in exchange for a fee. This doesn’t necessarily make them any better than a free tool – it’s simply a matter of convenience and budget. Let’s take a look!
Valet.io
Formerly known as WP Valet, this company rebranded itself to Valet.io partly to shed their image as just a WordPress migration solution.
They’re still one of the most renowned names in the migration business, but they also offer a plethora of management services including security monitoring, premium plugin support, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) audits, and more. They’re basically a one-stop shop for WordPress users who need any kind of assistance.
Key features
- Valet.io can handle WordPress migrations on any scale.
- They offer plenty of secondary services, including marketing, design, web development, and ‘big-picture’ strategizing.
Why you should use Valet.io
Valet.io is the perfect solution for users who need a professional migration service, and are interested in receiving ongoing assistance for their WordPress-related projects.
Price
They handle rates on a case-by-case basis – you’ll need to get in touch with them for a consultation.
Fantasktic
Fantasktic is a company dedicated mostly to WordPress migrations. They can even help you migrate your non-WordPress site to a self-hosted WordPress setup in some cases.
In addition, they also offer non-migration support services related to any bugs you encounter while using WordPress. In fact, when the company launched back in 2013 it was devoted solely to bug fixing, so they’re experienced in a wide variety of areas.
Key features
- Regular migration usually takes up to 72 hours – without any downtime.
- Handles migrations from non-WordPress sites to self-hosted WordPress.
- Post-migration support, including bug fixes.
Why you should use Fantasktic
While Fantasktic offers a whole host of WordPress support services, their primary business lies in migrations. They’re a good choice for users who just need to get a site up and running without any hiccups.
Price
WordPress migrations start at $99 for a single install, and their support services are priced on a case-by-case basis.
Conclusion
A WordPress migration is similar to moving into a new apartment – it’s not necessarily that complicated, and you could hire people to do it for you, but it always presents a hassle.
Fortunately, all of the WordPress migration services we’ve covered in this post are well up to the task. Let’s recap:
- Duplicator (free): A tool to create and redeploy copies of your website, including a diagnostic process.
- All-in-One WP Migration (free): This tool enables you to migrate WordPress sites directly from your dashboard.
- Valet.io (requires a consult): This migration service doubles as a premium solution for all kinds of WordPress-related services.
- Fantasktic ($99): A simple migration service with fixed fees.
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