Changing hosting can be a thrilling experience as you transition to a new company that offers the services you’ve been seeking. However, this excitement can be dampened by uncertainties about the migration process and concerns about email setups.
There are methods to simplify the process of changing accommodations, which many companies provide as a complimentary service to new customers switching from other companies.
In this article, we list 8 companies that provide free website hosting migration services for customers switching from other providers. If you are considering changing hosting services for your website, make sure to read this article first.
What does hosting migration entail?
Hosting migration involves moving information from one server to another, similar to relocating belongings from one home to another.
A website is simply a compilation of files that create the web pages we browse online. These files include source code, media files like images and videos, and potentially databases for storing data. Website hosting services provide additional features such as email accounts, with emails being stored on the hosting company’s servers.
If you decide to switch hosting providers in the future, you shouldn’t have to go through the hassle of undoing all the content you’ve built up over time. Your website and email data belong to you, and you should have the flexibility to transfer them to a different server if you wish.
Moving your files and emails from one hosting provider to another can be a complex task that requires specialized technical expertise. Hosting companies often provide hosting migration services at no cost in order to attract new clients.
Can you transfer your accommodation independently?
We have previously discussed how to carry out hosting migration on your own. If you are interested in understanding the process, refer to the article “How to Migrate Hosting”.
The process described in the article can be quite intricate, and some companies charge for it while others offer it for free to attract and keep customers who may not be experts in website hosting.
Our team surveyed 8 companies, both in Brazil and internationally, that provide free hosting migration services. These companies all have a strong reputation and some of them are ranked among the best hosting providers. Let’s get started.
Companies providing complimentary hosting migration
Companies that offer complimentary migration services when purchasing a hosting plan can be found in the list provided.
HostGator is a web hosting service.
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HostGator is among the biggest hosting firms globally, overseeing more than 9 million domains. Established in 2002 in the US, the company expanded to Brazil in 2008 and has further presence in India, China, Russia, and Mexico.
HostGator in Brazil provides complimentary migration assistance with support in Portuguese for new customers. Customers have up to 30 days after purchasing a hosting plan to request the free migration service. Additional service information is available on a designated webpage.
The company provides cost-effective accommodation packages, starting at R$ 15.59 per month, but they can be obtained at a significant discount of R$ 8.59 through a promotional link. This discounted price is 45% less than the regular rate.
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Hostinger is the subject of the text.
Hostinger is a global website hosting company that has been in operation since 2004, serving users in more than 178 countries. In Brazil, the company has had a local presence and Portuguese support since 2014.
The company’s free hosting migration service for websites up to 1 GB is completed within 48 hours of the request. The technical team, available 24/7, handles the migration process. Customers must request migration within 30 days of signing up for hosting, which is also the timeframe for requesting a refund if dissatisfied.
Hosting packages begin at R$ 5.56 per month for a 4-year commitment. This entry-level plan includes hosting for one website with 10 GB of storage. Further details can be found on the company’s website.
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KingHost – a hosting provider
KingHost, established in 2006, is a Brazilian web hosting firm located in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. It operates data centers in Porto Alegre, Curitiba, and São Paulo, making it a major player in Brazil’s web hosting sector, with more than 60,000 customers.
KingHost provides complimentary migration services with the purchase of any hosting plan. Customers can simply request the service by submitting a support ticket after their plan is activated. The support team will then initiate the migration process, with updates available through the ticket system. Further information on KingHost’s free hosting migration can be found on their website.
KingHost offers hosting plans starting at R$ 12.50 per year. Check out their hosting plans by clicking on this link.
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Locaweb is a company specializing in web services.
Locaweb, established in 1999, is one of Brazil’s longest-standing web hosting firms, boasting over 270,000 customers and a staff exceeding a thousand members. The company operates two data centers in Brazil and one in the United States.
Locaweb takes a unique approach to hosting migration compared to its competitors. They advise customers to reach out before purchasing hosting services so that a technical specialist can assist in selecting the best service and assess the migration feasibility. The process can be initiated on this page.
Locaweb offers hosting plans starting at R$ 12.90 per month with a three-year payment option, along with additional services like cloud hosting and email marketing. More information is available on the company’s website.
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Hostnet – a hosting provider.
Hostnet, a Brazilian web hosting company established in 2001, competes with major players in the industry in Brazil and hosts more than 50,000 websites.
The company provides complimentary hosting migration as part of its hosting plans, excluding email transfer which needs to be saved by the client. Customers can request the free migration within 30 days of plan activation, with additional details available on a dedicated page.
Hostnet offers hosting plans starting at R$ 7.45 per month for the Fit Hosting Plan on a three-year contract. The Start Cloud plan, the company’s most popular option, begins at R$ 12.90 per month for a three-year term.
Please check out the website.
WebLink text
WebLink, a member of the worldwide Hostinger group, provides complimentary hosting services to individuals in more than 40 nations. Established in Brazil in 2014, the company now caters to a customer base of over 29,000 in the country.
The company provides complimentary hosting migration for customers who sign up for any hosting plan. To request this service, individuals must fill out a form with the necessary access information for the old hosting account. You can find the form at the following link.
WebLink offers hosting plans starting at R$ 8.95 per month for a three-year cycle. If you prefer to include the cPanel panel, prices start at R$ 13.90/month for the same cycle. Additionally, the company provides various services, including domain registration starting at R$ 3.99 per year. Further details can be found on the company’s website.
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InMotion Hosting
InMotion is a US-based web hosting firm that has been operating since 2001. It has more than 300 staff across its offices in Los Angeles, Virginia Beach, and Denver, as well as two data centers in the US.
InMotion provides complimentary website migration, encompassing files, databases, emails, cPanel configurations, and domains. To access this service, customers only need to sign up for any of their hosting plans. If migrating from a company without a cPanel control panel, email migration must be carried out manually. To initiate the free migration process, customers can easily request it by opening a support ticket. Further information can be found on this webpage.
InMotion stands out for providing SSD storage across all hosting plans, which offer excellent value starting at $5.99 per month. Further information is available on the company’s website.
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SiteGround is a website hosting service.
SiteGround was established in the US in 2004 and now has more than 500,000 domains and 400 employees. Apart from the US, the company also has offices in Madrid, Spain, and Sofia, Bulgaria.
The company provides website migration services for all hosting plans, except for the StartUp (Shared Hosting) and Resale plan. SiteGround’s support team manually reviews over 3,000 site migrations each month.
SiteGround offers cost-effective hosting plans with competitive prices starting at $3.95 per month, including SSD storage. Visit the company’s website for further details on the available plans.
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Factors to take into account when transferring web hosting
To proceed with the hosting migration, access to the control panel, server, and email accounts from the previous hosting provider must be provided to the new hosting support team. If these access details are unavailable, they need to be retrieved for the migration to take place.
Before selecting a new hosting provider, it is crucial to ask specific questions to ensure that the migration services they offer can fulfill your needs, as not everything from the previous hosting environment can be transferred.
If your website was built using a proprietary tool, transferring it may not be feasible. In such instances, it is advisable to export the site’s content and reconstruct it on the new hosting platform. Conversely, if your website was created with an open-source tool such as WordPress or Joomla, the migration process should be straightforward.
Depending on the email server, migration may not be included in the free plan offered. If that’s the case, you may need to manually migrate your emails, which can be a time-consuming process. It’s important to verify if email migration is included in your specific situation.
At the conclusion of the migration process, it’s important to redirect the domain’s DNS to the new hosting. Ensure you can access the place where you initially registered your domain.
Depending on the company, there might be restrictions on the amount of websites that can be transferred at no cost. It’s advisable to verify this beforehand, particularly if you have numerous websites on the same hosting.
Keep track of the deadline for requesting complimentary migration, typically within 30 days of plan activation to avoid potential charges for the process afterwards.
Conclusion
The hosting industry is highly competitive, with companies striving to differentiate themselves by offering additional services such as free hosting migration. This benefits consumers who can take advantage of the service without needing specialized knowledge in servers and databases.
If you have experience in system and server management, you can explore our dedicated articles on hosting migration and WordPress tips.
- Migrating hosting independently – a detailed guide
- Migrating WordPress hosting while retaining the same domain.
- Migrating WordPress with a domain change
Feel free to ask any questions or share additional thoughts about the article by leaving a comment, and we will be happy to assist you.
Published on 08/08/2017 and revised on 24/09/2019.
