Migrate WordPress to Hostinger: Free Migration Step-by-Step (2026)

You have three migration paths, ordered from easiest to most technical:

1. Hostinger Free Migration Service — Submit a request, Hostinger's team migrates your site within 24 hours. Zero technical skill required.
2. All-in-One WP Migration Plugin — Export your site as a single file, import on Hostinger. Works for most sites; 512MB limit on the free version.
3. Manual Migration (FTP + phpMyAdmin) — Full control, no file size limit, works for any site. Requires comfort with FTP and database management.

The easiest option. After purchasing a Hostinger plan:

1. Log in to hPanel → Websites → Migrate Website
2. Select "I want Hostinger to migrate my website"
3. Enter your current host's control panel URL, username, and password (or FTP credentials)
4. Submit the request
5. Hostinger migrates your site within 24 hours and notifies you via email

This service is free, covers all site types (WordPress, WooCommerce, other CMSs), and includes migration of files, database, and email accounts. The team tests the site on a staging URL before updating DNS.

Best for DIY migrations of sites under 512MB (2GB with the paid extension):

On your current site:

1. Install All-in-One WP Migration from WordPress Plugins directory
2. Go to All-in-One WP Migration → Export → File
3. Wait for the export to complete and download the .wpress file

On Hostinger:

1. Install fresh WordPress via hPanel
2. Install All-in-One WP Migration on the new installation
3. Go to All-in-One WP Migration → Import → Upload the .wpress file
4. Wait for import to complete (may take 5-20 minutes for large sites)
5. Log in with your original WordPress credentials (the import replaces them)

For large sites or those needing maximum control:

Export from current host:

1. Backup all WordPress files via FTP (download /public_html/ or wherever WP is installed)
2. Export the database: cPanel → phpMyAdmin → select your database → Export → Quick → SQL

Import to Hostinger:

1. Install WordPress on Hostinger via hPanel
2. Upload your files via Hostinger's File Manager or FTP (FileZilla)
3. Create a new database in hPanel → Databases → MySQL
4. Import your SQL file via hPanel → phpMyAdmin
5. Update wp-config.php with your new Hostinger database name, username, and password

After your site is tested and working on Hostinger's temporary URL, update your DNS to go live:

1. In hPanel, note your Hostinger nameservers (e.g., ns1.dns-parking.com)
2. Log in to your domain registrar
3. Change nameservers to Hostinger's, OR update the A record to your Hostinger server IP
4. DNS propagation takes 1-48 hours (usually under 4 hours)

Zero-downtime tip: Before changing DNS, lower your domain's TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes). Wait 24 hours. Then switch DNS. Propagation will be near-instant because cached records expire in 5 minutes instead of 24 hours.

After DNS has propagated and your site is live on Hostinger:

• ✅ Test all pages and forms
• ✅ Verify SSL certificate is installed and active (green lock in browser)
• ✅ Test WooCommerce checkout end-to-end if applicable
• ✅ Check all images load correctly (no broken URLs)
• ✅ Run a broken link checker
• ✅ Update WordPress address (URL) and Site Address in Settings → General if needed
• ✅ Enable LiteSpeed Cache and run the speed optimization checklist
• ✅ Set up automatic backups in hPanel