HostGator WordPress Migration: How to Move Your Site Away

Why People Move Off HostGator

HostGator has operated since 2002 and was acquired by Endurance International Group (now Newfold Digital) in 2012 — the same parent company that owns Bluehost, Web.com, and several other hosting brands. Understanding the ownership structure matters because the infrastructure, support practices, and business model across these brands share more in common than their separate branding suggests.

Renewal pricing gap

HostGator's WordPress hosting plans carry introductory rates that increase substantially at renewal. Based on published pricing as of May 2026: the Starter plan goes from $7.95/month to $12.95/month at renewal; the Standard plan from $9.95/month to $17.95/month; and the Business plan from $11.95/month to $24.95/month. These figures come from third-party pricing reviews citing HostGator's published rates — verify current pricing on HostGator's site before making decisions, as promotional offers vary.

Backup storage caps

HostGator's WordPress hosting plans include 1–3 GB of automatic backup storage, not unlimited full-site backups. For a WordPress site with a modest image library — a gallery, product photos, or a year of blog post images — the uploads folder alone can exceed 1–2 GB, meaning the backup may not cover the full site. Before migrating, verify what your current backup actually contains: log into HostGator's customer portal and check whether a recent backup is available and whether it includes your files and database.

Before You Start

• Check your domain registrar. HostGator registers domains separately from hosting. Log into your HostGator account and confirm whether your domain is registered through HostGator or elsewhere. If it is at HostGator, note that you can migrate hosting without moving the domain — update nameservers or A record to point to the new host, and transfer the domain separately afterward if you choose to.
• Check your email setup. If you use cPanel-based email hosted on the same HostGator server as your website, email migration is an additional step. Plan for this before you start, or decide to move email to a dedicated service (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) at the same time.
• Verify your backup status. As noted above, HostGator's backup storage is limited. Before migrating, create a complete backup yourself using a plugin — do not rely on HostGator's automatic backup as your only copy.
• Confirm WordPress admin access. Verify you can log into yourdomain.com/wp-admin before starting.

Step 1: Create a Complete Backup with Duplicator

Install the free Duplicator plugin from wordpress.org. This creates a self-contained archive of your database, files, themes, plugins, and uploads that you can restore on any host.

1. In WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New, search "Duplicator", and install it.
2. Go to Duplicator → Packages → Create New and run the wizard.
3. Download both generated files: installer.php and the .zip archive. Both are required for restoration.

If your site is large (more than 2–3 GB total), Duplicator may time out on shared hosting. In that case, use the manual method — export the database via phpMyAdmin in cPanel, and zip the files via cPanel's File Manager — as detailed in our complete WordPress migration guide.

Step 2: Set Up WordPress on Your New Host

Create an account with your new provider and provision a WordPress installation. Use any temporary URL or staging domain your new host provides to test before making DNS changes.

Note your new database credentials (database name, username, password, host). You will need these for the Duplicator installer.

Step 3: Upload and Run the Duplicator Installer

1. Connect to your new host via FTP/SFTP or cPanel File Manager.
2. Upload both the installer.php and .zip archive to the web root (public_html/ or equivalent).
3. Browse to http://your-temp-url/installer.php and complete the setup wizard, entering your new database credentials when prompted.
4. Log into WordPress after installation and run Duplicator's cleanup step to remove leftover installer files.

Step 4: Test Before Touching DNS

• All content (posts, pages, media, menus) is present and correct.
• All plugins are active and functioning.
• Contact forms submit successfully and send notifications.
• SSL is provisioned by the new host. Confirm HTTPS loads without a certificate error.
• WooCommerce checkout works end-to-end if applicable.
• Site loads correctly on mobile.

Step 5: Update DNS

Log into wherever your domain is registered and update the nameservers to your new host's nameservers, or update the A record to point to your new host's IP address. Your new host will provide whichever option applies.

DNS propagation typically completes within a few hours but can take up to 48 hours. You can monitor progress with a tool like whatsmydns.net. During propagation, visitors to your site see either the old or new host — because the site content is the same on both, the transition is invisible to visitors.

Step 6: Cancel HostGator Hosting

Wait until DNS has fully propagated and the new site is confirmed live before cancelling HostGator. Cancel only the hosting product — not the domain registration if your domain is at HostGator and you are keeping it there. HostGator's cancellation process is typically handled through their customer portal or by contacting support; check their current help documentation for the exact steps.

Post-Migration Checklist

• Confirm HTTPS is active on the new host and WordPress Settings → General reflects the correct HTTPS URL.
• Delete installer.php from your new host's root directory — leaving it in place is a security risk.
• Confirm backup schedule on the new host and verify you can restore from a backup.
• Check Google Search Console for crawl errors a few days after migration.
• Submit your sitemap if not already done.

HostGator Migration FAQ

Is migrating from HostGator free?

Yes. Our HostGator migration service is free for new hosting customers — we move your files, database, and email with no migration fee and no downtime.

How do I migrate my WordPress site off HostGator?

Create a full backup (the Duplicator plugin is the simplest), set up WordPress on the new host, restore the archive, test on a temporary URL, then repoint your DNS. Or let us handle the whole move for you — the steps are detailed in this guide.

Will I lose any data or backups leaving HostGator?

No. HostGator's automatic backups are capped at 1–3 GB, so they may not cover your whole site — that is exactly why we create a complete fresh backup before migrating. Your content, files, and database all move intact.