To move a live site from a Hostinger Web or Cloud hosting plan to a Hostinger VPS running cPanel/WHM, you back up the files and database, build the destination account, copy the content across, test the site on the new server, and only then point the domain’s DNS records at the VPS. The original site stays in place until that final DNS step, so the new server can be checked without taking the public site offline.
What this migration covers
The source is a Hostinger Web or Cloud hosting plan managed in the Hostinger dashboard. Hostinger’s documentation also calls this control panel hPanel, so if you see both names, they refer to the same place. The target is a Hostinger VPS with cPanel/WHM. Two related jobs are outside this guide: Hostinger’s separate VPS tutorial that uses AlmaLinux and Virtualmin, and moving a site from one VPS to another.
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Two terms appear throughout. WHM (Web Host Manager) is the server-level administration area. A cPanel account is the website-level account you create inside WHM, and it holds the domain, its files, and its databases.
What to gather before you start
Collect these items before you change anything on either server:
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- The domain name and every site or subdomain that moves with it.
- Whether the site uses a database. If it does, note the database name, database user, password, and database host from the application’s configuration file. For WordPress, that file is
wp-config.php. - Any services beyond the website itself: email accounts, cron jobs, custom DNS records, custom SSL configuration, and FTP accounts. Write them down now so you can confirm or recreate each one on the VPS (see the section on services below).
- Access to the VPS login details and to the cPanel/WHM interface.
- Access to wherever the domain’s DNS is managed, whether that is Hostinger or a separate registrar or DNS provider.
Step-by-step migration
Follow these steps in order. Each one assumes the previous step finished without errors.
Step 1: Back up the files and the database
In the Hostinger dashboard, open the hosting plan that holds the site and use its backup feature to download a file backup. Hostinger’s guide does not spell out the exact menu labels, so look for the backup or export option under the site’s plan. If the site uses a database, download that backup as well. Hostinger lists two alternatives for getting the same content:
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- FTP, for downloading the site’s files directly.
- phpMyAdmin, for exporting the database.
Keep the original hosting plan running throughout the move. It is your rollback path if something goes wrong on the VPS.
Step 2: Activate the VPS and finish the cPanel/WHM setup
If the VPS order is still pending setup, activate it first. Sign in to cPanel/WHM and complete the Initial Setup Wizard. Hostinger’s guide does not specify a particular VPS plan, operating system, cPanel license arrangement, or the value of every wizard field, so check your plan’s own requirements rather than assuming a configuration from this article.
Step 3: Create the hosting account and add the domain
In WHM, create a new account for the site. Then add the domain in cPanel for that account, as Hostinger’s guide describes. Doing this before the transfer gives the files and database a defined place to land.
Step 4: Transfer the website files
Upload the backup with cPanel File Manager or with FTP. Either route works, and the choice depends on the size of the site and how comfortable you are with each tool. Afterwards, confirm that the files sit in the document root associated with the domain. Hostinger does not give one universal path, so use the document root shown for the domain in your own cPanel account. Placing the files in the wrong directory is one of the most common reasons a migrated site shows a default page or a directory listing.
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Step 5: Create and import the database
If the site uses a database, create a new database in the destination cPanel account, along with a database user and password. Import the backup you exported from the source. Then update the application’s configuration file with the new connection details. Hostinger specifically calls out this update after import. For a WordPress site, the lines to change look like this:
define('DB_NAME', 'newaccount_wp1');define('DB_USER', 'newaccount_user1');define('DB_PASSWORD', 'the-new-password');define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
The values above are placeholders showing the format. Use the names cPanel generated for your account. Hostinger’s guide does not limit this step to WordPress, so apply the same logic to any application that stores its connection details in a configuration file.
Step 6: Test the new server before changing DNS
Check the site on the VPS before any public change. Confirm that pages load, that database-backed pages display their content, and that forms, logins, and other interactive features behave as they should. Because the domain still points at the original hosting, you need a way to reach the VPS directly. A common approach is to add a temporary entry to your local computer’s hosts file that maps the domain to the VPS IP address, then remove it once testing is finished. Hostinger’s migration instructions say to point the domain only after the content is fully migrated, so treat this test as the gate for the next step.
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Step 7: Point the domain at the VPS
Update the domain’s DNS record or records so they point to the VPS. Before you change anything, note the existing mail records and any other records you need to keep, since changing the wrong record can interrupt email. Hostinger says that after you update the DNS record, you should consider up to 24 hours for the propagation process to complete (Hostinger Help Center). Treat that as a planning window rather than a guarantee. Some visitors may reach the new server sooner, and some networks may take longer to update.
Services the guide does not cover
Hostinger’s manual hPanel-to-VPS guide describes website content and, where applicable, the database. It does not say that the following items transfer automatically, so inventory each one and confirm or recreate it on the VPS:
- Email accounts and mailboxes.
- Cron jobs and other scheduled tasks.
- Custom DNS records beyond the website address.
- Custom SSL configuration and certificates.
- FTP accounts.
Hostinger’s assisted migration documentation for moves into Hostinger excludes cron jobs, DNS records, custom SSL configuration, FTP accounts, and email. That service works in a different direction and is not the workflow described here, so do not read those exclusions as a verified statement about this manual process. Treat them as a checklist of what to verify.
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Choosing your backup and transfer methods
The table below compares the methods Hostinger’s guide names. The guide does not publish file size limits or export settings for any of them, so those cells say so directly.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Task | Method | Best used when | What the guide states |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back up files from the source | Hostinger dashboard backup | You want the simplest route from the control panel | Named as a backup option; size limits not stated |
| Back up files from the source | FTP download | You prefer direct file access or the dashboard backup is unavailable | Named as an alternative; connection settings not stated |
| Back up the database | phpMyAdmin export | You need a database dump you can inspect or re-import | Named as an alternative; export options not stated |
| Upload files to the VPS | cPanel File Manager | The site is small and you want to work in the browser | Named as an option; upload limits not stated |
| Upload files to the VPS | FTP | The site is large or contains many files | Named as an option; transfer limits not stated |
Timing the DNS change
Hostinger’s general VPS migration checklist, which is separate from the hPanel-to-cPanel guide, recommends scheduling the cutover for a low-traffic period, updating DNS to the new server IP, testing services afterwards, and monitoring resource usage. Two approaches are reasonable:
- Immediate cutover: change DNS as soon as the test in Step 6 passes. This suits a site with little traffic or with no time-sensitive activity.
- Planned low-traffic cutover: pick a window when visitors are fewest, repeat the content check just before the change, and monitor the VPS for the first hours afterwards. This suits stores, memberships, and sites where a broken page costs money.
When something goes wrong
Use these checks to narrow down the most common failures before you change anything else:
- Database connection error: compare the database name, user, password, and host in the configuration file against the values cPanel generated in Step 5.
- Default page or directory listing: the files are probably in a directory other than the document root for the domain. Move them to the correct location and reload.
- Missing images or uploads: confirm that the uploads folder was included in the file backup and that it reached the document root intact.
- Old site still appears for some visitors after the DNS change: this is usually propagation. Wait within the planning window before assuming an error, and keep the original hosting plan active until the new server is fully in use.
If the VPS shows a problem you cannot trace to these items, keep the original hosting plan online and revert the DNS record to its previous value while you investigate.
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