Yes, you can often move a small WordPress site yourself with a migration plugin, usually in an afternoon. It gets risky when the site is large, takes orders or bookings, or when your email and DNS live with the old host. The plugin moves WordPress, not everything around it, and that’s where most DIY migrations go wrong.
Key takeaways
- Migration plugins copy WordPress files and the database. They don’t move email, DNS records or server settings.
- A small brochure site with email hosted elsewhere is usually a fair DIY job.
- WooCommerce stores need a plan for orders placed during the move, or those orders can be lost.
- Large sites can hit the new host’s upload limit, which the plugin can’t change.
What does a migration plugin actually move?
Popular plugins such as All-in-One WP Migration (5+ million active installs) and Duplicator (1+ million) package your WordPress files and database into one file. You install the plugin on the new host, import that file and the site appears. For a simple site, it really is that easy.
What the package doesn’t include is just as important:
- Email accounts hosted on the old server.
- DNS records, which live wherever your domain’s name servers point.
- Server settings, such as redirects, caching rules and PHP limits.
- Server cron jobs and anything else outside WordPress, such as a second app on the same account.
When is moving it yourself fine?
If your site sits in the top group, a plugin migration is a reasonable weekend job. Our step-by-step guide to migrating a WordPress site covers the full checklist, from lowering DNS settings to closing the old account.
When does a plugin migration break?
The site is too big to upload
All-in-One WP Migration says plainly that your hosting company decides how large a file you can upload, so a very large backup may not go through (WordPress.org). The workaround is a paid extension or a manual move. Years of uploaded photos can push a small business site past the limit.
The site takes orders or bookings
This is the one that costs money. Any order placed after you export the old site lands on the old server only. Once DNS switches, those orders are missing from the new site, along with their customers and stock changes. A shop needs a short pause in trading or a final sync just before the switch, then a check that every order came across.
Email lives with the old host
The plugin won’t touch your mailboxes. Cancel the old hosting too early and email can stop, or messages can be lost. Our article on how to change hosting and keep email explains how to move mail separately.
The new server works differently
Some hosts run Nginx rather than Apache. WordPress’s own documentation notes that Nginx has no directory-level file like Apache’s .htaccess, so rules must be set at the server level (WordPress Developer Resources). Redirects and security rules in your old .htaccess file won’t carry across by themselves. Duplicator’s free version also doesn’t support multisite networks (WordPress.org).
The domain name changes too
Moving and renaming at once doubles the risk. WordPress warns that a blanket search and replace of the old address can break serialized data in themes and widgets, and recommends a proper tool for the job (WordPress Developer Resources). Your rankings need care as well, which our guide to website migration SEO covers.
How do I reduce the risk if I do it myself?
- Download a full backup first. Keep a copy of the files and database on your own computer, not just on the old server.
- Find your email and DNS. Check where your name servers point and where mailboxes live before anything moves. Clear domain and DNS management makes this step much easier.
- Test before you switch. Check the site on the new server, including forms and logins, before you change DNS.
- Pause sales during the final copy. For a shop, schedule the switch for a quiet hour.
- Keep the old hosting for two weeks. It’s your safety net if anything was missed.
Why not let us do it?
Every one of our hosting plans includes free website migration. We copy the site, sort out email and DNS, test it on the new server and switch over, so you don’t have to work out where things live. Free SSL is included, and hosting runs in NEXTDC data centres in Brisbane and Melbourne.
If your site is small and simple, DIY is a fair choice. If it sells, books or carries your email, a free professional move is the lower-risk path.
Frequently asked questions
Is All-in-One WP Migration safe to use?
It’s a widely used plugin with more than 5 million active installs, and it works well for small, standard sites. The limits are practical rather than safety issues: large backups can exceed your host’s upload limit, and it doesn’t move email, DNS or server settings.
How long does a DIY website migration take?
For a small brochure site, the plugin export and import may take under an hour. Allow an afternoon to test, switch DNS and check email. Shops, large sites and domain changes take longer, because they need planning around orders, uploads and redirects.
Will I lose WooCommerce orders when I migrate?
You can, if customers order between the final export and the DNS switch. Those orders stay on the old server. Pause trading briefly or run a final sync just before the switch, then compare recent orders on both servers.
Does a migration plugin move my email?
No. Migration plugins copy WordPress only. Email accounts on your old host need to be moved separately, or switched to a separate email service, before you cancel the old hosting.
Do I need to transfer my domain when I change hosts?
Not necessarily. You can keep the domain where it is and update its DNS records to point at the new host. Transferring the domain is a separate decision, and it’s usually simpler to do it after the website move.
Sources
- All-in-One WP Migration and Backup, WordPress.org plugin directory, October 2026
- Duplicator, WordPress.org plugin directory
- Nginx, WordPress Developer Resources
- Migrating WordPress, WordPress Developer Resources