For a small, conventional WordPress site, a careful self-service migration is usually the sensible first choice. Pay for migration assistance when the site is large, revenue-critical, multisite, heavily customized, or when an outage would cost more than the service. The decision is not simply “free versus expensive”: it is a choice about scope, responsibility, recovery, and how much operational risk you want to carry.
What a WordPress migration actually includes
A migration moves a site from one hosting environment or WordPress installation to another. A complete move normally requires the site’s database, uploaded files, themes, plugins, configuration, and domain settings to work together at the new location. Copying only posts is a different operation and can leave the new site looking or behaving unlike the original.
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Full-site migration
A full-site migration is intended to reproduce the working site at the destination. WordPress.com describes its full-site self-service route as moving content, media, plugins, and the theme. A package-based tool can also move the files and database to an empty destination site. This is the appropriate scope when you need the same design, functionality, settings, and historical content.
Content-only import
Content-only import is narrower. WordPress.com lists pages, posts, comments, categories, tags, and media as the material it imports, while the destination’s existing theme and plugins remain in place. That can be useful for rebuilding a site with a new design, but it is not a replica. Check separately whether users, custom post types, forms, memberships, shop data, and plugin-specific settings are included; the published content-only list does not promise them.
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Free self-service migration: what you get and what you still own
“Free” normally means no additional migration-service fee. It does not remove the technical work or the consequences of a mistake. You remain responsible for producing a usable backup, checking compatibility, correcting URLs, testing the destination, changing DNS, and having a rollback plan.
WordPress.com self-service tools
WordPress.com separates full-site self-service migration from content-only import. Its support material says a typical self-service migration usually finishes in under 15 minutes, while large sites take longer. That is a statement about the migration workflow, not a guarantee that DNS propagation, media processing, plugin checks, or post-move testing will finish within that time.
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Before selecting an import mode, write down what must survive the move: theme customizations, plugin settings, user accounts, forms, redirects, scheduled jobs, and any commerce or membership records. If the destination already has a theme or plugins you intend to keep, content-only import may be deliberate; otherwise, it can create a site that appears complete while important functionality is missing.
Package-based migration with Duplicator’s free plugin
The free Duplicator plugin listing describes packaging the site’s files and database so they can be downloaded and installed elsewhere. It presents migration, transfer, cloning, and backup as use cases. In practice, the owner creates the package, obtains the installer or restoration files, places them at the destination, and completes the restoration process there.
This approach is attractive when you want a portable copy or need to move to an empty destination. It still depends on adequate storage, working access to the destination’s files and database, compatible PHP and WordPress environments, and a verified backup. The plugin listing documents the tool’s purpose; it does not guarantee success for every host, server configuration, or plugin combination.
The responsibilities that do not disappear
- Backup integrity: Keep the original site intact and verify that the backup contains both the database and uploaded files. A package that cannot be restored is not a recovery plan.
- Access: You need the destination’s hosting account, file access, database access, and permission to edit DNS or coordinate the change with whoever controls the domain.
- Compatibility: Compare the old and new PHP, database, web-server, WordPress, theme, and plugin environments. Resolve version conflicts before directing visitors to the new site.
- URL and database updates: The destination must use the correct domain and protocol, and serialized data must be updated safely. A careless search-and-replace can corrupt serialized values.
- Testing: Test logged-out and logged-in views, forms, email delivery, media, search, navigation, redirects, scheduled tasks, and any payment or account workflow before cutover.
- DNS and rollback: Record the existing DNS values, lower the DNS time-to-live when appropriate, schedule the change, and keep the old site available until the new one is proven.
Paid migration options and what they buy
Paid routes reduce manual work or transfer responsibility to someone with a repeatable process. They are not interchangeable: a premium plugin gives you more tooling, an assisted migration gives you vendor help, and a professional service gives you labor and project ownership.
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WordPress.com support documentation says its team can migrate content, media, plugins, and themes while the live site remains unaffected. It states that assisted migrations typically take 2–3 business days. The request workflow accepts secure site access or a link to a backup file.
That service is most useful when you want a full-site transfer but do not want to perform the restoration and cutover yourself. “Live site remains unaffected” describes the migration approach; you should still agree on the exact cutover window, DNS ownership, testing responsibilities, and rollback procedure. Confirm what happens to custom server rules, mail, cron jobs, third-party integrations, and any data created during the migration window.
WordPress.com’s hosting information also describes free migration assistance from many hosts and says white-glove migration is included at no extra charge on its Business and Commerce plans. Availability depends on the destination plan and the source setup, so obtain the current eligibility details before assuming the service applies to your site.
Premium migration software
Paid software is useful when you migrate repeatedly or need capabilities beyond a one-time package. Duplicator’s listing says its Pro tier adds scheduled backups, cloud-storage integrations, multisite support, and staging features beyond the free plugin.
- Scheduled backups reduce the chance that your only copy is old when a migration fails.
- Cloud-storage integrations provide an off-site copy and make it easier to retrieve packages from another location.
- Multisite support addresses a network installation whose sites, users, and network settings need coordinated handling.
- Staging features let you rehearse changes and test the destination without exposing unfinished work to visitors.
Premium software does not automatically test every plugin or make the DNS decision for you. It removes repetitive work and can improve repeatability, but the owner still needs a site-specific checklist and a verified recovery path.
Professional migration labor
Professional help is the highest-touch option. A 2026 Duplicator cost guide gives an indicative range of $200–$1,000 for professional migration services, depending on complexity. The figure is a guide, not a universal quote: multisite, custom code, large databases, strict uptime requirements, and difficult hosting environments can change the price.
The same guide puts hosting at roughly $3–$30 per month and gives $69.30 per year as an example of a paid Duplicator plan. Those are cited examples, not mandatory prices or guarantees. Ask whether a quote includes staging, backup storage, URL replacement, DNS work, post-migration testing, monitoring, and a second attempt if the first cutover is rolled back.
Free versus paid: comparison at a glance
| Decision factor | Free self-service | Paid software or managed service |
|---|---|---|
| Cash outlay | Usually no additional migration fee; hosting and any destination costs still apply. | May include a premium plugin, a paid hosting plan, or professional labor. |
| Scope | Full-site tools can move files and the database; content-only import is narrower and leaves the destination theme and plugins in place. | Managed transfers can cover a full site; premium tools add features such as staging and multisite handling. |
| Technical effort | The owner handles backups, access, compatibility, URL updates, testing, DNS, and rollback. | Tooling or a service removes some manual steps; confirm exactly which responsibilities remain yours. |
| Typical timing | WordPress.com says typical self-service migration is under 15 minutes; large sites take longer, and testing and DNS work add time. | WordPress.com assisted migration typically takes 2–3 business days and is designed to keep the live site unaffected during the work. |
| Recovery and repeatability | Depends on the owner’s backup discipline and whether the package has been tested. | Pro tooling can add scheduled and cloud backups; a professional can provide a documented runbook. |
| Best fit | Small, conventional sites owned by someone comfortable with hosting tools. | Complex, multisite, commerce, high-traffic, or downtime-sensitive sites. |
How to perform a free migration safely
The following sequence is host-agnostic. Hosting dashboards use different labels, so treat the names as functions to locate rather than promises of an identical menu.
1. Define the target and the rollback point
- Record the current domain, protocol, DNS records, PHP and database versions, WordPress version, active theme, plugins, scheduled tasks, email provider, and external integrations.
- Choose whether you need a full-site copy or only content. List anything that must not be lost, including users, custom post types, forms, memberships, orders, and plugin settings.
- Choose a cutover window with the fewest content changes. Tell editors when to stop publishing so new data is not written to the old and new sites at the same time.
2. Freeze and verify a backup
- Make a fresh database backup and a separate copy of the uploads and other site files. If you use a package tool, create its package after the content freeze.
- Download the backup to a location separate from the current host. Check that the archive can be opened and that its size is plausible.
- Keep the old site online and unchanged. Do not delete the source until the destination has passed testing and the rollback period has ended.
3. Prepare the destination
- Create the destination hosting space and database, or use the empty installation required by the migration method.
- Match or exceed the source environment’s supported PHP, database, storage, memory, and upload limits. Resolve obvious version conflicts before importing.
- Use a temporary URL, hosts-file test, staging address, or access restriction so visitors do not reach an unfinished copy.
4. Restore the site or import content
- For a full-site package, upload the installer and archive through the destination’s file access and follow the package’s restoration prompts. Supply the destination database credentials exactly as provided by the host.
- For a WordPress.com content-only import, select the import mode and verify which content types are listed before starting. Leave the destination theme and plugins in place only if that is intentional.
- Do not run both a full-site restore and a content-only import into the same destination unless you have a specific, tested reason; duplicate content and conflicting settings can be difficult to unwind.
5. Correct the site address and test privately
- Set the destination’s WordPress address and site address to the intended domain and protocol, using the migration tool’s safe URL-replacement process where available.
- Check internal links, image URLs, serialized plugin settings, redirects, canonical tags, and references to the temporary address. Avoid raw database replacements that do not understand serialized data.
- Clear caches only after the new URLs are correct. Confirm that permalinks, media thumbnails, navigation, search, and 404 handling work on the destination.
6. Run functional and data checks
- Open representative pages and posts on desktop and mobile.
- Log in as an administrator and as an ordinary user if the site has accounts.
- Submit every important form and verify that mail reaches the intended inbox.
- Test scheduled publishing, backups, analytics, feeds, redirects, and third-party connections.
- For payments, memberships, or other sensitive workflows, use the provider’s test mode where available and verify that no live transaction is accidentally generated.
- Compare a sample of media, recent posts, comments, categories, tags, and user records with the source.
7. Change DNS and monitor the cutover
- Confirm the destination passes the private checklist and that you can restore the source if needed.
- Change the relevant DNS record at the authoritative DNS provider. Keep the old site available because visitors and resolvers may reach either location during propagation.
- Watch uptime, error logs, forms, orders, sign-ins, and email after the change. Record the exact time of cutover and any issue observed.
- If critical functions fail, place the site in maintenance mode if appropriate, restore DNS to the source, preserve logs, and fix the destination before attempting another cutover.
When paying is the safer decision
Large or high-traffic sites
Large databases and media libraries take longer to transfer and verify. A quick self-service estimate such as “under 15 minutes” does not apply automatically; WordPress.com specifically notes that large sites take longer. If visitors, editors, or integrations continue writing data during the move, the synchronization and rollback plan becomes more demanding.
Revenue-critical commerce and memberships
An outage can cost more than a migration fee, and an apparently successful copy can still lose orders, accounts, subscriptions, or email notifications. Paid help is easier to justify when you need a controlled freeze, staging rehearsal, transaction checks, and someone accountable for the cutover.
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Multisite and customized code
Network installations have network-level settings as well as individual sites. Custom plugins, modified themes, server rules, and unusual integrations increase the number of failure points. Premium software’s stated multisite and staging features can reduce repetitive work, while professional labor can handle the parts that require environment-specific judgment.
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If the site must remain available, choose a process that supports a parallel destination, private testing, and a planned DNS switch. WordPress.com describes its assisted migration as keeping the live site unaffected during the migration work and typically completing it in 2–3 business days. Ask a provider to define exactly when traffic changes and how rollback works.
Common failure symptoms and practical responses
| Symptom | Likely area to inspect | First response |
|---|---|---|
| Blank pages or server errors | PHP version, memory limit, incompatible plugin or theme | Enable controlled logging, compare versions with the source, and disable the suspected extension on the private copy. |
| Images missing or redirecting to the old domain | Uploads not copied, incorrect site URL, cache | Check the uploads directory, search for the old URL using a serialization-safe tool, then clear caches. |
| Forms submit but no email arrives | Mail transport, DNS authentication, plugin settings | Submit a test, inspect the mail service logs, and verify the destination’s mail configuration before cutover. |
| Users cannot sign in | Wrong domain or cookie settings, incomplete database, security rules | Confirm both WordPress URLs, clear browser cookies, and compare user records and security settings. |
| Permalinks return 404 errors | Rewrite rules or permalink configuration | Save the permalink settings on the destination and check the web server’s rewrite support. |
| Orders or recent edits are missing | Writes continued on the source during the transfer | Stop publishing, identify the last synchronized record, and restore or re-run the migration with a documented data-freeze window. |
Questions to ask before hiring a migration service
- Is the quoted work a full-site migration or a content-only import?
- Are themes, plugins, media, users, custom post types, and plugin-specific data included?
- Who supplies and verifies the backup, and where is it stored?
- Will the destination be staged privately before DNS changes?
- Who performs URL replacement, DNS editing, cache clearing, and post-cutover tests?
- How are orders, comments, form submissions, and other data created during the migration window handled?
- What is the rollback trigger, how long is the source retained, and is a second attempt included?
- Does the price include taxes, premium software, storage, hosting, monitoring, and support after launch?
A decision framework you can use
| If your site looks like this | Reasonable starting choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small brochure or personal site, few plugins, no live transactions | Free self-service | The scope is limited and a careful owner can create, test, and retain a rollback copy. |
| Several sites migrated regularly or a team needs repeatable backups | Premium migration software | Scheduled backups, cloud storage, staging, or multisite support can justify the plan. |
| Busy editorial site with frequent publishing | Managed assistance or a rehearsed professional process | A controlled freeze and cutover reduce the chance of losing new content. |
| Commerce, memberships, subscriptions, or high traffic | Professional or managed migration | The cost of an outage or missing transaction data can exceed the service fee. |
| Multisite or heavily customized installation | Premium tooling plus expert help, or a specialist service | Network settings and custom code create failure modes that a basic import may not cover. |
Bottom line: pay for risk reduction, not just file copying
A free migration can be entirely capable for a small, standard WordPress site, provided you own a verified backup, can access both environments, test privately, and are prepared to change DNS and roll back. Paid software is worthwhile when you need repeatable backups, off-site storage, staging, or multisite support. Managed or professional migration earns its cost when complexity, revenue, or uptime makes troubleshooting more expensive than the fee.
Compare the complete scope and recovery plan rather than the headline price. A migration is finished only when the destination serves the right URLs, data, accounts, forms, integrations, and transactions—and when you still have a tested way back.
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