What each offer covers, per the host's documentation
| Host | Offer | Cost | Stated exclusions or conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinsta | Staff migration; standard or expedited | Standard free; expedited $49 per site | Weekdays only; multisite only as a whole; WordPress.com sites content-only; pointing the domain, third-party services such as a CDN, and email setup not included |
| SiteGround | WordPress Migrator plugin; manual transfer by staff | Migrator described as free; manual transfer paid, price not stated in the article | Migrator not suitable for sites built on a local computer, Multisite installations or WordPress.com sites; manual transfer excludes domain transfer and extra applications unless listed; up to 5 business days |
| WP Engine | Automated Migration plugin; managed migration for qualifying plans | Plugin price not stated on the page; free managed migration for new agency customers on qualifying Core plans with a 12-month contract | Plugin requires WordPress 5.0, PHP 7.4, MySQL 8.0 and the REST API; multisite needs the destination converted first |
| Liquid Web managed WordPress | Self-serve migration tool; migration by a human listed on plan cards | Not stated on the plan page | Hero text says specialists handle migrations on Elite plans; confirm for your plan |
| KnownHost | Panel-to-panel migrations (cPanel, DirectAdmin, Plesk) | Free for supported paths; otherwise $35 per hour, 1-hour minimum | Root access preferred, at least SSH access required; custom stacks, merges, sites without panel access and complex multisite are paid |
What you still own with any migration service
Kinsta's documentation is explicit that pointing your domain, configuring third-party services such as a CDN, and setting up email are not included in its migration service. SiteGround's manual transfer covers databases, files and configuring the main application, but not domain transfers. Treat every host migration as a copy service, not a cutover service.
For a course or membership site, the risky parts are the ones the copy does not test: payment gateway webhooks, recurring billing, transactional email, scheduled tasks and member logins. Those need your own test plan whether the host or you do the copy.
DIY: what it costs in time
Doing it yourself with a plugin is often fastest for small sites; WP Engine says smaller sites may transfer in under an hour. The cost is your time for preparation, a rehearsal and verification, and the risk of a failed import on a large database.
Manual WP-CLI migration gives the most control for large databases and unusual setups, but requires shell access on both hosts and comfort with search-replace and database imports. If you have never done a restore rehearsal, the paid route or the host's staff migration is the lower-risk option.
Worked example: paying versus DIY for a non-standard move
A course business wants to consolidate two WordPress sites onto one KnownHost VPS. KnownHost lists merging multiple websites into one environment as a paid migration at $35 per hour with a 1-hour minimum, and says most WordPress migrations finish in under an hour. Assuming roughly an hour per site, two sites is in the region of $70, which is less than most owners' time for preparing, rehearsing and verifying two migrations.
The same owner moving one standard site to Kinsta pays nothing for a standard migration. The $49 expedited option only makes sense when a fixed launch date leaves less than a business day, since Kinsta says standard migrations are usually completed within one business day.
Checklist: when to pay or use the host's staff
- The site is multisite, uses a custom stack or lacks control panel access.
- The database or uploads are large enough that a plugin import has failed or timed out before.
- You have a fixed launch date and no time for a rehearsal migration.
- You are consolidating several sites into one environment.
- You have never restored this site from backup and do not have shell access.
- Do it yourself when: the site is a standard single install, you have done a restore rehearsal, and you can schedule a maintenance window.
Questions before you decide
Does a free host migration include changing my DNS?
Not at Kinsta, which says pointing your domain, configuring third-party services such as a CDN, and setting up email are not included in the migration. Plan to make those changes yourself.
How much does SiteGround charge for a manual transfer?
SiteGround's knowledge base says its manual website transfer is a paid service but does not list the price in the article; check the order form in your account.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Kinsta Docs: Migrating to Kinsta Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround KB: Could you transfer my website for me? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: How to transfer an existing website Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: Migrate WordPress Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: How to migrate sites with the plugin Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: Free managed migrations Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web: Managed WordPress hosting Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- KnownHost: Migration assistance Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: WordPress Automatic Migrator tutorial Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.