10 WordPress Migration Plugins for Beginners in 2021- Migrate Your Site for Free!

Looking to migrate your WordPress site?

Want to use a plugin but aren’t quite sure which one?

Then my post can help you.

Because here I list out 10 best WordPress Migration plugins for beginners.

Let’s go!

Why Use a Migration Plugin Exactly?

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Really, why?

Most hosts nowadays offer free site migration, right?

Right!

However, most host are willing to migrate just one website for you.

But what if you have two, five, or ten sites?

Then you need a WordPress migration plugin to transfer your sites.

Here are 10 Best Migration Plugins for WordPress Websites

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Note: some of these WordPress migration plugins are free, some are freemium and some are paid.

Paid are usually the best one’s, but even free plugins can help you transfer your site for free.

#1- BackupBuddy

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BackupBuddy is certainly one of the easiest premium backup plugins on this list. It’s the one I use on my blog as I got upselled when I was buying iThemes Security Pro 🙂

And I love it!

It gives me a peace of mind in knowing my site is backed up to a separate location at all times.

As for site migrations, you can use BackupBuddy to transfer your WordPress installation to any host you want.

It’s easy too.

First you create a backup; then you download it to your compute; then install the ImportBuddy script on the new server; and finally upload the backup file to complete the transfer.

Yes, it’s that simple.

#2- Duplicator

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Duplicator works with all hosting providers, and with it you can easily migrate your sites to your new host.

Duplicator works by making packages for database and site files, combined with all other essential files+ the WordPress software itself.

Note: When using Duplicator, you must know it will not create database automatically. So you’ll have to first build a new database on your new host’s server before you start transferring the files.

This can all be accomplished with the free version of Duplicator, but there’s also Duplicator Pro which lets you create automatic cloud backups.

If you don’t want to bother with manually copying files and creating databases, then Duplicator Pro is the tool for you.

With Duplicator Pro you also get premium support from the developer and his team of experts, while free plugin users can ask for help on a dedicated WordPress forum.

#3- UpdraftPlus

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UpdraftPlus is the most popular WordPress site migration plugin. It’s been downloaded more that 2 million times, that number keeps rising and the reviews this plugin gets are stellar (average rating is 4.8 out of 5).

UpDraftPlus, when initially downloaded is just a WordPress backup plugin, but when you install the migration add-on  it becomes a website migration plugin.

You can use UpDraftPlus migrator to transfer your site to another server on the same host, or to a different host without worrying about anything breaking on you.

There won’t be any downtime whatsoever.

With UpDratfPlus you can also clone your site to make an exact replica hosted in the cloud. Then you can use this clone to test your site on the new host’s server before actually completing the migration.

Think of the potential headaches you can avoid with this feature.

UpDraftPlus is a free plugin, and if you want to migrate sites, you need to purchase migrator add-on which costs $30.

#4- All-in-One WP Migration

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All In One WP Migration is another powerful migration plugin for WordPress sites.

This plugin works with pretty much any host, so no matter your hosting choice, you’ll be able to more your site over to their servers.

Here’s how to use it.

First, you need to create a file and database backup on your WordPress site.

Then you need to re-upload to the new WordPress site hosted on the new server.

All in One WP Migration is a free plugin and you can download it here.

There’s also  premium version that lets you store site clones and backups in cloud services like DropBox, Google Drive and Amazon S3.

#5- Migrate Guru

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Migrate Guru is the easiest to use site transfer plugin on this list.

I say it because it lets you move your site to a new host (works with all hosting providers) in just one click, without ANY copying or uploading website files.

First, you need to install  Migrate Guru on both servers, i.e., your existing server and the new one you’re transferring to.

Next, you need to fill in your site’s details (cPanel info and URL) and you’re done.

You can also track the website migration process in real-time.

Migration Guru is a FREE WordPress migration plugin. Use it as many times as you want and for unlimited sites. You can use it with WordPress multisite installations too

#6- Backup Migration

• Website migration plugin– yes;
• Free– yes (there’s a pro version);
• Price– starting from $19.98;
• Refund guarantee– 14 days;
• Free trial– No

Backup Migration is a fast-growing successor of WP Clone. Built from scratch with the idea to make the user experience smooth, this neatly designed backup plugin offers manual, automatic backups and website migration.

The website migration process can be started straight from the get-go with the Backup Migration plugin, as a complete process from creating a full site backup to (remote) restoration takes only several mouse clicks.

Backup Migration plugin can perform partial backups and migration, e.g. only database or media library folder, but it also has several thoughtfully created exclusion rules, so you can take with you only what you need, and leave unwanted stuff – if any – behind.

A number of additional features are being added to the plugin with each update, and support is available to both free and (prioritized) premium users.

#7- VaultPress (Jetpack)

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VaultPress (service offered by Jetpack) is a premium cloud backup service.

It comes with a Jetpack pro subscription, and it is one of the easiest and most secure ways to backup and secure your blog.

VaultPress backups are stored securely in the cloud and you can restore or transfer your website to a new host with a push of a button.

Also worth noting is that with VaultPress, you don’t even have to download backups to your computer and then upload them manually to the new server.

No, here the complete website migration happens over the cloud.

And in case you were wondering, VaultPress also works with multisite WordPress installations.

#8- WP Migrate DB

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This list of best WordPress migration plugins for beginners wouldn’t be complete without WP Migrate DB.

This plugin is unique in that it only lets you migrate your site’s WordPress database. You cannot transfer site files with it.

If you’re transferring a local site to staging for testing purposes, and you know how to transfer files over the FTP, then WP Migrate DB is your best way for moving MySQL databases  easily.

#9- SiteGround Migrator

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SiteGround Website Migrator is a host-exclusive migration plugin. This means it only works if you’re trying to move your site from any other other host to SiteGround.

You cannot use it for migrating your site to different hosts!

Note: I had a bad experience with this plugin. Last year, when I was migrating to SiteGround from Bluehost, I tried using this plugin and it wouldn’t work for me.

It’d get to 99% and then be stuck there for several hours.

Very frustrating to say the least.

#10- Cloudways WordPress Migrator

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Cloudways WordPress Migrator is another host-specific migration plugin, this time working only with Cloudways.

It’s very simple to use it. You can transfer unlimited websites with it and it’s all done with one click.

You only need to input FTP credentials.

Best WordPress Migration Plugins for Beginners FAQ- All Your Questions Answered!

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People change hosts all the time, and a perennial question they have is, “which hosting providers offer free trials and free migrations?”

And another one is “are there any decent migration plugins that can transfer my WordPress site for free?”

People have questions and I’ve curated the best one’s to answer below.

#1- What is the Best WordPress Migration Plugin?

The best WordPress migration plugins are premium ones on this list.

Not only do they offer every functionality you can think off, but they also are regularly updated, secure and work like clockwork.

#2- What are Host-Specific Migration Plugins?

Host-specific migration plugins are those you can use only to migrate to a certain host.

Good examples are Cloudways WordPress Migrator and SiteGround  Website Migrator.

#3- Is it Safe to Move a Site With a Plugin?

It’s best to let professionals move your site. Most hosts offer at least one free transfer.

However, migration plugins are decent alternatives, and yes, they do the job well.

In the worst case scenario when migration fails, you can just start over and you won’t lose your site or anything.

#4- Will there Be Any Downtime If I Migrate a Site With a Plugin?

Typically, not!

Concluding My Best WordPress Migration Plugins Guide 2021…

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Look:

moving to a new host is always a pain.

It’s a stressful situation where a lot can and often goes wrongs.

So, don’t transfer your site manually.

Instead, use a dedicated plugin from my list of best WordPress migration plugins to get the job done.

They’re all beginner-friendly so you’ll have zero problems using them.

And if you encounter one, shoot me a message in the comment section and I’ll gladly help you out, free of charge 🙂 .

Related:

HostGator is a host that offers free migration with their hosting plans.