How to Migrate from Bluehost to Hostinger in 2025 [Zero Downtime, Free Method Explained]

Thinking of moving your website from Bluehost to Hostinger? You’re not alone.

Thousands of website owners are making the switch in 2025 to enjoy faster load times, a simpler control panel, and much lower renewal rates — all without sacrificing performance. But here’s the best part: Hostinger offers free website migration, and the process is beginner-friendly, even if you’ve never done this before.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to migrate your site from Bluehost to Hostinger — step by step — without any technical confusion or website downtime.

Here’s what we’ll cover, including both automatic and manual migration methods, post-migration setup, and SEO-safe best practices.

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Why Migrate from Bluehost to Hostinger?

If you’re frustrated with Bluehost’s increasing renewal prices or feel your website is loading slower than before, you’re not alone. Many website owners and bloggers are switching to Hostinger in 2025 for four key reasons:

1. Hostinger Offers Better Performance at Lower Costs

Hostinger’s hosting plans start as low as ₹69/month (approx. $1.50), while delivering superior Core Web Vitals performance. In comparison, Bluehost’s plans often triple in cost after the first year.

✅ Data: In a recent performance test, Hostinger showed faster server response times globally compared to Bluehost.

2. Easier, Cleaner Dashboard (hPanel)

While Bluehost still uses a mix of cPanel and proprietary tools, Hostinger’s hPanel is modern, minimalist, and far easier to use — especially if you’re managing multiple websites or domains.

3. Free Website Migration (Handled by Hostinger)

You don’t need to hire a developer or pay extra. Hostinger offers 100% free professional migration for your existing website. All you need to do is request it during signup or later from the dashboard.

4. Better Customer Support

Hostinger’s support is fast, responsive, and available 24/7 via live chat. Many users find it quicker and more helpful than Bluehost’s support in resolving migration or DNS issues.

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Is Hostinger Better Than Bluehost in 2025?

Yes, especially if you’re looking for better performance at lower cost.

Feature	Bluehost (2025)	Hostinger (2025)
Starting Price	$2.95/mo (Renews at $9.99+)	$1.49/mo (Renews at $2.99)
Free Migration	❌ Not available	✅ Included
User Panel	Old cPanel-based UI	Modern hPanel
Global Server Locations	1–2 major regions	7+ data centers worldwide
Speed Optimization	Average TTFB	Fastest in budget hosting
Support Quality	Mixed reviews	24/7 Live Chat Support

👉 If you’re prioritizing site speed, ease of use, and cost savings, Hostinger is a strong upgrade over Bluehost.

Bluehost to Hostinger Migration: Step-by-Step Guide

If you want to keep things simple, Hostinger offers free expert migration when you purchase a plan. But if you prefer doing it yourself or want to understand the process in depth, here’s a clear breakdown.

Step 1: Backup Your Website Files from Bluehost

Start by downloading all your website files. Bluehost has a backup tool, but you can also access your files via File Manager.

Using Bluehost Backup Tool:

1. Log in to your Bluehost Dashboard.
2. Go to Hosting > Settings > Backups.
3. Click Create New Backup.
4. Once the backup is ready, download the ZIP file of your website.

Alternatively, via File Manager:

1. Go to Advanced > File Manager in Bluehost.
2. Navigate to the public_html folder.
3. Compress it to a ZIP file and download it.

✅ Pro Tip: Always keep a copy of this ZIP stored offline or in Google Drive, in case anything goes wrong during the transfer.

Step 2: Export Your Database via cPanel

Most WordPress websites use MySQL databases. To keep your site intact, export the database too:

1. Go to Hosting > Advanced > cPanel > phpMyAdmin.
2. Choose your site’s database from the left panel.
3. Click on the Export tab.
4. Choose Quick and SQL format.
5. Click Go to download the .sql file.

This step ensures all your posts, pages, users, and plugin data are backed up properly.

Step 3: Buy a Hosting Plan at Hostinger

Visit Hostinger and choose the plan that suits your website. We recommend the Premium Shared Hosting if you’re migrating a blog or business site — it supports up to 100 websites, free emails, and free domain for 1 year.

During checkout:

• Select Migrate Existing Website
• Enter your existing site details (WordPress login, or upload backups)

Step 4: Submit Free Migration Request via Hostinger’s hPanel

Once you’ve purchased the plan, login to Hostinger hPanel:

1. Go to Websites > Migrate Website.
2. Select your site type (WordPress or others).
3. Upload your downloaded website files and SQL database.
4. Click Submit and let Hostinger take care of the rest.

You’ll get email updates once the migration is complete, usually within a few hours.

Bonus: How to Manually Migrate a WordPress Website

If you prefer not to rely on Hostinger’s migration team or want full control over every step, here’s how you can manually migrate your WordPress website from Bluehost to Hostinger — without breaking anything.

This method is especially helpful if you’ve made custom changes, have a non-standard WordPress setup, or just want to learn how things work under the hood.

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Step 1: Install WordPress on Hostinger

Before moving anything, make sure your new Hostinger account is ready to host the site:

1. Log in to Hostinger hPanel.
2. Go to Website > Auto Installer > WordPress.
3. Set your domain, username, password, and install WordPress.
4. This creates a blank WordPress installation which you’ll later overwrite with your current site.

✅ Tip: Make sure your domain is pointed to Hostinger (you can do this from your domain DNS settings in Bluehost).

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Step 2: Upload Files via File Manager or FTP

Now, move your website files from the Bluehost backup into the Hostinger file system.

Using Hostinger File Manager:

1. Go to hPanel > Files > File Manager.
2. Navigate to the public_html folder.
3. Delete any default files (like index.php).
4. Upload your ZIP file (from Bluehost backup) and extract it.

Using FTP:

1. Connect via FileZilla using Hostinger’s FTP credentials.
2. Upload all extracted files into public_html.

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Step 3: Import Your Database in phpMyAdmin

Now, bring your WordPress content (posts, pages, users, settings):

1. In hPanel, go to Databases > phpMyAdmin.
2. Open the database linked to your new WordPress site.
3. Click Import, select the .sql file you exported from Bluehost.
4. Hit Go and wait for the import to finish.

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Step 4: Update wp-config.php Settings

Edit the wp-config.php file in your Hostinger file manager:

1. Set the new database name, username, and password (from Hostinger’s database section).
2. Ensure these lines reflect your current Hostinger DB credentials:

define('DB_NAME', 'your_hostinger_db_name');
define('DB_USER', 'your_hostinger_db_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_hostinger_db_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Save the file and close it.

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Step 5: Fix Permalinks and Test Your Site

1. Login to your WordPress admin panel on Hostinger.
2. Go to Settings > Permalinks, re-save your URL structure.
3. Test your site — check menus, images, and plugin functionality.
4. If anything seems broken, clear your browser cache or use incognito mode.

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Done! You’ve now manually migrated your WordPress site from Bluehost to Hostinger — 100% by yourself.

Post-Migration Checklist (Don’t Skip These!)

Just because your website is now on Hostinger doesn’t mean your job is done. A smooth migration also means testing everything, setting up key tools, and making sure your SEO and performance aren’t affected.

Here’s a quick post-migration checklist to ensure everything is working perfectly after moving from Bluehost to Hostinger.

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1. Test Website Functionality and Speed

• Open your website on desktop and mobile. Check for broken pages or media files.
• Use GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights to test load time and performance.
• Make sure contact forms, payment gateways, and newsletter signups work.

✅ If your site is slower, check caching, plugins, or run a speed optimization plugin like LiteSpeed Cache (Hostinger supports it natively).

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2. Set Up SSL Certificate and Force HTTPS

• Go to hPanel > Websites > SSL.
• Activate the free SSL (Hostinger provides Let’s Encrypt SSL).
• In WordPress, install a plugin like “Really Simple SSL” to auto-detect and enforce HTTPS.

🔒 If you skip this, browsers might show your site as “Not Secure,” which affects SEO and trust.

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3. Update Nameservers and DNS Settings

If your domain is still registered at Bluehost (or elsewhere), point it to Hostinger:

• Login to your domain registrar (Bluehost, GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
• Replace the current nameservers with:
  • ns1.dns-parking.com
  • ns2.dns-parking.com

🕐 DNS propagation may take 1–24 hours. During this time, your site may switch between old and new hosts.

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4. Configure Backups and Security Tools

• Enable automated daily backups in hPanel (or use UpdraftPlus).
• Activate security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri.
• Set up a web application firewall if you expect traffic spikes or run eCommerce.

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5. Monitor SEO and Analytics

• Reconnect Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
• Submit a new sitemap via Search Console.
• Monitor for crawl errors or traffic drops over the next 7–14 days.

🧩 Tip: Use tools like Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free) to monitor site health and broken links after the move.

Bluehost vs Hostinger: Quick Feature Comparison

Still wondering if switching from Bluehost to Hostinger is the right move? Let’s break it down with a side-by-side comparison of the most important hosting features in 2025 — including price, performance, support, and ease of use.

This updated table reflects the latest renewal pricing, real-world benchmarks, and user experience gathered from independent tests and customer reviews.

Feature	Bluehost (2025)	Hostinger (2025)
Starting Price	$2.95/mo (Renews at $9.99+)	$1.49/mo (Renews at $2.99)
Free Domain	✅ 1st year only	✅ 1st year only
Free Website Migration	❌ Not available	✅ 1 site free (WordPress or custom)
User Dashboard	Old cPanel + Bluehost UI	Clean and modern hPanel
Speed & TTFB	Moderate (1.2s avg TTFB globally)	Faster (avg 0.6s TTFB via LiteSpeed)
Global Server Locations	2–3 regions (U.S. & India focused)	7+ data centers across U.S., Asia, Europe
24/7 Live Chat Support	✅ But slower during peak times	✅ Fast and responsive
Website Builder	Included, limited templates	Included with Zyro builder (drag & drop)
Uptime Guarantee	99.9%	99.9%
Free SSL Certificate	✅	✅
Email Hosting	Paid add-on	Free with most plans

If you’re trying to figure out which Bluehost plan to choose for your website, this guide breaks down the features, pricing, and performance of each plan in simple terms. And before you sign up, grab the latest Bluehost coupon code to unlock exclusive savings on your hosting purchase.

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Verdict: Who Wins in 2025?

If you’re looking for faster performance, better value, and a simpler interface, Hostinger is the clear winner — especially for beginners and bloggers on a budget.

Bluehost still offers strong brand recognition and decent uptime, but the higher renewal rates, lack of free migration, and aging dashboard hold it back.

✅ Recommendation: For most users migrating in 2025, Hostinger offers a better experience at a fraction of the cost.

FAQs on Bluehost to Hostinger Migration