Kinsta's Free Migration: What You Get
Kinsta's team does the hard part, the copy, at no cost. Here is what is covered, the short checklist you finish yourself, and the site types worth planning for, all from Kinsta's own documentation.
Written by Tom George · How we research hosts
A Free Migration That Does the Heavy Lifting
Almost every managed WordPress host advertises a free migration. Kinsta's is one of the better ones: its team moves the site for you, and a short checklist after that gets you live.
This page shows what the migration covers and what to line up beforehand, so the move goes smoothly. Every statement about what Kinsta does comes from Kinsta's migration documentation, read in October 2026. Where we give our own view, we say so.
If you already know your source host and want the full walkthrough, jump to our WP Engine to Kinsta playbook or the SiteGround to Kinsta guide. This page is the cross-host checklist.
Kinsta does the heavy lifting: the copy. Once it is done, you finish with a short cutover: point DNS, set up email, and reconnect any third-party services and CDN.
Three cases are worth a little planning: WordPress.com sites (content is exported and imported, so rebuild the theme and plugins), multisite networks (moved as a whole), and shops that keep taking orders during the move.
Ready to move? See Kinsta plans or read the full Kinsta review first.
What Kinsta's Free Migration Does Cover
Kinsta's team copies your existing site to its infrastructure, using access you provide such as SFTP details, or a backup you supply. Your original site stays live while this happens.
- The copy. Files and database, moved by Kinsta's Migrations team.
- A malware scan. Kinsta states that every migration includes a scan of your site files. If it finds malware, it pauses and you choose: Kinsta removes it, or you clean the site yourself.
- Testing instructions. When the copy is done you get steps to preview the site before it goes live.
- Free on all plans, limited by your open site slots. Kinsta's pricing page advertises "unlimited free migrations"; its migration documentation adds that each migration uses a site slot, so the number you can request follows the open slots in your plan.
That is a solid package. Here is the short list you finish yourself.
Your Short Checklist After the Copy
| Job | Who does it | What Kinsta's docs say |
|---|---|---|
| Copy files and database | Kinsta | The free migration service |
| Point your domain (DNS) to Kinsta | You | Your step; the site goes live on Kinsta when you change DNS |
| Set up email | You | Your step after the migration |
| Configure third-party services and a CDN | You | Your step after the migration |
| Test the migrated site | You | Preview it before updating DNS |
| Set up redirects | You | Listed as a post-migration step |
| Cancel the old host | You | Only after the site loads correctly from Kinsta |
Email deserves a minute of planning. If your mailboxes live with your old host, they stay there when the site moves, so decide where your email will live before you switch DNS and it carries on working.
Site Types That Need a Little Planning
WordPress.com sites
WordPress.com does not allow access to the site files or database, so Kinsta handles this as a content export and import rather than a traditional migration. Your posts, pages and comments come across.
Reinstall your theme, plugins and customizations on Kinsta afterwards and the site looks the way it did. Budget a little time, or a developer, for that.
Multisite networks
A multisite network is migrated as a whole. To turn a single sub-site into a standalone site, Kinsta recommends working with a developer.
Shops, memberships and community sites
Your original site stays live during the copy. Because changes made after the migration starts are not carried over, Kinsta strongly recommends maintenance mode for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads and similar sites during the move.
In maintenance mode visitors see a notice and cannot place orders, register, update profiles or publish. If a delay opens up between the copy and going live, Kinsta says a second migration may be needed to pick up the newer data. Our WP Engine to Kinsta playbook has a cutover plan for stores.
Complex setups
If you use Bedrock or Trellis structures, reverse proxy rules, custom .htaccess or Nginx rules or WP Engine's LargeFS, mention them in the Special Instructions field of the request so the Migrations team can plan for them.
Practical Details to Plan Around
- Weekdays only. Kinsta states migrations take place Monday through Friday, so book a weekday start. A Friday-evening request will begin on Monday.
- Keep a free site slot. Kinsta creates a new site for the migration, so your plan needs an open one.
- Permissions. A Company Owner or Company Administrator requests the migration.
- Two-factor authentication. If your current host uses 2FA, Kinsta lists Cloudways, GoDaddy, SiteGround and WP Engine, and asks you to add migrations@kinsta.com to your account first so its team can get in. For some hosts you may need to disable 2FA until the migration finishes.
- Timing. Kinsta says a standard migration requested as soon as possible is usually completed within one business day. For sites in maintenance mode, it says most migrations take 1 to 3 hours, plus 1 to 3 hours for your review. DNS propagation typically takes around an hour, depending on TTL.
- Expedited option. $49 per site, with an 8-hour target between 9 AM and 11 PM UTC, Monday to Friday, and a refund if Kinsta misses it. Sites over 10GB or with complex needs can run longer. Agency plans include free expedited credits.
Cut Downtime With a DNS Plan
For the full seven-step version of this plan, see our zero-downtime host switch checklist. Kinsta's own advice is to lower your DNS TTL to 300 seconds 12 to 24 hours before the migration, then raise it back to around 3600 seconds after launch. If you use Cloudflare, Kinsta says you do not need to change TTL.
Use Kinsta's Site Preview tool, which can be enabled for 1, 4, 8 or 24 hours, to test the migrated site on your live domain before you touch DNS. Only cancel the old host once the site loads correctly from Kinsta.
If you want a vendor-neutral version of this for any host, our guide to WordPress migration plugins and the comparison of free migration services cover the same ground across hosts.
Is the Migration a Reason to Choose Kinsta?
It is a good reason to feel relaxed about moving, though not a reason to pick a host on its own. In our view the migration should be a tiebreaker, because almost every serious managed host offers one.
What matters more is whether the plan fits your site and your budget after the first term. Before you decide, read the full Kinsta review and compare it directly in Kinsta vs WP Engine and Kinsta vs Cloudways. Check what the plan will cost over time with our price history method, and test speed from your visitors' location using the TTFB check.
Start Your Free Kinsta Migration →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kinsta's migration really free?
Yes. Kinsta's documentation states that its migrations are free, and its pricing page advertises "unlimited free migrations". Each migration uses an open site slot, so the number you can request is limited by the open slots in your plan.
Expedited migrations are an optional paid extra at $49 per site, with free credits on Agency plans.
Does Kinsta migrate my email and DNS?
Kinsta moves the site itself. According to its documentation, pointing your domain to Kinsta, configuring third-party services and setting up email are steps you do once the migration is complete.
Plan where your email will live before you change DNS.
Can Kinsta migrate a WordPress.com site?
Yes, as a content export and import. WordPress.com does not give access to site files or the database, so your posts, pages and comments come across.
Reinstall your theme, plugins and customizations on Kinsta afterwards.
Will my site go down during a Kinsta migration?
Your original site stays live while Kinsta makes a copy, and it only goes live on Kinsta once you update your DNS.
Shops and membership sites should use maintenance mode during the move, because changes made after the migration starts are not carried over.
When does Kinsta migrate sites?
Kinsta's documentation says migrations take place Monday through Friday.
Book a weekday start, especially for a store.
The Bottom Line
Kinsta's free migration is real and handles the hard part, the copy. Line up your DNS change, email and third-party services before you request it, and the move is straightforward.
If you are moving from a specific host, the next step is the matching playbook, then a test on the preview URL before you ever touch DNS.
Sources: All statements about what Kinsta does come from Kinsta's migration documentation, "Migrating to Kinsta" (kinsta.com/docs/wordpress-hosting/wordpress-migrations/migrating-to-kinsta/), read 26 October 2026. The "unlimited free migrations" wording is from Kinsta's pricing page (kinsta.com/pricing/), read the same day. Kinsta can change its terms; confirm the current wording before you request a migration.