Migrate to Cloudways from an Indian Host — Free Migration Guide


Kanchan Narkhede

by Kanchan Narkhede· Updated April 29 2026

Migrate to Cloudways from an Indian Host — Free Migration Guide

Moving an existing WordPress site from BigRock, Hostinger India, or GoDaddy India to Cloudways is straightforward and, importantly, free — Cloudways migrates one site for you at no charge using their WordPress Migrator plugin or by their team manually. Combined with THATMY30, the move costs roughly the same as your current renewal but on a faster server.

Before You Start — Pre-Migration Checklist

  • Take a full backup on your current host (UpdraftPlus or your host's panel). Save the ZIP locally.
  • Note your current PHP version (likely 7.4 or 8.1 on shared hosts). Cloudways will let you pick PHP 8.1 / 8.2 / 8.3 on the new server.
  • Note your DNS provider (Cloudflare, GoDaddy DNS, etc.) — you will update the A record at the end.
  • Check your domain expiry on BigRock/GoDaddy. Migration does not move the domain; only the website files and database move.

Step 1 — Sign Up to Cloudways With a Promo Code

  1. Use the Cloudways signup page.
  2. Apply THATMY30 in the promo code field — 30% off your first 3 invoices.
  3. Launch a server: WordPress on DigitalOcean 1 GB in Bangalore. Roughly ₹647/mo with the promo applied. (See plan picker if your traffic warrants something larger.)

Step 2 — Run the Free Migration

You have two options:

Option A — Cloudways WordPress Migrator Plugin (DIY, ~30 min)

  1. Inside the Cloudways dashboard, open the new application and copy the SFTP/SSH credentials and the destination URL.
  2. On your existing site (BigRock/Hostinger/GoDaddy WordPress), install the free Cloudways WordPress Migrator plugin.
  3. Paste the destination credentials into the plugin and click Migrate. The plugin streams files + DB to Cloudways. Typical 500 MB site finishes in 15–30 min on Indian broadband.
  4. Open the temporary Cloudways URL and verify the site looks identical.

Option B — Free Managed Migration by Cloudways Team

Open Cloudways live chat from the dashboard and tell them: "Please run my free 1-site migration from <current host> to my new server." Provide them with cPanel/SSH credentials of the source. Their team handles everything — typically completed within 24 hours. Each new account gets one of these free; subsequent migrations are a paid add-on.

Step 3 — Test the Cloudways Copy

  • Open the temporary Cloudways URL in incognito. Click through main pages, the contact form, and the WooCommerce checkout if applicable.
  • Run a TTFB test from a tool like KeyCDN performance test (Mumbai/Bangalore region). You should see TTFB drop noticeably vs your old shared host.
  • Check WP-Admin → Tools → Site Health. Resolve any critical issues before DNS switch.

Step 4 — Issue the Free SSL

Inside the Cloudways dashboard for your application: SSL Certificate → Let's Encrypt → enter your email and domain → Install. Free, auto-renewing.

Step 5 — Switch DNS

  1. In your DNS provider (Cloudflare, GoDaddy DNS, BigRock DNS), update the A record for @ and www to point to the Cloudways server's public IP (visible on the Server Management screen).
  2. Lower the TTL to 300 seconds an hour before the cutover, then change the record. Most users see propagation within 30 minutes.
  3. Once propagated, browse your real domain. It is now served by Cloudways.

Step 6 — Cancel the Old Host (Carefully)

  • Wait at least 7 days after DNS switch before cancelling — gives time for any caching layer to refresh and for you to spot issues.
  • Download a final backup from the old host before cancelling.
  • If you paid annually upfront, BigRock / Hostinger / GoDaddy India typically do not refund mid-term. Plan the cutover for near the renewal date.

Common Issues for Indian Users

  • Mixed-content warnings after SSL install — fix by running a "Better Search Replace" of http://yourdomain → https://yourdomain in the DB.
  • Email stops working — Cloudways does not host mailboxes. Keep your existing mail with the old host or move to Google Workspace / Zoho Mail (Indian-friendly, INR billing).
  • Cached old site — clear Cloudflare cache after DNS switch, and clear your browser cache.

Cost Summary

  • Cloudways DO Bangalore 1 GB with THATMY30: ~₹647/mo for 3 months, then ₹924/mo.
  • Or apply CLOUDS2022 for ₹2520 (~$30) free credit instead, covering ~2.5 months free.
  • Free migration: ₹0.
  • Free Let's Encrypt SSL: ₹0.

Related Reading

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