Get the Best WordPress Backup
& Migration Plugin Today
Get Duplicator Now
Duplicator redesign announcement

[New] Introducing Duplicator’s Sleek Redesign: New Look, Same Great Features

We simplified backups and migrations with Duplicator's fresh new look. Dive into our redesigned interface, backup presets, helpful tooltips, and…
Best WordPress migration plugins

WordPress Migration Plugins That Actually Work in 2024 

Written By: author avatar Joella Dunn
author avatar Joella Dunn
Joella is a writer with years of experience in WordPress. At Duplicator, she specializes in site maintenance — from basic backups to large-scale migrations. Her ultimate goal is to make sure your WordPress website is safe and ready for growth.
     Reviewed By: reviewer avatar John Turner
reviewer avatar John Turner
John Turner is the President of Duplicator. He has over 20+ years of business and development experience and his plugins have been downloaded over 25 million times.

Moving a WordPress site can be a complex task. Every file, database entry, and setting needs to be transferred correctly.

But what if you could pack it all into one neat box and unpack it in the new location with a single click?

That’s what WordPress migration plugins do. They simplify the task of relocating your site to a new host, server, or domain name.

Our team has been migrating WordPress websites for years. So, we know how important it is to find the best tool for the job.

We reviewed the best WordPress migration plugins available today. Let’s find the right one for you!

Quick Summary: Best WordPress Migration Plugins

Here’s a quick overview of the migration plugins we’ll review in this post!

Migration PluginFree Version?Premium PricingBest For
Duplicator$49.50/yrAny website owner that needs a comprehensive tool for backups, migrations, and cloning
UpdraftPlus$70/yrBeginner-friendly backups and restores
All-in-One WP Migration$69/yrSimple and free migrations
Jetpack (VaultPress)$4.95/moBackup archive logs and instant recovery
Migrate GuruN/AOne-click migrations
Solid Backups$99/yrFlexible backups and custom restore options
BlogVault$89/yrAdvanced security features and one-click staging
WP Migrate$49/yrMigrating changes from staging sites to production
Total Upkeep$2.50/moPre-update backups and individual file restorations

What to Look For in a WordPress Migration Plugin

WordPress is very user-friendly when it comes to creating blog posts or managing comments. However, moving your entire site to a different location can be a difficult task. 

During a manual migration, you’ll need to be familiar with your site files and database. This process always comes with the risk of downtime, data loss, or decreased Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings.

If you’re a beginner, there’s an easier way.

We’d recommend moving your site with a WordPress migration plugin. These migration tools are designed to package your data and safely transfer it to a new domain, host, server, or directory.

Here are some main features to look for in a website migration plugin:

  • Drag-and-drop functionality
  • Transfers site files and databases
  • Disaster recovery in case of errors
  • Support for large websites and WordPress Multisite networks
  • Search and replace functionality

Before you install any new plugin, you’ll want to make sure it has good customer reviews. It’s also a good idea to avoid migration plugins that haven’t been updated recently. 

9 Best WordPress Migration Plugins (Expert Pick)

Even once you know what to look for, you might struggle to narrow down all of the WordPress migration plugins. To help you find the right one, let’s compare them!

1. Duplicator

Duplicator plugin

Duplicator is the best WordPress migration plugin. This comprehensive tool allows you to migrate your WordPress site to another host or domain with zero downtime.

When you start using Duplicator, you can create backups of your site. Essentially, these will bundle all of your WordPress files, content, plugins, themes, and database into a zip file.

If you want to pick and choose what data is included, customize the backup. This can help you only migrate necessary data from the original site.

Custom backup

Once you have a backup, this can be moved to any location that supports WordPress. You’ll simply start by downloading the backup’s archive file.

Download backup archive file

With Duplicator Pro, you can drag and drop this file into the new website. This will immediately import your old site.

Import a backup with Duplicator

However, you don’t even need to have WordPress installed. You can upload the backup to the new server and visit https://your-domain/installer.php to launch the migration wizard.

Upload cloned site files

Duplicator is also useful as a WordPress backup plugin. You can manually build and download backups or set up an automatic backup schedule. Then, you can easily restore a recent backup with one click.

Restore Duplicator backup

Key Features of Duplicator

  • Drag and drop migrations
  • Scheduled backups
  • Cloud storage to Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Amazon S3, FTP, and more
  • One-click restores
  • Remote backup restores
  • A two-step streamlined installer
  • Disaster recovery for fast emergency site restores
  • Support for managed hosts like WordPress.com, WPEngine, GoDaddy Managed, and more
  • Multi-threaded to support larger websites & databases
  • Daily, weekly, or monthly email notifications
  • Premium customer support

What We Liked About Duplicator

  • Migrates WordPress sites to new hosts, domain names, or servers
  • Step-by-step migration wizard to simplify the process
  • Schedule automatic backups and store them on the cloud
  • Supports large sites and WordPress multisite networks
  • Doesn’t require WordPress to be installed
  • Free version

What We Didn’t Like About Duplicator

  • The free version requires you to upload backup files to the new server, which could be difficult for beginners

Pricing: Duplicator is available as a free WordPress plugin. However, Duplicator Pro has helpful advanced features like drag-and-drop installs and cloud storage options. Subscriptions for the premium version start at $49.50 per year. 

Why we chose Duplicator

Duplicator helps you create custom backups, which you can drag and drop into a new site. This makes migrations fast and easy. It’s the only migration plugin with a standalone installer, so you can use it even if WordPress isn’t installed!

2. UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus plugin

Another popular plugin for WordPress migrations is UpdraftPlus. Although it is mainly used for backups, the premium version comes with a Migrator add-on. This can migrate or clone a website

UpdraftPlus migrate backup to another site

With the UpdraftPlus Migrator, you can easily move your content to a different URL. After the migration is complete, it’ll delete any mention of your old website’s URL from your MySQL database. Plus, UpdraftPlus supports unlimited migrations. 

Key Features of UpdraftPlus

  • Migrating and cloning
  • Cleans database of old URLs
  • Backup and restore options
  • Cloud storage to Amazon S3, Rackspace, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and more
  • Support for Multisite

What We Liked About UpdraftPlus

What We Didn’t Like About UpdraftPlus

  • You need to install WordPress on the new server to start the migration
  • Generates separate backup files for the database, themes, plugins, and uploads
  • Restore options only accessible from the dashboard, which could leave you locked out of your site

Pricing: You can install the free version of the plugin and add on the Migrator feature for $30.  Alternatively, UpdraftPlus Premium includes all of the add-ons. These subscriptions start at $70 per year. 

Why we chose UpdraftPlus

This backup plugin has a Migrator add-on that helps you transfer your website to a new location. Like Duplicator, it also has backup and restore options.

Not sure how to decide between these top two migration plugins? Check out our review of Duplicator vs UpdraftPlus!

3. All-in-One WP Migration

All-in-One WP Migration plugin

As you might expect, All-in-One WP Migration was created specifically for migrating websites. With over 5 million active installations, it’s one of the most popular WordPress migration plugins available.

If you’re a beginner, you’ll find the All-in-One WP Migration plugin very easy to use. You can quickly export your files, plugins, themes, and database into a single file. Then, you’ll be able to simply drag and drop this file into your new WordPress dashboard. 

All-in-One WP Migration import

Key Features of All-in-One WP Migration

  • Drag and drop migration
  • Cloud storage
  • Automatically replaces website URL during import
  • Premium extensions for Multisite support, increased WordPress upload size limits, and more
  • Compatible with many WordPress hosting providers

What We Liked About All-in-One WP Migration

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Translation-ready for 50 different languages

What We Didn’t Like About All-in-One WP Migration

  • Separate premium extensions, which can get expensive if you need many extended features
  • File import size is 300MB
  • You need to install WordPress on the new server

Pricing: The core plugin is free. However, you’ll need to purchase a premium extension to give you more advanced functionality. For example, the Unlimited Extension removes any upload limits for $69 per year. 

Why we chose All-in-One WP Migration

If you’re looking for a basic free migration plugin, All-in-One WP Migration is a popular choice. It makes migrations easy for beginners.

4. Jetpack

Jetpack Backup plugin

Jetpack is a comprehensive plugin suite with tools to back up, clone, and migrate websites. Previously known as VaultPress, Jetpack allows you to regularly save backups of your content. When you need to, you can easily clone or migrate this backup to another location.

Plus, Jetpack can be useful for restoring a backup after an error or crash. It provides an activity log with all of your recent backups. After finding the right backup, you can restore it with one click. 

Key Features of Jetpack

  • Cloning and migration
  • Automatic backups
  • One-click restores
  • Cloud storage
  • Archive and activity log

What We Liked About Jetpack

  • Easy backup and restore options
  • Incremental backups
  • All backup data is stored in the cloud, so you don’t need to re-upload backups to migrate your site

What We Didn’t Like About Jetpack

  • Complicated setup process, since you’ll need to install two plugins, purchase a Jetpack subscription, and create a WordPress.com account

Pricing: You can purchase Jetpack Backup for $4.95 per month for the first year. Alternatively, it is included in a security bundle along with helpful features like brute force protection and downtime monitoring. This plan is $20 per month. 

Why we chose Jetpack

Although Jetpack (VaultPress) is typically used as a backup plugin, it also supports migrations. All you’ll need to do is restore a backup on a new site.

5. Migrate Guru

Migrate Guru plugin

If you’re looking for a basic WordPress migration plugin, Migrate Guru might be right for you. This is a free alternative to BlogVault, its parent company, that focuses on quick and easy migrations. With the plugin, you can use migration keys to move your data.

Migrate Guru migration

Since Migrate Guru runs on BlogVault’s servers, it doesn’t put any strain on your hosting plan. You’ll also be able to avoid any timeout issues while you’re migrating a larger site. 

However, keep in mind that this plugin is more limited than the other options on this list. It doesn’t work as a backup solution. Additionally, Migrate Guru doesn’t support local host migrations.

Key Features of Migrate Guru

  • One-click migration
  • Supports large sites up to 200GB
  • Automatic search and replace
  • Multisite migrations
  • Offsite storage

What We Liked About Migrate Guru

  • Easy-to-use migration wizard
  • Free version
  • Can migrate larger websites

What We Didn’t Like About Migrate Guru

  • No backup features
  • Doesn’t support migrations to or from a localhost
  • Doesn’t support multisite

Pricing: Migrate Guru is completely free to use. 

Why we chose Migrate Guru

Migrate Guru is a free plugin that’s a good option if you want simple, fast migrations.

6. Solid Backups (Formerly BackupBuddy)

Solid Backups plugin

Solid Backups (formerly known as BackupBuddy) doesn’t just back up your WordPress website. Along with its backup service, there are built-in solutions for you to change your domain, host, or server. After your migration, your URLs will automatically be updated.

As a developer, Solid Backups can help you set up a staging site. You can clone your client’s site and migrate it to a local server. Here, you can safely make edits and push them to the live site when you’re ready. 

Key Features of Solid Backups

  • Migration to a new server or host
  • URL replacement
  • Complete, database-only, and files-only backups
  • Scheduled backups
  • Remote storage
  • ImportBuddy restore tool

What We Liked About Solid Backups

  • Migration, backup, and cloning features
  • Supports automatic cloud backups
  • One-click deployment from staging to production

What We Didn’t Like About Solid Backups

  • Doesn’t support multisite
  • Expensive premium plans
  • No free version

Pricing: Solid Backups is a premium plugin that starts at $99 per year. This includes support for a single site and 1GB of backup storage space. 

Why we chose Solid Backups

Solid Backups allows you to easily switch to a new domain or web host. You can also use it to create a staging site.

7. BlogVault

BlogVault plugin

If you need a more comprehensive solution than Migrate Guru, you can use BlogVault. This premium plugin allows you to create backups, save them to cloud storage, and even migrate your site to another location.

BlogVault can also help you migrate selective parts of your site. If you don’t need to move all your data, you can choose specific WordPress files, plugins, or database tables to include in the migration. 

BlogVault selective migration

Plus, BlogVault has effective restore options. If something goes wrong during the migration, you can restore the original site with one click. BlogVault also provides an Emergency Connector to get a crashed site back online. 

Key Features of BlogVault

  • One-click migration
  • Selective migration
  • Automatic search and replace
  • Support for large sites and WordPress Multisite
  • Incremental backups

What We Liked About BlogVault

  • Security features like uptime montoring and malware removal
  • Off-site dashboard for easy backup recovery
  • Migrate specific data

What We Didn’t Like About Blog Vault

Pricing: To start using BlogVault, you’ll have to purchase a subscription. These start at $89 per year for a basic license. 

Why we chose BlogVault

BlogVault is an effective tool for migrating specific parts of your site to a different location. If an error happens at any time, BlogVault can quickly get your site back online.

8. WP Migrate

WP Migrate plugin

As a developer, you may need a migration plugin that easily moves a website between a local and live server. With WP Migrate (formerly WP Migrate DB), you can do just that. 

WP Migrate simplifies migrations from development to production (and vice versa). You can use it to push a staging site to production or pull a production website to your local computer. During the migration process, you can customize exactly which files and database tables are included. 

WP Migrate export options

Keep in mind that WP Migrate was created with developers in mind. If don’t have technical knowledge about the WordPress database and files, consider installing a more user-friendly plugin. 

Key Features of WP Migrate

  • Full-site exports
  • Database migrations
  • Find and replace operation
  • Database backups
  • Supports Multisite
  • Sync media files between two sites

What We Liked About WP Migrate

  • Quickly create staging sites
  • Push and pull data from your development environment

What We Didn’t Like About WP Migrate

  • Less beginner-friendly

Pricing: There is a free version of WP Migrate that is capable of full-site and database migrations. If you want to directly transfer content between two WordPress sites, the Pro version starts at $49. 

Why we chose WP Migrate

If you only need to migrate changes to and from a staging site, WP Migrate might be the right tool for you. This plugin simplifies the process of moving data from development to production.

9. Total Upkeep

Total Upkeep by BoldGrid

Similar to the other plugins on this list, Total Upkeep by BoldGrid can back up, restore, and migrate WordPress sites. If you need to move your content, you can install Total Upkeep on a second site. Then, restore a recently saved backup of your original site.

The benefit of Total Upkeep is that you don’t have to download or migrate any bulky zip files. You can simply copy and paste the restore URL to upload your backup to the new location. 

Key Features of Total Upkeep

  • Migrate, clone, or duplicate a website
  • Manual and automatic backups
  • Site Check with error notifications
  • Automatic backups before updates
  • Remote backup locations

What We Liked About Total Upkeep

  • Free version and affordable premium plans
  • Migration, backup, and cloning functionality
  • Simple migration process
  • Monitors your website for errors

What We Didn’t Like About Total Upkeep

  • Limited cloud storage locations

Pricing: Total Upkeep has a free version with migration features. If you need cloud storage services or other advanced features, the premium version starts at $2.50 per month. 

Why we chose Total Upkeep

Total Upkeep supports easy full site migrations, automatic backups, and restores.

FAQs About WordPress Migration Plugins

Which plugins can be used to migrate a full website from one server to another?

Here are the best WordPress migration plugins to migrate your website to another server:

Does WordPress offer free migration?

By itself, WordPress does not offer a free migration tool. However, there are many WordPress migration plugins designed to help you move your entire website to a different server, host, or domain name.

What is the easiest way to migrate a WordPress site?

The easiest way to migrate a WordPress site is to use a migration plugin like Duplicator Pro. Using this tool, you’ll be able to create copies of all your site data and successfully transfer them to another location. Duplicator can help you migrate your website to a local host, another live host, a new domain name, or anywhere else that supports WordPress.

How do I move my WordPress site from one server to another?

You can move your WordPress site to another server by building a Duplicator backup that contains all of your site files, plugins, themes, and database tables. Next, install Duplicator on the new website and go to the Import tool. Drag and drop your original archive file here to finish the migration.

How can I migrate my website without losing SEO?

You can migrate your website without losing SEO by first updating your hosts file to point to the IP address for your new host. Then, create a copy of your site with Duplicator and upload it to the new location. Finally, perform a full site redirect and inform Google about the change.

For more details, check out our comprehensive guide on SEO migrations!

Is All-in-One WP Migration free?

Yes, All-in-One WP Migration is a free WordPress migration plugin. However, you can also purchase premium extensions because of the free version’s limited functionality. For example, you might need to increase the WordPress upload limit or add multisite support.

Which Is the Best WordPress Migration Plugin?

Duplicator is the best WordPress migration plugin for beginners and advanced users alike. You can use Duplicator to back up your website into a zip file and simply import it into a second location. 

Conclusion

We hope that this guide helped you find the right WordPress migration plugin for your site!

While you’re here, you may like these extra WordPress tutorials:

Do you want to avoid manually migrating your files and database? Download Duplicator Pro for easy drag-and-drop site migrations!

author avatar
Joella Dunn Content Writer
Joella is a writer with years of experience in WordPress. At Duplicator, she specializes in site maintenance — from basic backups to large-scale migrations. Her ultimate goal is to make sure your WordPress website is safe and ready for growth.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that we believe will add value to our readers.