• Enhancements · nginx

Moving to another hosting: no downtime and no loss of emails

Transferring a site to another hosting is four moves in one: files, database, domain mail, and scheduled tasks. It almost always breaks not on the first two. The procedure is as follows: we upload a full copy on a new server and check it at a temporary address, and only then switch domain records — unavailability is measured in minutes, not hours. Including preparation, it takes 3-12 working days. We name the amount after a free audit of the environment: it is kept on the list of what is being moved, and the list is visible only from the inside.

See how it works
Price
after a free audit
Guarantee
30 days after project sign-off
What is moving
files, database, domain mail, scheduled tasks, certificates
Price
after a free audit
Guarantee
30
days after project sign-off
What is moving
files, database, domain mail, scheduled tasks, certificates
Inaccessibility of the site
minutes at the time of switching records
The first answer is in our measurements
494.7
ms and 625 ms on two stores, 07/31/2026
What we regularly see in the environment
PHP 7.3.33 - Unsupported as of December 2021
Term
3-12
working days including preparation
Before the estimate
free environment audit, 2-4 working days
Conditions
the warranty period is 30 days, the old server is alive after the move
Process steps

Transparent stages with approval at every step

Total duration:3–12 days

  1. Preparation and list of moving

    1-2 working days

    We take away accesses, record the status of: versions, weight of the database and files, mailboxes, scheduled tasks, external requests. We reduce the time of caching domain records in advance - without this switching would take hours instead of minutes.

  2. A copy on a new server and verification at a temporary address

    1-3 working days

    We deploy the full site in a new location, upgrade the language and base version, enable compression and HTTP/2. We go through the catalog, shopping cart and placing an order at a temporary address. The combat site at this stage does not change at all.

  3. Mail, scheduled tasks, certificates

    up to 3 working days

    We transfer mailboxes, prepare postal records, transfer schedules and keys to external systems. We check that the certificate is reissued automatically. If mail and exchange live on the same server, this is the longest stage.

  4. Switching and matching

    one evening, unavailability - minutes

    In the agreed window, turn on the read-only mode, catch up with database and file changes, switch domain records. Immediately after - reconciliation of the number of orders, products and customers before and after, through the order run and a test sheet in each box.

  5. Observation 48 hours and closing

    1-3 working days

    We look at errors, the first response of the server, the delivery of mail and the launch of tasks according to the schedule. We keep the old hosting alive for the agreed term as a rollback point. At the output, there is a short report: what happened before, what happened after, what remained in your zone.

Technologies & integrations

What we build on and what it connects to

Stack

  • nginx — static and proxy for PHP; a typical configuration that is clear to the next administrator without us
  • LiteSpeed ​​— when the hoster provides a cache of pages in the panel; limit: binding to this hoster
  • PHP 8.x instead of unsupported versions; limit: part of the old modules under 8.x is not assembled
  • MySQL / MariaDB, transfer by dump with reconciliation of rows; the limit: a database of several gigabytes is restored in hours - this is the window
  • rsync - incremental copy: only changes are caught before switching
  • HTTP/2, gzip and brotli - transfer together with the site, otherwise the page becomes heavier
  • HTTPS with automatic reissue; limit: the certificate encrypts the channel, not heals the environment
  • cron — Schedules are migrated piecemeal and checked by startup
  • management of DNS records with reduced caching time in advance

Integrations

  • domain registrar
  • DNS provider
  • mail server
  • SMTP
  • payment providers
  • carriers
  • 1C / BAS
  • Google Search Console
  • Cloudflare
What's included

Complete list of work and what you get as a result

  • Selection of hosting for your workload with written justification — tariff, resources, versions; or moving to a site you have already chosen
  • A full copy of the site on the new server before switching and testing at a temporary address - you see a working site before traffic goes to it
  • Transfer base with reconciliation: the number of orders, products and customers is counted before and after, the difference must be zero
  • Domain mail migration with mail and mailbox settings, with a separate plan for domain mail records
  • Migrating scheduled tasks and verifying that they actually ran on the new server and weren't just copied as a file
  • The current version of the language and base instead of the one that is no longer supported, with a check of modules for compatibility before switching
  • Certificate with auto-reissue, compression enabled and HTTP/2 - so that after the move the page does not become heavier than it was
  • Reduced time to cache domain records in advance and switch to the lowest load window - usually night or weekend
  • Read-only mode or banner for a few minutes of switching so that orders don't get lost between the two servers
  • Observation of the first 48 hours: errors, speed, mail delivery, running tasks - with a short report by numbers
  • Rollback plan and old hosting, which remains alive for the agreed period; the warranty period for work is 30 calendar days
When this service isn't right

What's not included — so there are no surprises at delivery

  • Payment of the hosting itself - the tariff is drawn up on you
  • Optimizing the site code: The move removes environment restrictions, but does not rewrite slow requests
  • Permanent administration of the server after the move is a separate service
  • Recovery of letters lost before moving
  • Domain, acquiring
Who it's for

Situations where this service delivers results

Scenario 1 of 4

The site responds slowly, and suspicion falls on the server

The first response of the server is something that is directly affected by the environment: language version, cache, web server settings, database requests. In the two stores we measured on 07/31/2026, it was 494.7ms and 625ms, both on PHP 7.3.33. Fair boundary: This is the server side. If the page is held up by heavy requests in the code or uncompressed images, the new hosting will cut part of the delay, but not all of it - what exactly is slowing down, the measurement before the move shows.

We'll review your situation in a free audit
Free transfer by new hoster vs managed move

How this option differs from the alternative

Free transfer from the hosterOur approach
What exactly is transferredmostly files and database; mail, timetables and keys - "by agreement" or not at allfiles, database, mail, tasks according to the schedule, certificates, external requests - according to the list from the audit
Check before switchingchecked by the owner already after switching, on live trafficcopy at a temporary address, end-to-end order run, reconciliation of orders, goods and customers before and after
Switch windowwhen it's your turn to supportagreed date and time, record caching time reduced in advance
Language versiontransfer as is; if the old version is not on the server, the site simply does not loadwe update together with the move, we check the modules for compatibility before switching
Who is responsible for the consequencesfree service - no responsibility for lost letters or stopped exchangecontractor under contract, warranty period of 30 calendar days, rollback plan
Free audit

Free environment audit before moving

The move breaks down on little things: an unscheduled background task, mail on the same domain, file rights, a language version that is not available on the new server. The audit makes a complete list of what will have to be moved before anything touches the battle site. Until this list is available, any amount and any date is a guess.

What we measure

  1. Environment versionsLanguage, database and webserver version now. In the stores we measure, we regularly see PHP 7.3.33 — unsupported as of December 2021. It may simply not be on the new hosting, and then moving and updating will have to be done together.
  2. Volume and composition of dataBase weight, number and weight of files, images outside the site directory, file rights. It is these numbers that determine the length of the switching window, not the size of the catalog in products.
  3. Mail on the domainHow many boxes live on the same domain, where they physically lie and where they move. Mail lost during a move is the most frequent and most expensive mistake because, unlike a website, it cannot be rolled back.
  4. Background tasks and external appealsSchedules, exchange with the accounting system, export at sites, reversals of payment systems. Everything should continue to work after the move, and some are tied to the server address and the keys issued to it.
  5. What does the current hosting provideFirst server response, full load, markup weight. For reference, among the sites we measured, the first response ranged from 220.6ms to 1,520.2ms, and part of that difference lies in the environment itself, not the code.
  6. Certificates and protocolHow the certificate is issued, whether it will be reissued automatically on the new server, whether compression and HTTP/2 are enabled. One of the measured stores maintains a strictly secured connection with a time limit of 31,536,000 seconds — this setting is transferred deliberately, otherwise browsers will only go via HTTPS to a server that no longer exists for another year.
  7. Copies and method of rollbackHow copies are made now and how they will be made at the new location. An audit captures the point to which we can return the site if the switchover does not go as planned.

What you get

  • A list of everything that is moving: files, database, mail, scheduled tasks, certificates, external requests.
  • A recommendation for a new hosting with justification — tariff, resources, versions, a way to make copies.
  • A move plan with a window and sequence of actions, including a rollback plan and the point we roll back to.
  • Status figures before the move: first server response, full download, markup weight — so you have something to compare with later.
  • A conversation for 30–40 minutes on the document, where we go through it point by point.

Timeline: 2-4 working days from the moment we received the accesses

Why is it free

Because the price of moving is kept on the list of what is being moved, and it is visible only from the inside. Inadvertently, we either play it safe and overestimate the amount, or underestimate it and then rewrite the estimate — both options are more expensive than an audit. The list remains with you regardless of whether we move or not.

What's next

After the audit - the amount, the date of the move and the step-by-step plan, the contract, the bill, the act. Switching is scheduled for the time of the least load, usually at night or on weekends. If it becomes clear from the numbers that the move will not give you anything right now, we will say so - the cases when this is the case are listed below on the page.

Short form: your contact and site URL

Did not find your case?

Describe how it works on your side — we will tell you whether “Transferring the site to another hosting” fits and what it means in your situation. No brief and no call: one question, one answer.

Contract and paperwork

We work officially

Contract, act and invoice — for every project, not just large ones.

Trusted by6 brands

Trusted by: Kvant Energy, GYPSUN, Naturel Cosmetics, Pancer Protection, LUGI, BeeTech

Terms fixed in writing8 points

  • Contract, act and 30-day warranty

    Every project gets a written contract: scope, deadlines, amount, acceptance procedure. After delivery — act and invoice, then 30 calendar days of warranty.

  • Sole proprietor & bank transfer

    The contractor is a registered sole proprietor. Payment by invoice with closing documents.

  • Rights & access — yours

    Code, design and materials transfer to you after full payment. Domain, hosting, repository and analytics are registered to you.

  • Client portal instead of email chains

    During the project you get access to a portal: contracts, invoices, acts and project status in one place.

  • Sites in nine countries

    Our sites run in nine countries: besides Ukraine — Poland, Germany, Austria, England, Norway, Bulgaria, Moldova and Spain.

  • Verifiable numbers

    Every case in the portfolio comes with a link to a live site and a technical measurement.

  • Audit first, then pricing

    There is no price list on the site intentionally: the scope of the same work differs multiples between clients.

  • We say "no" when unsure

    If the task isn't ours or the deadline is unrealistic — we tell you upfront.

  • Contract, act and 30-day warranty

    Every project gets a written contract: scope, deadlines, amount, acceptance procedure. After delivery — act and invoice, then 30 calendar days of warranty.

  • Sole proprietor & bank transfer

    The contractor is a registered sole proprietor. Payment by invoice with closing documents.

  • Rights & access — yours

    Code, design and materials transfer to you after full payment. Domain, hosting, repository and analytics are registered to you.

  • Client portal instead of email chains

    During the project you get access to a portal: contracts, invoices, acts and project status in one place.

  • Sites in nine countries

    Our sites run in nine countries: besides Ukraine — Poland, Germany, Austria, England, Norway, Bulgaria, Moldova and Spain.

  • Verifiable numbers

    Every case in the portfolio comes with a link to a live site and a technical measurement.

  • Audit first, then pricing

    There is no price list on the site intentionally: the scope of the same work differs multiples between clients.

  • We say "no" when unsure

    If the task isn't ours or the deadline is unrealistic — we tell you upfront.

We sign NDAs on request. After completing the work, we delete our access to your services ourselves.

What affects the price

Why two seemingly identical tasks are priced differently

  • Volume and composition of dataThe weight of the database and the number of files determine the length of the window. The site moves several hundred pages in an evening; a database of several gigabytes is a copy in several steps with a catch-up of changes before the switch itself.
  • Mail on the domainThe riskiest part: Boxes are moved with the letters, and postal records are switched without a gap when the letters go nowhere. Our recommendation is to transfer mail to a separate service once, then the next site move will not affect it.
  • Background tasks and external appealsEach schedule, exchange with accounting and reversal of the payment system is a separate check point; part is tied to the server address. Here, the relocations are breaking quietly: the site opens, and the export stopped three days ago.
  • Language version and module compatibilityWe recorded PHP 7.3.33 in both stores as of 07/31/2026, and there may not be such a version on the new hosting. Then the move and update are one job, with a check of the modules and a re-run of the order. It adds days.
  • What hosting exactlyThe usual tariff with the panel is set up in hours. A server under load is also a web server, a cache, limits on processes and copies: the difference in performance is greater than the difference in the subscription fee.
  • Window and timelinessThe night or exit window is included in the work. Moving "for tomorrow" without an audit is rarely accepted: without a list of what is being moved, it is a lottery with a bet in the form of someone else's mail.
Cases

Tasks and results in numbers — all metrics measured by us

a specialized online store of self-defense equipment

Task
Taking stock of the store, along with the environment in which it operates, is where any move begins.
Solution
Measurement of the first response and weight of the page, analysis of the site map, verification of images, counters and structured data, determination of versions of the environment based on the server response.
Result
Measurement 07/31/2026: 68 addresses in the site map — 48 products and 18 categories. First response 494.7ms, full load 567.5ms with 502.3KB markup. 154 out of 190 images (81%) are slow to load. The environment is PHP 7.3.33, a version without support from December 2021: the new hosting may not have it at all. Separately, there is no H1 tag, no structured data block, and no Google counter on the main page. This is the state at the time of measurement, not the result of our work.

online store of the official seller of garden tools

Task
Measure the real-world speed and health of a store environment with a catalog of over a thousand items—input for a relocation decision.
Solution
Speed ​​measurement, analysis of the site map for the uniqueness of addresses, verification of the protocol, headers of the protected connection and structured data.
Result
Measured on 07/31/2026: first response 625ms, full load 752.5ms with 350.4KB markup. Enabled HTTP/2 and strict secure connection with a time limit of 31,536,000 seconds - this setting is transferred deliberately when moving. 1.18 MB Sitemap: 4,236 records for 1,300 unique addresses, about 3.3 duplicates per address. Environment is the same PHP 7.3.33 without support as of December 2021; there is no structured product data on the main page, the H1 tag is missing.
What we need from you

We can't start without this — best to prepare in advance

  1. Access to current hosting and control panel - reading files and database is mandatory.
  2. Access to the management of domain records: without it, it is basically impossible to switch the site.
  3. A list of mailboxes on the domain, if any, and an understanding of which ones are working.
  4. List of external systems that access the site: accounting, platforms, payment providers.
  5. The agreed transfer window is usually night or weekend.
  6. One person from your side in communication at the time of switching, with the right to say "switch" or "roll off".
If something is missing — let us know, we'll help you gather it or do it as a separate task.
FAQ

Most frequently asked questions — with concrete answers

Will the site go down during the move?

For a few minutes in the worst case, and only at the moment of switching domain records. The scheme is as follows: first a full copy is deployed on the new server and verified at the temporary address, and only when everything is working, records are switched. Their caching time is reduced in advance, which is what turns the transition from hours to minutes. The old server remains live for a few more days as a rollback point.

What will happen to orders placed during the move?

The window is selected for the time of the least load, and for a few minutes of switching, the site is put into a mode where new orders are not accepted, with a visible message. An alternative is to accept orders for both servers at the same time and then build two bases manually. We don't do it that way: it's more expensive, takes longer, and errors in the compilation are already found by clients.

And mail on the domain?

This is the most risky part, and it is planned separately from the site. If the mailboxes live on the same hosting, they are moved along with the mail, and the domain mail records are switched so that there is no gap when the mail is not delivered anywhere. Our recommendation, which we repeat to everyone: move your mail to a separate service once - then the next site move will not affect it at all, and now is a convenient time for this.

Will the move speed up the site?

Partly, and to be honest, not always. Among the sites we measured, the server's first response ranged from 220.6ms to 1,520.2ms, and some of that difference is really in the environment: language version, cache, compression, protocol. But if the page is held up by heavy requests in the code, the new hosting will only soften it. And separately: the first answer is the server part, and how long it takes for the page to appear to a real visitor also depends on his device, the network and the weight of the images. What exactly slows down can be seen from the audit before the move.

I have an old version of PHP - transfer as is?

Better not. Both stores we measured on 07/31/2026 are running PHP 7.3.33, a version that has not been supported since December 2021. On the new hosting, it may not be there at all, and then the move and update are done together, with a check of the modules for compatibility. This adds days, but it makes no sense to drag an unsupported environment to a new server: you will pay for the move and be left with the same problem.

What about background tasks and accounting sharing?

Carried by a separate clause and checked by running after the switch, not by the presence of a line in the schedule file. Some of them are tied to the server address or to the keys issued to a specific platform. Exchanges with the accounting system, uploads to marketplaces, pushbacks from payment systems all have to continue to work, and this is where the migrations break down quietly: the site goes live and balances haven't been updated since Thursday.

What if something goes wrong on the new server?

This is what the rollback plan is for. The old hosting remains paid for and alive for the agreed term, domain records are returned for the same time as they were switched, and the point to which we roll back is fixed during the audit. A rollback is not an emergency improvisation, but one of the pre-described switching window scenarios.

Who arranges the hosting and for whom?

On you You pay the tariff from your details, the accesses belong to you - just like the domain and contracts with payment providers. We select and justify, adjust and transfer, but we never become the owner of the account. This is the detail because of which they come to us with "the contractor has disappeared, and the hosting is issued for him".

How long does it last?

3-12 working days including preparation. Switching itself is one evening. The rest of the time is spent deploying the copy, verifying at the temporary address, moving mail and scheduled tasks, and monitoring the first 48 hours after the move. Plus 2-4 working days for a free audit before the start.

Give access to current hosting — let's start with a list, not an estimate

In 2-4 working days, we will return with a document: what is moving, how long the window will last, which hosting we recommend and why, what the rollback looks like. Next is the amount and date of moving.

From measured casesMeasurement 07/31/2026: 68 addresses in the site map

View cases
  • Reply within 2 hours
  • No commitment
  • We work under a contract

There is no price list on the site on purpose: the same work differs several times over between two clients, and a “from” figure explains nothing in that case. First a free audit — we count your pages, duplicates and speed — then we name the sum and the deadline and fix both in the contract.