cPanel Shared Hosting to VPS
March 2026 9 min read RemarkableCloud Team

How to migrate from cPanel shared hosting to a managed VPS

Most cPanel shared hosting migrations feel more complicated than they are. The technical process is straightforward. What makes people hesitate is the fear of downtime, the uncertainty about what happens to email, and the assumption that moving to a VPS means taking on server administration they didn't sign up for.

This guide covers the full migration process from cPanel shared hosting to a RemarkableCloud managed VPS: what we handle, what you do, what to test before switching DNS, and what changes for your business on the other side.

Before you read further
  • Free migration is included on every Cloud Cube: RemarkableCloud moves your site, database, and email at no cost
  • Your existing cPanel hosting stays live throughout the migration; there is no forced downtime window
  • DNS propagation takes minutes to a few hours, and visitors always reach a working version of your site
  • You do not need to know how to configure a server: that is what managed means

What actually needs to migrate

A cPanel shared hosting account typically contains several components, and each one moves differently. Understanding what is involved removes most of the anxiety around the process.

What migrates
  • Website files (HTML, PHP, WordPress files)
  • Databases (MySQL/MariaDB)
  • Email accounts and mailboxes
  • DNS records
  • SSL certificates
  • Cron jobs
  • Email forwarders and filters
  • Subdomains and addon domains
What does not transfer
  • cPanel-specific configurations (rebuilt on new panel)
  • Softaculous auto-installer records (apps themselves migrate fine)
  • cPanel email statistics and logs
  • Hosting account credentials (you get new ones)
  • Any data specific to your old host's proprietary tools

The website, database, and email content (everything that matters to your visitors and business) all migrates cleanly. The only things that don't transfer are configuration artifacts tied to cPanel itself, and those get rebuilt on the new environment.

The migration process, step by step

Green steps are handled by RemarkableCloud. Blue steps are yours. Most migrations involve very little on your side.

1
RemarkableCloud handles this

We provision your Cloud Cube

After you order, we set up your server: OS installation, security hardening, managed firewall, IDS, monitoring, mail gateway configuration (MailChannels outbound + Rspamd inbound), and backup systems. RemarkablePanel is configured and your first account is created.

You don't touch any of this. When it's done, you receive login credentials for RemarkablePanel and SSH access.

2
You do this

Provide your cPanel credentials

We need access to your existing cPanel account to copy your files, database, and email. You can share:

  • cPanel username and password, or
  • A full cPanel backup file if you prefer to generate it yourself

Your current hosting stays completely live during this step. Nothing is deleted or moved: everything is copied.

3
RemarkableCloud handles this

We migrate your content

We copy your website files, database, email accounts and mailboxes, DNS records, SSL certificates, and cron jobs to your new Cloud Cube. WordPress sites, WooCommerce stores, Laravel applications, and custom PHP applications all migrate the same way: we copy the files and database, configure the web server, and verify everything runs correctly on the new environment before telling you it's ready.

4
You do this

Test your site on the new server

Before changing DNS, we give you a temporary URL to access your site on the new server. This is where you verify everything works correctly:

  • All pages load and display correctly
  • Contact forms submit and send email
  • For WooCommerce: add a product to cart, go through checkout (use a test payment or a low-value order)
  • Login to your WordPress admin and confirm plugins are active
  • Check any functionality that connects to an external service (payment gateways, CRMs, APIs)

Do not skip this step. Testing on the staging URL costs nothing and prevents the only scenario where a migration causes visible problems for your visitors.

⚠

One thing to be aware of when testing forms and email: on the staging URL, your site thinks it is at a different address. Email sent during testing goes through your new mail gateway and delivers correctly, but reply-to addresses and links in those emails may reference the staging URL rather than your domain. This is expected and resolves automatically once DNS points to the new server.

5
You do this

Update your DNS

When you are satisfied that everything works on the new server, update your domain's DNS records to point to your new Cloud Cube IP address. You do this at your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, or wherever your domain is registered, not at your hosting provider).

The records to update are typically your A record (for the root domain) and the www CNAME or A record. We provide the exact values to use.

If you are unfamiliar with DNS management, we can walk you through this step or do it for you if you give us registrar access.

6
RemarkableCloud handles this

DNS propagates, new server takes over

DNS propagation typically completes in 15 minutes to a few hours depending on your registrar and the previous TTL setting. During this window, some visitors reach the old server and some reach the new one, and both are live and both serve a working version of your site. There is no gap where visitors see an error.

We monitor the new server throughout propagation and confirm when your domain is fully resolving to the new IP.

7
You do this

Cancel your old shared hosting

Once DNS has fully propagated and you have confirmed everything is running correctly on the new server, cancel your cPanel shared hosting plan. Keep it active for a few days after cutover as a safety net, the files are still there if you need to retrieve anything, then cancel at your convenience.

Do not cancel before DNS propagation completes.

How long does it take

2–4
hours to provision and migrate a typical site
15min–4hr
for DNS propagation after you update records
0
minutes of forced downtime for your visitors

Larger migrations (multiple domains, large databases, high email volume) take longer. Complex custom applications may require additional testing time. For most standard WordPress, WooCommerce, or PHP sites, the total elapsed time from order to live on the new server is under 24 hours.

What your email setup looks like after migration

Email is the part of a cPanel migration that causes the most questions. Here is what happens:

Your email accounts and mailboxes migrate to the new server. The email addresses stay the same. Your mail client settings (IMAP/POP3 server and SMTP settings) update to point to your new server IP, which we provide after migration. Most mail clients update automatically once DNS propagates.

Outbound email from your new server goes through MailChannels SMTP, which provides a clean dedicated sending IP and significantly better delivery rates than most shared hosting environments. If your emails were landing in spam on shared hosting due to a shared outbound IP, that problem resolves on the new server.

Inbound email is filtered through Rspamd before it reaches your mailbox. Both layers are included at no extra cost, covering every domain on your server.

What changes after the migration

Performance is the most immediately visible change. A site that was competing for CPU and RAM with dozens of neighbours on a shared server now has dedicated resources that belong entirely to it. For WordPress and WooCommerce sites, the difference in Time to First Byte is usually measurable within the first hour.

Email deliverability typically improves. Moving from a shared hosting outbound IP (with its shared reputation and neighbour risk) to a dedicated mail gateway with clean reputation means fewer messages landing in spam.

Resource warnings disappear. There are no fair-use CPU caps, no "your account has exceeded its limits" emails, no throttling during peak hours.

What does not change: your domain, your email addresses, your WordPress admin workflow, your site's files and database. The infrastructure underneath changes. The experience of managing your site day to day does not.

Who manages the server after migration

RemarkableCloud does. That is the definition of a managed Cloud Cube. After migration, our team handles:

Ongoing managed services
  • OS and kernel updates
  • Security patching
  • Proactive 24/7 monitoring
  • Daily snapshots
  • Remote offsite backups
  • Firewall and IDS management
  • Mail gateway maintenance
  • Incident response
What you manage
  • Your website content
  • WordPress updates (plugins, themes, core)
  • Email account management
  • Domain and DNS settings
  • Your applications and their configurations

You have full root access if you need it. The managed service does not restrict what you can install or configure. It means someone else is watching the server and responding to issues, whether or not you are awake, whether or not you are aware there is an issue.

Free migration on every Cloud Cube. First month from $2.00. No contracts.

See Cloud Cube plans →

Move from shared hosting to a managed VPS. We handle the migration.

Dedicated resources, 500% SLA, three backup layers, free antispam, free migration. Managed since 2001. First month from $2.00.

See Cloud Cube plans
Free migration · 500% SLA · No contracts · Since 2001

FAQ

Will my site go down during the migration?
No. Your existing cPanel hosting stays live throughout the entire process. We copy your content to the new server without touching the original. When you change DNS, both servers are live during propagation, so visitors always reach a working version of your site. There is no forced downtime window.
Do I need to give RemarkableCloud access to my cPanel?
Yes, temporarily. We need your cPanel credentials or a cPanel backup file to copy your files, database, and email accounts. You can revoke access or change your cPanel password immediately after we confirm the migration is complete. We never store credentials beyond what is needed for the migration itself.
What happens to my email during migration?
Your email accounts and their contents migrate to the new server. Your email addresses do not change. During DNS propagation, some email may arrive at the old server and some at the new one, and both are configured and delivering correctly. After propagation completes, all email routes to the new server. You update your mail client's incoming and outgoing server settings to the new server address, which we provide.
How long does the migration take?
Server provisioning and content migration typically takes 2 to 4 hours for a standard WordPress or PHP site. After you update DNS, propagation takes between 15 minutes and a few hours. Most migrations complete within 24 hours from order to fully live on the new server. Large databases, multiple domains, or complex custom applications may take longer.
Is the migration really free?
Yes. Free migration is included on every Cloud Cube plan. There is no per-site fee, no size limit for standard migrations, and no charge for migrating multiple domains if they are all part of the same cPanel account. If you have an unusually large or complex environment, we discuss it before you order so there are no surprises.
Which Cloud Cube plan should I choose when coming from shared hosting?
For a single WordPress or WooCommerce site migrating from shared hosting, the Basic 2GB plan at $8/month is the typical starting point. For agencies moving multiple client sites to one server, the Shared 8GB or 16GB plan is more common. If you are unsure, contact us before ordering and we will recommend the right plan based on your site count, traffic, and database size. Upgrading is straightforward if you need more resources later.

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