Does SiteGround move the site for free?

The migrator plugin is free and works for straightforward sites. SiteGround also sells a professional migration. Our job is the one that also handles the domain, the email and the cutover without downtime.

Can I keep my domain at Bluehost?

Yes, as long as the Bluehost account stays open. Many people transfer it to a registrar later so nothing depends on the old host.

Will my site go down?

Not if DNS is switched only after the SiteGround copy is tested. That is how we do it, and it is in the definition of done.

Move WordPress from Bluehost to SiteGround

This is one of the most common moves we see, and for a simple site it is also one of the easiest, because SiteGround ships a free migration plugin. The parts that catch people are not the site at all. They are the domain Bluehost gave away free in the first year and the mailboxes that live on the Bluehost account.

What is different

Panel: Bluehost uses cPanel; SiteGround uses its own Site Tools. Backups, PHP version and email are all in different places.
PHP: SiteGround usually defaults to a newer PHP version than the one your Bluehost site is running, so test before you switch DNS.
SSL: SiteGround issues a free certificate automatically once the domain points at it.
Staging: SiteGround includes a staging copy on most plans; use it to test the moved site before going live.

The two things to settle first

The domain. If it was registered through Bluehost, it stays there after you cancel hosting only if you keep the Bluehost account open or transfer it out. Decide which before you cancel anything.
Email. If your mailboxes are at Bluehost, they do not move with the site. Create them at SiteGround, or at a mail provider, and copy the mail across before the Bluehost plan ends.

Step by step

In SiteGround, add the site and install the SiteGround Migrator plugin on the Bluehost copy with the token Site Tools gives you.
Run the transfer and open the site through SiteGround's temporary address or staging to test it.
Match the PHP version to what Bluehost was running, then raise it later once everything works.
Set up mailboxes at the new home and lower the DNS time-to-live a day ahead.
Point the domain at SiteGround, wait for the certificate, and keep Bluehost live for a few days.
Cancel Bluehost hosting only after the domain and mail are settled.

When to hand it to us

The migrator plugin fails on large sites, on sites with a broken plugin, and on accounts Bluehost has already limited. Mailboxes with years of history need a careful copy. And if you have already switched DNS and the site is broken, you are past the easy case. Our move has a fixed price and a two-day promise, and the domain and email questions are part of the checklist, not an afterthought.

Questions people ask

Does SiteGround move the site for free?: The migrator plugin is free and works for straightforward sites. SiteGround also sells a professional migration. Our job is the one that also handles the domain, the email and the cutover without downtime.
Can I keep my domain at Bluehost?: Yes, as long as the Bluehost account stays open. Many people transfer it to a registrar later so nothing depends on the old host.
Will my site go down?: Not if DNS is switched only after the SiteGround copy is tested. That is how we do it, and it is in the definition of done.