Can Kinsta host my email?

No. Keep it at Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or wherever it is now, and make sure the move leaves those DNS records alone.

Do I need to move my domain from GoDaddy?

No. Changing one DNS record is enough. Transfer the domain later only if you want it elsewhere.

Is Kinsta's migration really free?

At the time of writing Kinsta includes migrations with its plans. Our job is for the cases that need more than a copy: email, DNS, SSL and a cutover without downtime.

Move WordPress from GoDaddy to Kinsta

Kinsta runs WordPress only, on cloud machines, with its own MyKinsta panel and no cPanel. Two things shape this move: Kinsta does not host email at all, and GoDaddy sells two different kinds of WordPress hosting that export differently. Know which one you have before you start.

What is different

Email: Kinsta hosts no mailboxes. Mail from GoDaddy, often through Microsoft 365 sold by GoDaddy, stays where it is; the move must leave the MX records alone.
Panel: GoDaddy web hosting uses cPanel; GoDaddy Managed WordPress uses its own dashboard with its own backup and export tools. Kinsta uses MyKinsta.
Domain and DNS: the domain almost always stays registered at GoDaddy. Only the DNS record for the site changes, or you move DNS to Cloudflare, which Kinsta integrates with.
Backups: Kinsta takes daily backups by default. GoDaddy backups depend on the plan and may need to be made by hand before you leave.

Step by step

Confirm which GoDaddy product you are on and where email lives by looking at the MX records.
Request Kinsta's free migration from MyKinsta, or copy the site yourself over SFTP and a database export.
Test the site at Kinsta's temporary address; MyKinsta also offers a staging copy.
Set the PHP version to match GoDaddy for the first test, then raise it.
Change the domain's A record at GoDaddy, or move DNS to Cloudflare, leaving MX and other mail records untouched.
Wait for Kinsta's certificate, confirm mail still flows, then cancel the GoDaddy hosting plan, not the domain.

Watch out for

Cancelling the whole GoDaddy account instead of just hosting, which can take the domain and email with it.
A GoDaddy plan with a free domain whose renewal price jumps once hosting is gone.
Plugins that GoDaddy Managed WordPress installs and locks; they should not come across.

When to hand it to us

Kinsta's free migration handles a clean site well. Hand it to us when email is tangled up with the hosting, when the site is a store that cannot pause, when the DNS is spread between GoDaddy and Cloudflare, or when a first attempt left things half moved. We settle the domain and mail questions before touching DNS, and the switch happens with no downtime.

Questions people ask

Can Kinsta host my email?: No. Keep it at Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or wherever it is now, and make sure the move leaves those DNS records alone.
Do I need to move my domain from GoDaddy?: No. Changing one DNS record is enough. Transfer the domain later only if you want it elsewhere.
Is Kinsta's migration really free?: At the time of writing Kinsta includes migrations with its plans. Our job is for the cases that need more than a copy: email, DNS, SSL and a cutover without downtime.