Cloudways has become one of the most widely used and genuinely well-regarded platforms for deploying WooCommerce in the cross-border e-commerce space — and the reasons aren't hard to understand. Compared to traditional shared hosting and raw VPS providers like DigitalOcean or Vultr, the appeal is straightforward: VPS-level performance without the operational complexity that usually comes with it. You get a real cloud server underneath, and a managed layer on top that handles the parts most store owners don't want to deal with.
Cloudways has been running migration incentives for a few years now, but a lot of users aren't clear on what's actually available. In 2026, two things are worth paying attention to specifically: assisted migration by Cloudways engineers, and unlimited free migrations via the WordPress Migrator plugin.
Two Migration Paths
Cloudways currently offers two options, suited to different situations. Both are free. Which one makes sense depends on your technical background and the complexity of your site.
Assisted migration means Cloudways engineers handle the process — file transfers, database import, configuration adjustments — with the goal of minimal or zero downtime. This is the right choice for WooCommerce stores with live order data, sites with membership systems, or anyone who isn't comfortable with server-level operations.
The WordPress Migrator plugin is a self-service tool. Official documentation confirms it's free for unlimited WordPress site migrations and supports WooCommerce. It suits users who want to control the pace themselves, and it's particularly practical for anyone migrating multiple sites at once.
How to Request Assisted Migration
Submit a migration request through the Cloudways dashboard. Per the official process, you'll need to provide access credentials for your current host. The Cloudways team evaluates the site and schedules the work. WooCommerce stores are explicitly supported.
The migration covers website files, the database, WordPress configuration, and WooCommerce data — products, orders, user accounts, and plugin settings all come across. After completion, basic verification confirms the site is accessible and functioning correctly.
Migrator Plugin: Step by Step
The official plugin is accessible directly from the Cloudways dashboard. Install it on your current site and follow the guided process:
1. Create the destination application in the Cloudways dashboard
2. Obtain a Migration Token
3. Install the Cloudways WordPress Migrator plugin on the source site
4. Enter the Migration Token and select migration scope
5. Start the migration and wait for completion
6. Verify the site, then switch DNS when confirmed
No command line required. The source site stays live throughout the process — visitors aren't affected. DNS can be switched after you've confirmed the new environment is fully operational, which removes timing pressure from the process.
WooCommerce-Specific Things to Verify
WooCommerce stores carry more complexity than standard blogs. A few things to confirm before and after migration.
Payment gateway credentials and Webhook configurations don't transfer automatically — these need to be reconfigured and tested in the new environment. Before switching DNS, run a test transaction in sandbox mode and confirm the full checkout flow works end to end.
Session data doesn't need to be migrated. New sessions generate automatically when users access the new site. Cart contents will clear after the DNS switch — this is expected behavior, not a migration error. For stores with substantial order history, the migration will take longer than a typical blog transfer. Let it complete without interruption.
Value for Multi-Site Operations
For anyone managing multiple WordPress sites simultaneously, unlimited free migrations is genuinely useful — not a marginal benefit. Move sites across one by one using the Migrator plugin, no per-migration fees, no need to request assisted migration each time.
Current host
├── Cross-border store A
├── SEO content site B
└── Business website C
→ All migratable to Cloudways via the Migrator plugin
Who Should Pay Closest Attention to This
Anyone hitting performance limits on their current host and evaluating a move to Cloudways. The real value of the free assisted migration depends on what you'd otherwise pay someone to handle it — WooCommerce migration services in the market typically run from tens to hundreds of dollars, scaling with site complexity. Cloudways absorbing that cost entirely is where the actual appeal is.
If you're not yet committed and just want to evaluate the platform, the Migrator plugin lets you move a small site over as a test run. If it doesn't meet expectations, switching back costs nothing. That's a reasonably low-risk way to find out.
Migration is never trivial, but Cloudways has lowered the barrier considerably. The tools are there, the support is there — what's left is assessing your own site's situation and choosing the path that fits.