Vultr has previously offered a free Plesk license, but as of early May, they have removed the free Plesk version. Additionally, the existing free Plesk panel licenses will also expire on September 1st. Users of the free Web Admin SE license must switch to a paid license or transfer to another web hosting service by September 1, 2024.
As an alternative, using the free CyberPanel app is also possible. If a paid Plesk panel is too burdensome, deploying the CyberPanel app to transfer WordPress could be considered.
Using CyberPanel on Vultr can facilitate relatively easy server management, but a bit of server knowledge is necessary for smooth operation. If you want to operate WordPress without worrying about server management, you can consider using Vultr, Linode, DigitalOcean, or AWS servers with Cloudways. You can receive a discount by signing up for Cloudways through the following link.
How to Migrate WordPress from Vultr Plesk Panel to CyberPanel
When deploying the Plesk app on Vultr, you could select the free Web Admin SE license to manage up to three sites. Now, the Web Admin SE license has been discontinued, and only paid versions are available.
For the paid Plesk licenses, you can choose either the Web Pro or Web Host edition, which are free for the first month. After that, they are billed at $23.50 per month and $40.50 per month, respectively.
If you are using the existing free Plesk version, your sites will become inaccessible starting September 1st. Existing users have several alternatives:
- Switch to the Web Pro or Web Host version
- Switch to the paid version by June to receive a 50% discount for one year.
- Switch by July to receive a 40% discount for one year.
- Transfer to Another Web Hosting
- Deploy the Free CyberPanel App to Migrate WordPress
For those with multiple sites, despite the cost, switching to a paid version might be more convenient. There have been reports of errors after upgrading to the paid version. Backing up your site's data and database to your PC before upgrading to a paid license can provide peace of mind.
If you prefer a web hosting control panel similar to Plesk, CyberPanel is an option. Though CyberPanel is less well-known and some user reviews are not very favorable, it might still be the best choice for free use.
The documentation for CyberPanel may not be the friendliest, but it can be a good option if you want to install and use WordPress with basic functionalities. Keeping backup files regularly on your PC or cloud storage as a precaution can also provide peace of mind.
Plesk Panel vs. CyberPanel
Plesk Panel is a comprehensive and user-friendly web hosting management panel. This panel supports a high level of security, one-click application installation, SSL setup, PHP version selection, and phpMyAdmin access, among other features. It is designed for both beginners and experts to use.
CyberPanel is a free web hosting management panel. Built on the LiteSpeed web server, CyberPanel provides basic features such as automatic SSL, PHP version selection, and FTP server management. It is popular for its excellent performance, fast loading speeds, and low server resource usage. However, the user manual appears to be somewhat sparse.
Process of Migrating WordPress from Plesk Panel to CyberPanel
If you want to migrate a WordPress site from Plesk Panel to CyberPanel, you can follow these steps:
1 First, back up the data and database (DB) of the WordPress site installed on your Plesk Panel. If you are managing WordPress, using a migration plugin like All-in-One WP Migration can be convenient.
If you prefer to transfer manually, you need to back up BOTH the data (WordPress related files) and the database (DB).
- Move to the WordPress installation path via SFTP/FTP and download the wp-content folder. Additionally, download any site ownership verification files (if any) located in the root folder.
- Export the DB using phpMyAdmin.
It is crucial to back up BOTH the data and the DB. Only backing up the data without the database leads to unfortunate situations where the site cannot be restored. ๐ฅ
2 Create a new server. In the "Choose Image" section, select the CyberPanel app.
Please refer to the following YouTube video to select the CyberPanel app, deploy your server, add your domain name, and install WordPress.
To add your domain name to CyberPanel, you need to modify the IP address of the domain at the place where the domain's nameservers are set.
For example, if you registered your domain with Namecheap and the nameservers are set to Namecheap, you can change the domain's A record there. If you have set the domain's nameservers to Vultr, then you should update the domain's IP address in the network section of Vultr.
DNS records can generally be set up as follows:
@ -> IP address (A record)
www -> IP address (A record)
-OR-
@ -> IP address (A record)
www -> example.com (CNAME) (*replace 'example.com' with your actual domain name)
It may take several hours to up to 2 days (48 hours) for the DNS information changes to propagate. If you only set up the A record without changing the nameservers, the information can usually be updated within 1 to 2 hours. (Even in such cases, it may take up to 48 hours to stabilize.)
3 Now, restore your site on the WordPress installed on CyberPanel. If you are using a migration plugin like All-in-One WP Migration, install the plugin to migrate the site easily.
If you are migrating WordPress sites manually, restore the data and database as follows:
- Access the server where CyberPanel is installed via SFTP/FTP and replace the wp-content folder.
- Access phpMyAdmin and import the DB.
4 Keep the old server for about 2 days before deleting it. Before destroying the server, make sure the domain's IP address has been updated to the IP address of the server where CyberPanel is installed and that you can access the WordPress site installed on CyberPanel.
One way to verify that your site has been fully transferred to CyberPanel is to connect to FTP and upload a specific file (such as a text file), then check if that file is displayed. For example, upload an info.txt file to the directory where WordPress is installed, and then enter example.com/info.txt in the browser's address bar. If the info.txt file is displayed without a 404 error, it indicates that the site is being loaded from the server where CyberPanel is installed.
Before deleting the server, it would be desirable to save a backup on your PC or cloud storage.
Final Thoughts
We have examined the process of migrating WordPress from Vultr's Plesk Panel to CyberPanel. If you are managing multiple WordPress sites, consider transferring them one at a time to allow for adjustments.