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Switching from Hostinger: backups, the domain lock and the 30-day refund window
Updated Oct 1, 2026
Download your files (.tar.gz) and databases (.sql.gz) from Hostinger's Backups page, export email separately, then point your nameservers to the new host (free, within 24 hours) or transfer the domain after its 60-day lock. Turn off auto-renewal. Refunds only apply within 30 days of the transaction, and backups are gone 30 days after a plan expires.
The steps
- Step 1 · 30-day refund window from each transaction · No termination fee stated; free domain's price may be deducted from a refund
Check your refund window and renewal date
Hostinger refunds only within 30 days of the transaction; after that the prepaid term is not refunded.
source - Step 2 · Not stated; weekly backups are kept 6 weeks, daily 7 days · not stated on its pages
Download files and databases
Websites > Backups: files as .tar.gz, databases as .sql.gz. AI Builder sites cannot be downloaded.
source - Step 3 · not stated on its pages · not stated on its pages
Save plugin-made backups yourself
Plugin backup folders such as wp-content/updraft are excluded from Hostinger backups.
source - Step 4 · not stated on its pages · not stated on its pages
Export your email
Webmail exports messages as .eml files in a ZIP, up to 50 messages at a time.
source - Step 5 · not stated on its pages · Migration service by personalized quote
Import into IONOS
IONOS's Website Migration Service moves the site and transfers the domain at no extra cost; the price is a personalized quote.
source - Step 6 · DNS propagation up to 24-48 hours · Free migration help (completion not guaranteed for non-cPanel hosts)
Or import into Namecheap
Ask Namecheap's migration team for free help; it generally does not assist with email transfers.
source - Step 7 · not stated on its pages · Free plugin; assisted migration free on one tier only
Or import into Liquid Web
Free automated plugin on Launch and Thrive; free assisted migration only on a third named tier.
source - Step 8 · Nameservers within 24 hours; transfer up to 7 days; 60-day lock after registration · Nameserver change free; transfer-out fee not stated
Point or transfer your domain
Change nameservers, or transfer the domain once 60 days have passed since it was registered or last transferred.
source - Step 9 · Plan stays active until the expiration date · not stated on its pages
Turn off auto-renewal
Profile > Billing > Subscriptions, then the service. The plan runs to its expiry date.
source - Step 10 · 30 days after expiry · not stated on its pages
Keep a copy after expiry
Backups stay available for 30 days after a plan expires; then the plan is canceled and backups are gone.
source
Carries over
- Website files download as a .tar.gz archive and databases as .sql.gz.
- Email exports as .eml files from webmail.
- Your domain can be transferred out, or stay put with a free nameserver change.
- WordPress sites can move by plugin: common ones at IONOS, Liquid Web's own on its Launch and Thrive tiers.
What you lose
- Sites built with Hostinger AI Builder cannot be downloaded as backups.
- Plugin-made backup files are not in Hostinger's backups.
- Unused prepaid months are not refunded after the 30-day window.
- Backups are no longer available 30 days after a plan expires; a refund deletes data at once.
Where to switch to
| Destination | Price from | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| IONOS No affiliate relationship | $6 per month | Visit IONOSOn ionos.com |
| Namecheap No affiliate relationship | $4.29 per month | Visit NamecheapOn namecheap.com |
| Liquid Web No affiliate relationship | $8.10 per month | Visit Liquid WebOn liquidweb.com |
Leaving Hostinger takes three moves: download your site, move your domain or point it elsewhere, and stop the plan from renewing. Hostinger charges no fee to leave that we could find on its pages, but the refund window is short and backups vanish soon after a plan expires. We read Hostinger's help centre and terms, and each destination's own migration pages, on Sep 30, 2026.
Before you start: the refund window and renewal
Hostinger refunds a purchase only if it is canceled within 30 days of the transaction. After that there is no refund for the rest of a prepaid term. If your plan came with a free domain, the domain's standard price may be deducted from a refund.
Plans renew automatically unless you turn auto-renewal off before the charge date. Turning it off keeps the plan running until it expires. No early termination fee is stated. Requesting a refund is different: Hostinger says your files, databases and emails are deleted permanently as soon as you submit the request, so download everything first.
Download your site
In the dashboard, go to Websites, then Backups in the sidebar. Files come as a .tar.gz archive and databases as .sql.gz. Weekly backups are kept for 6 weeks and daily ones for 7 days.
Three things do not come with you:
- Sites made with Hostinger AI Builder cannot be downloaded as backups.
- Backup folders made by plugins, such as wp-content/updraft, are left out of Hostinger's backups. Download them yourself if you need them.
- Email is not part of the site backup. Export mail from webmail as .eml files, 50 messages per download.
If the plan has already expired, backups stay available for 30 days. After that the plan is canceled and backups are gone.
Move your domain, or just point it
You have two options. Changing nameservers to your new host is free and takes effect within 24 hours, and the domain stays registered at Hostinger. A full transfer moves the registration too. Hostinger locks domains for 60 days after registration or a transfer. Transfers take up to 7 days. Hostinger's pages state no fee for transferring out.
Where to go
IONOS publishes a WordPress migration guide using plugins such as Duplicator or All-in-One WP Migration. Its Website Migration Service has staff do the move and transfer the domain, but the price is a personalized quote. A domain transfer to IONOS takes about a week. The Essential plan is $4 a month for a 1-year term, then $8 a month (prices read Sep 27, 2026).
Namecheap offers free migration help from its migration team, including moves from hosts that don't use cPanel. For manual moves it says it cannot guarantee to finish the move for you, and it does not assist with email transfers. Its manual guide for hosts without cPanel starts with backing up every part of your account: databases, website files and emails. Stellar shared hosting renews at $55.88 a year on the 1-year cycle, about $4.66 a month (read Sep 27, 2026).
Liquid Web says not all migrations are free. On managed WordPress, the Launch and Thrive tiers get a free automated plugin; free assisted moves are offered only on a third, separately named tier. Its migrations page says free moves come with all managed WordPress hosting, so we use the narrower FAQ reading. Expect 20 to 50 minutes of downtime when DNS switches. Essentials WordPress is $9 a month, with no refunds (read Sep 27, 2026).
Keep the site up while you switch
Namecheap's advice fits any host: keep the old account until DNS has moved, and cancel it about 72 hours after the nameserver change. Hostinger's own pages give no downtime figure.
Who should switch, and who should wait
Switch now if you are inside Hostinger's 30-day window or near a renewal you do not want. If you prepaid a long term, the unused months are not refunded, so moving early means paying twice. Sites built with AI Builder take the most work to move. See all hosts in our web hosting ranking and how we score them.