How to Migrate Hosting From InMotion to Bluehost 

Key highlights 

• You can transfer a WordPress site from InMotion to Bluehost in 20-30 minutes using Bluehost’s free self-service migration tool, with no cPanel access or technical experience required. 

• InMotion’s entry plan supports only 2 websites and limits phone support and data center choice to mid-tier and above. Bluehost’s entry plan supports up to 10 websites with 24/7 phone and chat support included from day one. 

• Before you start, back up your InMotion site, check your auto-renewal date and confirm where your domain is registered. 

• Two migration paths are available: the Bluehost Site Migration Tool for most users, and manual migration via cPanel for custom or non-standard configurations. 

• Your InMotion site stays live throughout the transfer and switches to Bluehost only after you update your nameservers. 

InMotion Hosting has built a strong reputation for a reason. The UltraStack infrastructure is genuinely fast, the support team is US-based and knowledgeable, and the platform is developer-friendly in ways that matter. For a lot of WordPress site owners, InMotion was a deliberate and informed choice. 

What changes over time is what the plan you’re on can actually do. Phone support is gated to mid-tier and above. You’re capped at two websites on the entry plan, which means a staging environment, a second project or a client site requires moving up a tier before you can proceed.  

And through all of this, InMotion remains a generalist host rather than a platform built specifically around WordPress. 

Bluehost is built specifically for what WordPress sites need at that point: WordPress-native infrastructure, full support on every plan and room to run up to 10 sites without hitting a ceiling. This guide covers the complete migration from InMotion to Bluehost: what to prepare, which method fits your setup and how to verify everything before you cut over. 

Ready to make the move? Start with Bluehost WordPress Hosting today. 

Why migrate from InMotion to Bluehost? 

InMotion competes on performance and human support — and those claims are credible. The gaps show up in what’s included at each plan tier and where WordPress-specific infrastructure is concerned. 

Feature	InMotion Hosting	Bluehost
WordPress.org recommended	No	Yes, since 2005
Free SSL	Included	Included on every plan
Free domain	First year	First year included
Sites on entry plan	2	Up to 10
Phone support	Mid-tier and above only	Included on every plan
Data center choice	Mid-tier and above only (US + EU)	Global CDN via Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
Money-back guarantee	90 days (6-month+ plans)	30 days
Best for	SMB and developer-focused WordPress hosting	WordPress and WooCommerce hosting

Here is where InMotion users most commonly run into the ceiling: 

• Two-site cap on the entry plan: InMotion’s entry plan supports a maximum of 2 websites. Adding a third — whether that’s a staging environment, a client project or a second business site — requires upgrading to a mid-tier plan before you can proceed. Bluehost’s entry plan covers up to 10 websites without a tier change. 

• Phone support is a higher-tier feature: On InMotion’s entry plan, you get chat and ticket support only. Phone access to the support team requires a mid-tier plan or above. At Bluehost, every plan holder gets the same 24/7 WordPress-trained support team, with an average response time under 2 minutes.  

• Data center location is locked on the entry plan: InMotion’s choice of US or EU data center is exclusive to mid-tier and premium subscribers. If you’re on the entry plan, your site’s server location is assigned, not chosen. Bluehost runs on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure with a global CDN included across plans, so content is delivered from the nearest available location regardless of plan tier.  

• WordPress performance as a dedicated focus: InMotion’s UltraStack infrastructure is strong, but InMotion serves shared, VPS, dedicated and reseller customers across a generalist stack. Bluehost is built specifically around WordPress, WordPress.org-recommended since 2005, with every server configuration and toolset aligned to WordPress from the ground up. 

Note: Pricing referenced in this article is as of May 2026. For the latest pricing, visit the official website. 

How to prepare before migrating from InMotion to Bluehost? 

Run through each item before you start. These checks take under five minutes each and prevent the most common reasons a migration needs to be repeated. 

• Back up your InMotion site: Export a full backup from InMotion’s cPanel, pulling files and database together. Store your backup locally on your machine before beginning, not just on InMotion’s servers. 

• Check your InMotion auto-renewal date: InMotion sends an email reminder 30 days before renewing. If your renewal is approaching, check the date before you migrate so you’re not billed for an unused term. Disable auto-renewal after your Bluehost migration is confirmed and DNS has fully propagated. 

• Confirm where your domain is registered: Your domain may be registered at InMotion or at a third-party registrar pointing to InMotion hosting. Log in to your InMotion account and check under Domains. This determines where you’ll update nameservers after migration. 

• Review your email setup: InMotion includes email accounts through cPanel. These do not transfer automatically with your WordPress files. Decide before you start whether to migrate email to Bluehost or leave it pointing to InMotion’s mail servers with updated MX records. 

• Set up your Bluehost account: You need an active Bluehost WordPress Hosting account before the transfer begins. Purchase your plan and return to this guide once your account is ready. 

These five steps done, the migration runs in a single direction with nothing to retrieve or redo. 

How to migrate hosting from InMotion to Bluehost: step by step 

Use Method 1 unless you have a specific reason to go manual. The Bluehost Site Migration Tool handles the transfer for most InMotion WordPress sites without requiring cPanel access on either side. 

Method 1: Migration using the Bluehost Site Migration Tool (recommended) 

Bluehost’s free self-service migration tool, powered by InstaWP, connects directly to your InMotion WordPress site and transfers your files, database and content in a guided workflow. Your WordPress admin credentials are all you need to authorize it. 

Step 1: Log in to your Bluehost portal: Go to bluehost.com and sign in to your account. 

Step 2: Add your website: In the left-hand menu, click “Websites,” then click “Add Website”. 

Step 3: Select Transfer WordPress Website: On the Add Website screen, click “Transfer WordPress Website” to begin the migration workflow. 

Step 4: Wait for account preparation: Bluehost prepares your account to receive the transfer. This takes a few seconds. Do not close or refresh the page during this step. 

Step 5: Click Start Transfer: Once your account is ready, click “Start Transfer” to continue. 

Step 6: Connect your InMotion site: Enter the full URL of your current WordPress site on InMotion (for example: https://[yoursite].com). Click “Connect.” 

Step 7: Proceed to login: Click “Yes, Continue to Login.” You will be redirected to the WordPress admin login screen for your InMotion site. 

Step 8: Log in with your WordPress credentials: Enter your WordPress username and password, not your InMotion account credentials. Click “Log In.” 

Pro tip: If you have forgotten your WordPress login, use the “Lost your password?” link on the login screen before starting. Without a successful login, the migration cannot continue. 

Step 9: Authorize the connection: Click “Yes, I approve this connection.” This gives Bluehost permission to access your site’s files and database. 

Step 10: Wait for the transfer to complete: The status moves from Connecting to Connected as Bluehost copies your files and database. A confirmation email is sent when the migration is complete. 

Step 11: Verify your migrated site: Click “Go to site” in the confirmation email and review your site on Bluehost’s servers. Confirm pages, images, links and any store or form functionality before updating your DNS. 

If the migration tool shows an error, contact Bluehost’s 24/7 support team before attempting manual migration. The team can review the error and advise on next steps. Many plugin errors are resolved without switching to a manual process. 

Method 2: Manual migration from InMotion to Bluehost 

Use this method when Bluehost support recommends it, or when your InMotion site has a custom configuration — a multisite installation, a large database or non-standard server settings — that needs direct file and database handling. 

For a full technical reference, see the Bluehost WordPress manual migration guide. 

Phase 1: Export from InMotion 

Step 1: Download your WordPress files: Log in to InMotion’s cPanel. Open File Manager, navigate to public_html and select all files. Compress them into a ZIP archive and download to your local machine. 

Step 2: Export your WordPress database: In InMotion cPanel, open phpMyAdmin. Select your WordPress database, click “Export,” choose Quick in SQL format and download the .sql file. 

Phase 2: Set up on Bluehost 

Step 3: Create a new database: In your Bluehost portal, navigate to MySQL Databases. Create a new database, create a database user, assign the user to the database with all privileges and record the database name, username and password. 

Step 4: Import your database: In Bluehost phpMyAdmin, select your new database, click “Import,” upload the .sql file and run the import. Confirm it completes without errors before moving on. 

Step 5: Upload your WordPress files: In Bluehost cPanel File Manager, navigate to public_html. Upload the ZIP from Step 1 and extract it. Confirm that wp-admin, wp-content and wp-includes are visible at the root level. 

Step 6: Update wp-config.php: Locate wp-config.php in public_html and update these lines with your Bluehost database credentials: 

define('DB_NAME', 'your_bluehost_db_name'); 
define('DB_USER', 'your_bluehost_db_user'); 
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_bluehost_db_password'); 
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); 

Step 7: Fix your permalinks: Log in to WordPress admin on Bluehost. Go to “Settings > Permalinks” and click “Save Changes” without editing anything. This regenerates the .htaccess file and resolves broken URL structures common after a manual migration. 

Step 8: Preview the migrated site: Use a temporary URL or edit your local hosts file to preview the site on Bluehost before updating DNS. Confirm all pages, images, forms and store functionality are working correctly. 

Bluehost Site Migration Tool vs. manual migration: which should you use? 

Comparison criteria	Bluehost Site Migration Tool	Manual migration
Technical skill needed	None; guided UI	Intermediate; cPanel and phpMyAdmin access required
Time to complete	20-30 minutes	1-2 hours
What it transfers	Files, database, content	Files, database (separate steps)
Best for	Most WordPress sites on any host	Custom configs, multisites, large databases
Risk level	Low; automated with support fallback	Medium; more room for error at each step
Cost	Free	Free

For most InMotion WordPress users, the migration tool handles everything in one pass. Go manual only if support advises it or your setup is non-standard. 

Final steps after the migration

Your site is now on Bluehost’s servers. Two steps remain before it goes live on your domain. 

1. Point your domain to Bluehost 

Once you’ve confirmed the migrated site looks and functions correctly, update your domain’s nameservers. 

If your domain is registered at InMotion: 

1. Log in to your InMotion account and navigate to the Domains section. 

2. Select your domain and locate DNS or Nameserver settings. 

3. Replace existing nameservers with:  
   • NS1.BLUEHOST.COM 
   • NS2.BLUEHOST.COM 

4. Save your changes. 

If your domain is registered at a third-party registrar, log in there and make the same update. 

DNS propagation takes 24-48 hours. During that window, some visitors may reach your InMotion site and others your Bluehost site – both should remain live and identical until propagation is complete. Do not cancel your InMotion plan until propagation finishes and the migration is fully confirmed. 

Most users find it worth transferring the domain to Bluehost once the hosting is settled. Managing hosting, domain and billing from one dashboard, with one support team, is the simpler long-term setup. 

2. Test the migrated site 

After propagation completes, run through this checklist before canceling your InMotion account: 

Front-end checks: 

• Homepage loads correctly 

• Internal links and images display as expected 

• SSL certificate is active (padlock visible in browser) 

Functionality checks: 

• Contact forms submit successfully 

• WooCommerce checkout processes correctly (if applicable) 

• Email delivery is functioning from the domain 

• Any third-party integrations (CRM, analytics, booking tools) are connected and working 

Performance checks: 

• Site speed is consistent with or better than InMotion 

• No broken plugin or theme errors appear in wp-admin 

If anything fails, contact Bluehost’s 24/7 support team before canceling your InMotion plan. 

Final thoughts 

InMotion is a credible host with infrastructure that outperforms a lot of the shared hosting market. The decision to move isn’t about InMotion being a poor choice. It’s about what your WordPress site needs as it grows past what a two-site entry plan, gated phone support and assigned server locations can provide. 

Bluehost brings WordPress-native infrastructure, a global CDN, 24/7 phone and chat support on every plan with an average response time under 2 minutes, real-time malware scanning and a 99.99% uptime SLA — all on a platform WordPress.org has recommended since 2005. 

For a WordPress site ready to grow without hitting plan-level ceilings, that combination is the practical next step. 

Start your migration today, risk-free. Every Bluehost WordPress Hosting plan is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. If anything doesn’t meet your expectations, you’re covered. 

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