Whether you use WordPress.com or WordPress.org, there may come a time when you are ready to transfer your existing website to a new hosting provider. You are all excited and ready to transfer.

But then someone warns you that you might want to think twice before transferring your WordPress site to a new hosting provider and gives you a scary-sounding list of reasons why the idea of transferring WordPress site to a new host is not a good one.

We are here to clear the air and encourage to you to take the plunge by dispelling six of the most common enduring myths about transferring a WordPress site to a new host service.

A Word About WP.com Versus WP.org

WordPress.com is a free open source platform that is offered for no fee use to bloggers and webmasters worldwide. As such, there are a number of restrictions on what you are and are not permitted to do with your WordPress.com site.

WordPress.org, on the other hand, is an open source platform that must be independently hosted on a third-party (i.e. NOT WordPress.com) server. As such, there are very few if any restrictions on what you can do and where you can take your site.

So just be sure you clearly identify which extension you are using – .com or .org – before you move your site or blog!

Myth #1: It is very difficult to transfer to a new host

The truth is, if you have picked the right new hosting provider, transferring your WordPress site to a new host service might be one of the easiest things you’ve ever done!
There are two reasons for this:

• Both WordPress.com and WordPress.org provide tutorials on how to move your own blog or website to a self-hosted provider service – so it can’t be THAT hard to do!
• Many standalone hosting providers offer a service that helps incoming customers to easily transfer any and all blogs and websites they have in as well. Some hosts may charge for this service but many offer it as a gratis service to say “welcome!”

Myth #2: You will lose fans and followers

The only way you potentially stand to lose fans and followers by transferring a WordPress site to new host is if you also decide to use a new domain name and URL after the transfer to a new host is complete and you DON’T tell your existing fans and followers where you’ve gone!

It is very easy to let fans and followers know you have moved to a new domain and URL – just use a redirect button from the old site and map old links to the new pages within the new site.

If you are keeping the same domain and URL as before, however, your fans and followers may not even realize you’ve moved.

Myth #3: You will lose all of your plugins

If you are transferring a self-hosted WP.org site to a new hosting provider, every last bit of data from your site will follow you where you go.

If you are transferring a WP.com site to a new hosting provider, however, you can use WordPress’ own Jetpack to transfer the functionality of the plugins you want to the new hosting provider and your new WP.org site. You can install Jetpack as a single downloadable plugin after your transfer to the new hosting provider is complete and be up and running right away.

Myth #4: You will have to move away from WordPress as a platform

As we explained at the start of this post, your choice to use WordPress itself is the foundation of any blog or website you wish to move, transfer or otherwise relocate online.

The question is only one of whether you are using the free open source restricted version of WordPress (WP.com), or you are already using the open source unrestricted WP.org software and you are just changing the hosting provider (the place where your WordPress site files are currently residing).

So you will stay with WordPress itself whether you remain where you are or you choose to move to a new hosting provider.

Myth #5: You will end up spending more

In most cases, the main reason you will want to move from one hosting provider to another is because you have done the math and realized you will end up SAVING more by using a new hosting service instead of the one you are currently with.

In this scenario, the only possible way you could end up spending more is if you choose a hosting provider that charges you for importing your site(s) and you opt in to buy that service. And even then, your cost increase would come in the form of a one-time fee only.

If you are currently using WP.com, however, you may see a cost increase by transferring over to a self-hosted platform where your WordPress files are not hosted by WP.com itself. However, over the last few years WP.com has tacked on more and more extra fees (for example, $30 to keep their ads off your blog!) to their so-called “free” service, so here again you might actually end up paying less in the transfer, depending on what paid WP.com services you are using right now.

Myth #6: WordPress doesn’t play well with other services, hosts or servers

Finally, there is a reason some of the biggest companies in the world are using WordPress – and that WordPress itself has captured one-quarter of all site users globally! In other words, it plays quite well with other services, hosts or servers.

With these six myths dispelled, you no longer have to worry that you may be doing yourself, your business or your site(s) any harm by choosing to transfer your WordPress site away to a new hosting provider. In fact, the very opposite is likely the case, and after the transfer you will find yourself wondering why you waited so long.