Overview
You can move your site between a VPS and a managed hosting plan — Managed VPS, Shared Hosting, or DreamPress — in either direction. This article walks through the steps for both directions, since each side handles data move differently.
Option 1 — Moving from a managed hosting plan to a VPS
Adding a VPS is treated as a new plan, so you set it up first and then move your data onto it manually.
Add a VPS plan to your account and connect to it over SSH using your root access. See Configuring and connecting to a VPS for setup and connection steps.
Back up your current managed hosting account (Managed VPS, Shared Hosting, or DreamPress) from the panel. See Back up an account in the panel for instructions. The backup downloads as
.tar.gzfiles for website users and.sql.gzfiles for databases.Import the downloaded backup files into your VPS over SSH. Since a VPS has no panel backup tool, this transfer is manual — for example, using
scporrsyncto copy the files over, then extracting and importing them on the server.Cancel your earlier managed hosting plan from the Manage Account page once your site is confirmed working on the VPS. See Deleting a hosting plan for steps specific to your plan type.
Why can't I use the panel backup tool with a VPS?
A VPS gives you full root access to a Linux environment that DreamHost does not manage, so moving data on that side is always a manual process over SSH, whether you are moving data onto the server or off of it. The panel backup tool only works for accounts on the managed side — Managed VPS, Shared Hosting, or DreamPress. There is no panel-based backup or moving tool for a VPS.
Things to know before you start
VPS does not include Professional Email. If your domain uses DreamHost email, it can continue as a standalone Professional Email plan. See Professional Email plan for details..
Managed hosting add-ons cannot be added to a VPS, including Bunny CDN, DreamHost SEO Toolkit, DreamShield, and DreamCare. Plan on managing performance, security, and support tooling yourself on the VPS side.
Option 2 — Moving from a VPS to a managed hosting plan
There is no panel backup tool on the VPS side, so this direction starts with a manual export before you upload to the new plan.
Connect to your VPS over SSH and export your website files and database manually — for example, an archive of your website directory and a database dump. Since a VPS has no panel backup tool, you are responsible for creating this export yourself.
Add the managed hosting plan you're moving to (Managed VPS, Shared Hosting, or DreamPress), if you haven't already.
Upload your exported files and database to the new managed plan, following the same steps as migrating from a third-party host. See How do I upload my site to DreamHost? for instructions.
FAQs
Is there a panel-based backup or move tool for a VPS?
No. A VPS gives you root access instead, so any backup or move on that side is done manually over SSH.
Does moving to a VPS affect my email?
VPS does not include Professional Email, so email service does not move over automatically. It can continue as a standalone Professional Email plan. See Professional Email plan.
Can I add managed hosting add-ons, like Bunny CDN or DreamShield, to a VPS?
No. Add-ons such as Bunny CDN, DreamHost SEO Toolkit, DreamShield, and DreamCare are only available on managed hosting plans.
Do I need to cancel my old plan before I start moving?
No. Add the new plan first, move your data over, and confirm everything works before canceling the old plan.
