Migration Guide: From Managed Hosting to Hostinger VPS

Migrating from managed hosting to self-hosted infrastructure can seem daunting. This guide walks you through the process step-by-step to ensure a smooth transition with zero downtime.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have: Access to your current agent configurations · API keys and environment variables documented · A Hostinger VPS account · Our Tools Overlay Kit (optional but recommended)

Step 1: Audit Your Current Setup

Document everything: Agent configurations and SOUL.md files · Environment variables and API keys · Database schemas and data · Custom integrations and webhooks · Domain and DNS settings

Step 2: Provision Your Hostinger VPS

Sign up for Hostinger's KVM 1 plan ($8.25/month). Once provisioned, you'll receive your server IP address, root password, and SSH access details.

Step 3: Set Up the New Environment

Follow our Hostinger VPS setup guide to: Update system packages · Create a non-root user · Install Node.js and dependencies · Configure firewall rules · Set up SSL certificates

Step 4: Install OpenClaw

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
npm install

Step 5: Migrate Configurations

Transfer your agent configurations to the new server. Our Tools Overlay Kit includes a config converter tool that translates managed hosting formats to OpenClaw format automatically.

Step 6: Test in Parallel

Run your agents on both the old and new infrastructure simultaneously for 2–3 days. Monitor for: Response accuracy · Performance metrics · Error rates · Resource usage

Step 7: Switch DNS

Once you're confident the new setup is working correctly: Update your domain's DNS records to point to the new server IP · Wait 24–48 hours for DNS propagation · Monitor traffic to ensure it's routing correctly

Step 8: Cancel Old Hosting

After confirming everything is working on the new server for at least 48 hours, cancel your managed hosting subscription.

Common Migration Issues

Database migration: Use pg_dump for PostgreSQL or mysqldump for MySQL to export your data, then import on the new server.

API rate limits: If you're hitting rate limits during migration, stagger the cutover or temporarily increase limits with your API provider.

SSL certificate issues: Use Certbot to generate free Let's Encrypt certificates on your new server.

Need Help?

Our Tools Overlay Kit includes detailed migration checklists, config converter scripts, and troubleshooting guides. For hands-off migration, our Done-For-You service handles everything for you.