Move From Linode To Liberation
A person migrates your Linode instance to a fully managed VPS, tests everything before it goes live, and schedules the cutover around your schedule, not ours.
How the move from Linode works
We handle each step so you can keep working.
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The short answer
Linode (now Akamai Cloud) sells raw compute — an unmanaged instance with root access, no control panel, and backups billed separately. Moving to LiberationTek means moving everything on that instance (sites, databases, users, cron jobs, SSL, mail) to a fully managed VPS with a cPanel/WHM license, daily backups and U.S.-based support already included in the price. The move happens as one free migration, handled by a person on our team rather than a self-service import tool.
To move from Linode, start by listing what runs on the instance: web roots, databases, cron jobs, installed packages, firewall rules and anything on a custom port. Unmanaged servers tend to hold configuration that was never written down, so capture it before the move. If you use Linode backups or snapshots, keep them until the new server has run cleanly for a few days, and lower your DNS TTL ahead of the cutover.
Our VPS web hosting is managed with cPanel, and the cPanel documentation explains its migration tools. For WordPress sites, our guide on migrating WordPress yourself or hiring help can help you decide how much to hand off.
Teams that move from Linode usually want to know three things: what moves, in what order, and when the old account can be closed. The graphic below summarizes the process, and the same steps are explained in more detail further down this page.
If you are weighing whether to move from Linode now or wait, the timing is yours to choose. You can move from Linode in one window or in stages, and the old account stays live until you confirm the new one works for everyone.
People who move from Linode often ask about cost first. Our migration team walks through the plan with you before anything starts, so you know what it takes to move from Linode before you commit.
Some questions come up on almost every move from Linode. Can we move from Linode without downtime? Yes, because the old account stays live until the cutover. How long does it take to move from Linode? We confirm the timeline with you before anything starts. Will we lose anything when we move from Linode? We confirm what moves before we begin, and anything that cannot move is listed up front.
If you would rather talk it through, tell us what you use today and we will explain what it takes to move from Linode for your team.
Most single-server migrations complete within a few business days of you approving the plan, with a scheduled cutover window so there’s no unexpected downtime.
What actually happens
We copy, we don't cut over yet
Your Linode instance stays live and untouched while we build the copy on your new Liberation VPS.
We test on our servers first
The migrated copy is checked against the live instance — sites, databases, cron jobs, mail — before anything is pointed at it.
We schedule the cutover with you
DNS changes happen at a time you choose, and we monitor for propagation issues after the switch.
You keep root and SSH access on your new server — the difference is you’re not the only one responsible when something breaks.
- Free migration no setup fee, no migration fee, no surprise line on the first invoice.
- No downtime cutover DNS changes are scheduled and monitored, not left to chance.
- U.S.-owned infrastructure and support, not outsourced overseas.
Why teams leave Linode
The most common reason: there’s no managed tier at the instance level. A 16 GB Linode lists at $96/mo; add Akamai’s Managed Service ($100 per instance/mo) and a cPanel/WHM license ($53.99), and a managed 16 GB cPanel server runs about $269.99/mo. See the full price comparison on our Linode Alternative page if that’s what’s driving the move.
What moves, what doesn't have to
Sites, databases and users
All sites, databases, users, cron jobs and SSL certificates on your instance move as part of the migration, matched to your existing setup.
Root and SSH access
You keep root and SSH access on every Liberation VPS plan, so you can still install and configure what you need. The difference is you’re not alone with it when something breaks — that’s already in the price.
Domain registration
You can keep your domain registered wherever it is now and just point it at us, or transfer registration too — either works.
- Fully managed VPS from $99/month, cPanel/WHM license included.
- Daily backups and U.S.-based support already in the plan price.
- Free migration included with any plan switch.
Priced the way a business buys
Starting prices, billed monthly. Migration itself is free regardless of which plan you choose.
- Fully managed VPS from $99/month, cPanel/WHM license included.
- Liberation Email $1.95/user/month.
- Free migration included with any plan switch.
What It Costs
Starting prices, billed monthly unless noted. Anything larger gets a written quote.
Step-by-step: hand us access and switch DNS
We copy, we don't cut over yet
- Match your instance’s vCPU and RAM to a Liberation VPS plan (Foundation, Growth, Commerce or Scale) — or tell us your workload and we’ll size it for you.
- Send us SSH/root access to your instance, or a snapshot.
- We move your sites, databases, users, cron jobs, SSL certificates and mail across, free on every plan.
- Note your domain’s current DNS records before anything changes — we’ll send you your new server’s once it’s built and tested.
- Once you’ve confirmed everything’s working, update your domain’s nameservers (or the individual records we send you) to point at your new VPS. Changes usually show within an hour; full propagation can take up to 48 hours, and we monitor throughout.
We test on our servers first
The migrated copy is checked against the live instance — sites, databases, cron jobs, mail — before anything is pointed at it.
We schedule the cutover with you
DNS changes happen at a time you choose, and we monitor for propagation issues after the switch.
You keep root and SSH access — what changes is that you’re not the only one responsible when something breaks. See the full Linode vs. Liberation comparison →
Common questions
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Ready to leave Linode?
Book a call and tell us what you’re running — we’ll give you a migration timeline and a written quote, no obligation.
What actually makes leaving Linode hard
Linode is part of Akamai now, and for most customers the practical effect has been changes to the console, the billing relationship and the support experience rather than to the server itself. If that is why you are looking around, the server is probably fine and what you are shopping for is a different relationship. Worth being clear about, because it changes what you should actually buy.
Underneath that sits the question every unmanaged cloud server raises: who is responsible for the operating system? Linode keeps the host running. Patching the distribution, upgrading PHP and the database, renewing certificates, configuring the firewall and keeping restorable backups all sit with you. On an instance configured years ago by someone who has moved on, the honest answer is usually nobody.
Check what is attached to the account as well as what is on the instance. Block storage volumes, load balancers, a managed database if you use one, and DNS zones hosted in the console are all separate resources that do not travel with a disk image — and are easy to forget until a subdomain quietly stops resolving.
Nothing about the migration is proprietary. It is a Linux box with files, a database and a web server, which is the easiest kind of thing to move. The work is in writing down what was never written down: scheduled tasks, firewall rules, certificate renewal, the DNS zone, and anything running on the server that nobody mentioned.
How we handle it: we audit what is actually running, then tell you whether the right answer is managed WordPress hosting, a managed VPS with patching included, or an unmanaged server rebuilt properly with backups you can restore from. Then we migrate, test on a temporary address, and cut over. Website Migration is included with hosting, email and Hub plans. If you are not on a plan, or you want a one-off move, it is $250. Book a call and we will look at the instance first.
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