# Migrate Plesk to cPanel (and cPanel to Plesk): Tools and Limits Source: https://srvscripts.com/guides/migrate-plesk-to-cpanel/ Updated: 2026-10-07 Publisher: srvScripts (https://srvscripts.com/) **Short answer:** To move from Plesk to cPanel, use WHM’s Transfer Tool on the new cPanel server: it lists Plesk as a remote server type and pulls accounts over SSH with root access. Going the other way, install the Plesk Migrator extension on the new Plesk server; it supports cPanel 11.5 and later as a source and migrates whole subscriptions. Neither tool copies everything, so check the exclusions below before you switch DNS. Commands checked against the official documentation (linked below) on 6 October 2026; not yet run on our lab servers. ## Which tool for which direction | Direction | Tool | Runs on | Unit of migration | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Plesk to cPanel | WHM Transfer Tool (remote server type “Plesk”) | The new cPanel server | cPanel account per Plesk subscription | | cPanel to Plesk | Plesk Migrator extension (GUI or plesk-migrator CLI) | The new Plesk server | Subscription with all its domains; service plans too | | Either way, hands-off | cPanel’s free migration service (Plesk listed as a supported source) | cPanel staff | Per their scope | Both tools work from the destination side and log in to the old server over SSH as root (or as a user who can become root). Make sure the old server allows that, at least from the new server’s IP, for the duration of the move. ## Plesk to cPanel with the WHM Transfer Tool ### Prepare the source Plesk server - **Root over SSH:** the Transfer Tool needs root through SSH, either directly or by logging in as another user and escalating with `su` or `sudo`. It connects on port 22 by default. - **Forwarding domains:** cPanel’s docs say Plesk domains set up as forwarding (no hosting) must be converted to physical hosting before transfer if they carry mail. - **Mail addresses with a plus sign** and **FTP accounts with an underscore** are not transferred. List them now so you can recreate them by hand. - **Lower DNS TTLs** on every zone a day before the move. The conversion command for a forwarding domain, as given in the cPanel Transfer Tool documentation (replace the domain, login and password with your own): ``` /usr/local/psa/bin/domain --update example.com -hst_type phys -login "bob" -hosting true -ip 127.0.0.1 -passwd "use-a-strong-password" ``` This changes the domain on the live Plesk server. Take a Plesk backup of that subscription first and check the domain still resolves as expected afterwards. ### Run the transfer - In WHM on the new server open **Transfers > Transfer Tool**. - Enter the Plesk server’s address and choose **Plesk** as the remote server type (Auto Detect also exists). - Give root credentials, or a normal user plus the `su`/`sudo` escalation method. - Start the scan of the remote server, then pick the accounts to copy. Start with one small test account. - Leave the WHM tab alone until it finishes. cPanel warns against restarting services or running system updates during a transfer. cPanel allows up to five transfer and restore threads at once and may lower that based on server load. ### What does not come across from Plesk cPanel’s migration page and Transfer Tool docs list these Plesk items as not migrated: - SpamAssassin configuration and per-user allow and block lists. - Custom DNS zone files: zones are rebuilt from cPanel’s templates, so re-add custom TXT, SRV and CNAME records. - Email addresses that contain `+` and FTP accounts with `_` in the name. - Roundcube data, feature lists, extra Horde address books, and mailing lists on addon domains. - Two-factor authentication settings; users must enrol again. - Custom software configuration on the Plesk side (nginx directives, PHP handler tweaks, Fail2Ban rules). ### Known issue: Plesk 18.0.76 and empty account lists In July 2026 several admins reported that the Transfer Tool analysed a Plesk Obsidian 18.0.76 server successfully but showed no accounts. cPanel confirmed it as case CPANEL-54330 and said the fix would ship in cPanel 136.0.28. If you hit an empty list, update cPanel to the current build on the destination before you dig further. ## cPanel to Plesk with Plesk Migrator Plesk Migrator is a Plesk extension. In the Plesk UI go to **Extensions > Plesk Migrator > Start a New Migration**, choose cPanel as the source, give the source IP, SSH port and root credentials, and pick a temporary folder. Plesk then fetches the list of accounts and you choose which subscriptions to move. Rules worth knowing before you start: - The smallest unit is a subscription with all its domains. You cannot pick a single addon domain. - Reseller and customer accounts that own no domains are not migrated. - Server-wide settings are not migrated: PHP handlers, Fail2Ban, ModSecurity and firewall rules must be set up on Plesk by hand. - After the switch you can run a re-sync of content, and a mail-only sync to pick up mail that arrived on the old server after DNS changed. ### Command-line migration For many accounts the CLI is easier to repeat. The binary and config paths from the Plesk migration guide: ``` # binary /usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator/plesk-migrator # sample configs to copy from ls /usr/local/psa/admin/plib/modules/panel-migrator/backend/conf/samples/ # cpanel.simple.ini cpanel.ini ... # your config /usr/local/psa/var/modules/panel-migrator/conf/config.ini ``` The minimal cPanel config from the documentation; fill in the IPs (and use SSH keys rather than a password where you can): ``` [GLOBAL] source-type: cpanel source-servers: cpanel target-type: plesk [plesk] ip: os: unix [cpanel] ip: os: unix ssh-password: ``` Then run the documented steps in order: ``` M=/usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator/plesk-migrator $M generate-migration-list # writes a file named migration-list; edit it to choose subscriptions $M check # pre-migration checks $M transfer-accounts # the migration itself $M test-all # post-migration checks on the target ``` ## DNS cut-over and mail Both tools copy DNS zones, but the Internet keeps asking the old server until you change nameservers or A records. Work in this order: - Migrate a test account and browse it through a hosts-file entry. - Migrate the rest. Note any warnings per account. - Switch DNS: change A/AAAA (and MX targets) at the external DNS host, or move your nameserver glue records to the new server. - For cPanel to Plesk, run Plesk Migrator’s mail-only sync after the switch. For Plesk to cPanel there is no built-in delta sync, so copy late mail with an IMAP sync tool or plan a short freeze. - Let AutoSSL (cPanel) or Let’s Encrypt (Plesk) issue certificates once DNS points to the new server. ## Check that it worked - Count accounts and domains on both sides and compare. - Check PHP versions per site: Plesk and cPanel name PHP builds differently, and the tools map them as best they can. - Log in to a few mailboxes, send and receive, and check SPF, DKIM and DMARC records in the new zones. - Compare database counts per account (`mariadb -e "SHOW DATABASES"` on both servers). - Keep the old server online for at least a week and watch its mail log for stragglers. ## Common problems - **Transfer Tool cannot log in:** root SSH login is disabled on Plesk. Use a normal user with sudo, or allow root by key from the new server’s IP only. - **No accounts listed after a successful scan (Plesk 18.0.76):** update cPanel on the destination; see CPANEL-54330 above. - **Custom DNS records missing:** expected for Plesk to cPanel. Export the old zones before the move and re-add records by hand. - **Plesk Migrator skips a reseller:** resellers with no domains are not migrated. Create them on Plesk manually. - **Sites load but look broken:** nginx-only rules from Plesk do not exist under Apache on cPanel. Rewrite them as .htaccess rules. **Official documentation:** [cPanel: Transfer Tool](https://go.cpanel.net/whmdocsTransferTool) · [cPanel: Migration services and guides](https://docs.cpanel.net/knowledge-base/technical-support-services/cpanel-migration-services-and-guides/) · [Plesk Migrator: Introduction](https://docs.plesk.com/en-US/obsidian/migration-guide/introduction.75496/) · [Plesk Migrator: Command line](https://docs.plesk.com/en-US/obsidian/migration-guide/migrating-from-supported-hosting-platfoms/migrating-via-the-command-line.75722/) **Related:** [Transferring accounts between servers with the WHM Transfer Tool](/guides/whm-transfer-tool/) · [Migrate cPanel accounts to a new server without customers noticing](/guides/migrate-cpanel-accounts-new-server/) · [cPanel Migration Preflight Check](/scripts/cpanel-migration-preflight/) · [Migrate DirectAdmin to cPanel: Complete 9-Step Migration Playbook](/guides/migrate-directadmin-to-cpanel/) · [DNS Propagation Checker](/tools/dns-propagation-checker/) **See also:** [Migrate DirectAdmin to DirectAdmin: Move All Users to a New Server](/guides/migrate-directadmin-to-directadmin/) · [Plesk AlmaLinux 10: Supported Version and What Is Missing](/guides/plesk-almalinux-10/) **See also:** [cPanel vs Plesk (2026): Which Control Panel for Hosting?](/guides/cpanel-vs-plesk/) · [Plesk “Unable to connect to database”: PleskDBException Fix](/guides/plesk-unable-to-connect-database/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can the cPanel Transfer Tool migrate from Plesk? Yes. The Transfer Tool lists Plesk as a remote server type next to cPanel, DirectAdmin and Ensim. It needs root access to the Plesk server over SSH. ### Does Plesk Migrator support cPanel as a source? Yes. Plesk’s migration guide lists cPanel 11.5 and later as a supported source platform. ### Can I migrate a single domain from Plesk to cPanel? The Transfer Tool works per account. In the other direction Plesk Migrator works per subscription, so all domains in that subscription move together. ### What do I have to redo by hand after a Plesk to cPanel move? Custom DNS records, SpamAssassin settings, mail addresses with a plus sign, FTP users with an underscore, two-factor enrolment and any nginx-specific rules. ### Is there a free migration service? cPanel lists a free migration service for customers coming from Plesk. Check its current scope on the cPanel migration services page before relying on it.