How to Cancel SiteGround in 2026 (Get a Refund + Migrate Your Site)

Updated 2026-02-21 · 8 min read

What SiteGround Actually Costs After Year 1

Step 1: Back Up Your Website First

SiteGround deletes your data when you cancel. Back up everything before starting:

• WordPress: Install "UpdraftPlus" or "All-in-One WP Migration" → create full backup → download to your computer
• Site Tools backup: Go to Site Tools → Security → Backups → Create Backup → Download
• Database: Site Tools → Site → MySQL → phpMyAdmin → Export all databases
• Email: Export via IMAP client (Thunderbird) before canceling — SiteGround email is deleted immediately

Step 2: Transfer Your Domain

If you registered your domain through SiteGround:

1. Go to Services → Domains → select your domain
2. Turn off Transfer Lock
3. Click Get EPP Code (also called auth code or transfer key)
4. Wait 60 days if you recently changed WHOIS contact info (ICANN requirement)
5. Start transfer at Cloudflare Registrar or Porkbun — enter EPP code when prompted
6. Approve the transfer email within 5 days

Step 3: Migrate to Your New Host

Most hosts offer free migration from SiteGround:

• Cloudways: Free migration tool + 1 free expert migration
• Hostinger: Free migration for WordPress sites
• A2 Hosting: Free migration for all shared hosting plans
• DIY: Use All-in-One WP Migration plugin — export at SiteGround, import at new host (5 minutes)

Step 4: Cancel SiteGround Hosting

1. Log in to siteground.com
2. Click your profile icon → Manage Account
3. Go to Services tab → find your hosting plan
4. Click Cancel (or "Request Cancellation")
5. Select reason for canceling (required but doesn't affect cancellation)
6. Confirm cancellation

SiteGround Refund Policy

• Hosting (new accounts): 30-day money-back guarantee on shared hosting only
• Hosting (renewals): No refund for renewal payments — you must cancel before the renewal date
• Cloud hosting: No refund (pay-as-you-go model)
• Domains: Non-refundable
• SSL certificates: Non-refundable (but free Let's Encrypt is included anyway)
• Google Workspace: Cancel directly through Google, not SiteGround

Why People Leave SiteGround

• 500% renewal increase: The single biggest complaint across every review site
• Resource limits: StartUp plan limited to ~10,000 visits/month — exceeded easily by growing sites
• Custom Site Tools: SiteGround replaced cPanel with their own interface in 2019 — some users find it limiting
• No email on StartUp: Email hosting is a separate add-on on the cheapest plan
• Data center changes: SiteGround moved from traditional data centers to Google Cloud, changing performance characteristics

Best SiteGround Alternatives (2026)

• Cloudways ($14/mo): Managed cloud hosting on DigitalOcean/Vultr/AWS. Better performance, transparent pricing, no renewal shock
• Hostinger ($2.99/mo): Renews at $7.99/mo — still less than half of SiteGround's renewal
• Hetzner ($4.51/mo): German-based, excellent performance-to-price ratio, popular with developers
• Vercel/Netlify (free): For static sites and Next.js/React apps — zero hosting cost
• DigitalOcean ($6/mo): Droplets for full control, or App Platform for managed hosting

SiteGround is legitimately good hosting — the issue is purely pricing. If they charged $12-15/mo from day one, it would be a fair deal. The bait-and-switch from $3 to $18 is what drives people away. If you're approaching renewal, that's the natural migration point.