FileZilla: VDS-to-VDS File Migration Guide

Migrating to a new VDS but worried about moving files from the old one? With FileZilla, transfer between two servers is straightforward — you don’t have to download to your PC and re-upload. This guide covers both the classic 2-leg method and server-to-server (FXP) patterns.

Scenario

• Old VDS: WordPress site, files in /var/www/html
• New VDS: empty server, files going here

Prep

1. Take backups: snapshots of both VDSes
2. Target folder ready on new VDS: empty, or check whether an install exists
3. DB separately: move the database separately (dump/import). FileZilla isn’t for DBs.

Method 1: 2-leg transfer (most common)

Your PC is the bridge. Downside: files traverse your PC’s internet twice (old → PC → new). For 10 GB on a 200 Mbps PC: 30+ minutes.

Step 1: download from old VDS

FileZilla → File → Site Manager → New site:

• Host: old-vds-ip
• Protocol: SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol (secure, port 22)
• Logon: Normal, user + password

Connect → right pane shows remote dir → go to /var/www/html. Left pane: pick local download folder (e.g., C:\backup\old-site). Drag everything from right to left → download starts.

Step 2: upload to new VDS

Same window: File → Site Manager → New site:

• Host: new-vds-ip
• Protocol: SFTP
• Connect

Left pane: C:\backup\old-site (where you downloaded) Right pane: /var/www/html (new VDS target) Drag left → right → upload begins.

Method 2: direct VDS-to-VDS (FXP-like)

FileZilla itself doesn’t support server-to-server, but you can run rsync/scp on the old VDS — true server-to-server:

# From old VDS to new
rsync -avz --progress /var/www/html/ root@new-vds-ip:/var/www/html/

Wins:

• No PC traffic — servers talk directly
• Datacenter-internal 10 Gbps is often much faster
• rsync retries; if interrupted, resumes from where it stopped

For one-off vs scheduled sync, see our cron guide.

Method 3: tar + scp (large files)

Many tiny files slow down most transfers. Bundle into one archive first:

# On old VDS
cd /var/www
tar -czf html-backup.tar.gz html/

# scp to new
scp html-backup.tar.gz root@new-vds-ip:/tmp/

# Extract on new
ssh root@new-vds-ip
cd /var/www && tar -xzf /tmp/html-backup.tar.gz

10,000 small files become 1 big tar.gz — fast.

Performance tips

• Concurrent transfers: FileZilla → Edit → Settings → Transfers → Maximum simultaneous: 8-10
• Speed limit: don’t saturate your home internet — Settings → Speed limits
• Compression: SFTP is already encrypted; no extra compression needed

Permissions and ownership

Files often land owned by root when uploaded. WordPress needs www-data:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html
sudo chmod -R 644 /var/www/html/wp-content/uploads

Wrong perms → “Permission denied” → site looks broken.

DB migration separately

After files, the database:

# Dump on old
mysqldump -u root -p wp_db | gzip > wp.sql.gz

# scp to new
scp wp.sql.gz root@new-vds-ip:/tmp/

# Import on new
zcat /tmp/wp.sql.gz | mysql -u root -p wp_db

For WordPress, update wp-config.php DB settings on the new VDS.

Common errors

• “Connection timed out”: Firewall (UFW or KavesNET) → port 22 open? See UFW post
• “Permission denied”: SFTP user lacks write rights on target
• Half-copied, then cut: internet drop → FileZilla queue stays, right-click → resume
• Transfer is slow: PC bottleneck → run rsync server-to-server
• Garbled characters: file names with non-ASCII → FileZilla → Settings → Charset → UTF-8

Conclusion

Small site (<5 GB): FileZilla 2-leg is enough; visual and simple. Mid site (5-50 GB): rsync server-to-server is much faster. Large site (50+ GB): combine tar + scp + rsync.

KavesNET runs VDS-to-VDS on internal 10 Gbps — cuts migration time 5-10×. For migration help, contact us.

Related: FileZilla Server Setup · Plesk Site Migration