Migrate ProjectSend to Cloud

If you have been running ProjectSend on your own server, you already know what the software does. You set up the user permissions, configured SMTP, and have been keeping an instance alive through PHP upgrades and the occasional server migration. That is real operational work -- backups, updates, keeping email delivery working, making sure the upload directory does not fill up. ProjectSend Cloud is the same software, maintained by the same team that builds it. Moving over is simpler than the last server migration you probably did.

For the roughly 4,000 teams running self-hosted ProjectSend installations today, migration is the most direct path to the hosted platform. There is no starting from scratch, no recreating your client list by hand, and no retraining anyone. You are already using the software. The move is a lift, not a rebuild.

What actually migrates when you move to ProjectSend Cloud?

Your workspace users, client accounts, uploaded files, and branding settings all come with you. A self-hosted ProjectSend install is, technically, just one tenant moving to managed infrastructure. The goal is that your clients notice nothing different when they log in -- same portal, same files, same experience.

Here is what transfers in detail:

• All workspace users and their roles
• All client accounts and their permissions
• Every uploaded file and the folder structure around it
• Project assignments and per-client access settings
• Portal branding settings -- your logo, portal name, and color scheme
• Email notification configuration, if you use a custom SMTP server

What do you need to prepare before starting?

Gather your database credentials and access to your files directory. You do not need to take your server offline during the migration -- the team works from a copy of your data, so your existing clients can keep using the portal while the move is in progress.

1. Your current ProjectSend version number (visible under Admin > System information)
2. A SQL dump of your ProjectSend database
3. Your files directory (the upload/ folder) as a ZIP archive, or an accessible SFTP path
4. Your current SMTP settings, if you use a custom email server (host, port, credentials)
5. A note on any custom configuration you rely on -- PHP settings, htaccess rules, custom fields

If you are on an older version of ProjectSend, it helps to know where your installation stands before reaching out. The open source project has been actively maintained for over a decade and is available at projectsend.org. The Cloud team will handle any version compatibility steps as part of the migration -- you do not need to upgrade your self-hosted install first.

How does the migration work?

The ProjectSend Cloud team migrates your data for you. You share your database export and files; they provision your dedicated tenant, validate that everything is intact, and hand control back to you. Most migrations complete in under 48 hours.

Here is how the process typically goes:

1. Sign up at ProjectSend Cloud -- pick Pro or Business: a migrated install needs client accounts, which the Free plan (a personal account on a shared site) does not have
2. Contact the team from your customer portal to request a migration -- let them know you are coming from a self-hosted install
3. Share your database export and files directory securely with the team
4. The team creates your dedicated tenant, imports your data, and validates that users, files, and permissions are intact
5. You review the migrated portal -- check a few clients, download a test file, confirm branding looks right
6. If you have a custom domain, it is updated to point to the new instance
7. Your self-hosted server stays up until you decide to decommission it -- there is no forced cutover

What stays the same for your clients?

From their perspective, nothing changes. Your portal keeps your logo, your colors, and your domain name. Clients log in the same way they always have and find their files exactly where they left them. Notification emails continue to arrive from your configured address.

On the infrastructure side, each ProjectSend Cloud tenant runs on its own dedicated database -- not a shared schema where your data sits alongside other customers. Your files and access logs are yours alone. Every tenant also gets daily automated backups, so there is always a restore point if something goes wrong. You can see how the platform is built at how it works and review what the open source foundation means for how the software is licensed and developed.

What if you want to go back to self-hosting?

You can, at any time. Because ProjectSend is licensed under the GPLv2 -- not AGPL, not a commercial license with strings attached -- you can export all of your data and redeploy it on your own infrastructure whenever you choose. The same code that runs your portal on the cloud is available as open source.

The ProjectSend repository on GitHub has over 1,900 stars and is in active development. It has been running in production at more than 4,000 self-hosted instances worldwide, with over 4.8 million Docker image downloads. If you ever decide the cloud option is not right for you, the team will help you export your data and point you back to the self-hosted path. The code is open. So is your exit.

For a full side-by-side comparison of what you get on the cloud versus running your own server, read ProjectSend Cloud vs. ProjectSend.org -- including how licensing, updates, and data ownership work across both options.

How does pricing compare to running it yourself?

ProjectSend Cloud's Free plan is a personal account on a shared site -- 2 GB, a private link for every file, no client accounts -- so a self-hosted install with clients moves to Pro. If all you need is to hand files over by link, the Free plan costs nothing: no credit card, no time limit.

Pro is $19 per month and covers up to 25 active client accounts, 100 GB of storage, and three workspace user seats. Additional client accounts beyond the included 25 are $0.40 each. Compare that to the running cost of a VPS, a managed domain and SSL certificate, an email delivery service, and the time spent on updates and backups. For firms with more than a handful of clients, Pro often costs less than the infrastructure they were running -- with none of the operational overhead. See the full pricing breakdown. No contracts, no annual commitment.

Already running ProjectSend on your server? Start free -- no credit card, no time limit -- and reach out to the team to schedule your migration. The same portal, without the server work.