Migrating from Argeweb to Theory7: better hosting, lower price
Argeweb is one of the better-known web hosting providers in the Netherlands, but more and more customers are discovering that they pay too much for what they get. If you are considering migrating from Argeweb to another provider, then this article is for you. We honestly compare what Argeweb offers with what Theory7 offers, including current prices and specs, and explain step by step how to migrate your website.
Why customers leave Argeweb
Argeweb has been around for a long time and has built up a loyal customer base. But the hosting market does not stand still, and what was a good offer five years ago is not necessarily so now. The most cited reasons to leave Argeweb are:
- High monthly costs: the Personal plan costs €14.99 per month, the Business plan €24.99 per month. That is considerably more than comparable plans at other providers
- SSL certificate not included: with the Personal plan you pay €1.95 per month extra for SSL. In 2026 an SSL certificate is a basic requirement, not a premium feature
- Outdated technology: Argeweb runs on Apache web servers and regular SSD storage. More modern providers offer LiteSpeed and NVMe SSD, which is noticeably faster
- Limited developer tools: SSH access is not available with all plans, while this is a basic requirement for many developers and advanced users
Argeweb vs Theory7: an honest comparison
Let's put the facts side by side. All prices and specifications were checked in February 2026.
| Feature | Argeweb Personal | Argeweb Business | Theory7 Mini | Theory7 Starter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month | €14.99 | €24.99 | €0.49 | €2.49 |
| Storage space | 25 GB SSD | 50 GB SSD | 10 GB NVMe SSD | 25 GB NVMe SSD |
| Storage type | SATA SSD | SATA SSD | NVMe SSD | NVMe SSD |
| Web server | Apache | Apache | LiteSpeed Enterprise | LiteSpeed Enterprise |
| SSL certificate | €1.95/mo extra | Included | Included free | Included free |
| SSH access | Limited | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Control panel | cPanel | cPanel | DirectAdmin | DirectAdmin |
| CloudLinux isolation | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Annual cost (incl. SSL) | €203.28 | €299.88 | €5.88 | €29.88 |
Argeweb's SSL problem
If you are considering migrating from Argeweb, then it is important to know which advantages you get with your new provider. More and more customers choose to migrate from Argeweb to Theory7 because of the better value for money.
One of the most striking points from the comparison is the absence of a free SSL certificate with the Argeweb Personal plan. In 2026 HTTPS is not optional: Google Chrome marks websites without SSL as "Not secure", search engines give HTTPS websites a higher ranking and visitors simply no longer trust websites without SSL.
That Argeweb charges €1.95 per month extra for this is remarkable. Let's Encrypt offers free SSL certificates and almost every modern hosting provider integrates these automatically into the plan. With Theory7 web hosting SSL is included with every plan, including the Mini plan of €0.49 per month. So with Argeweb you pay almost four times the price of a complete Theory7 plan just for your SSL certificate.
NVMe SSD vs regular SSD: the speed difference
Argeweb uses regular SATA SSD drives, while Theory7 runs on NVMe SSD storage. This may sound like a technical detail, but the difference is considerable. NVMe drives communicate through the PCIe protocol and offer read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s, while SATA SSD drives are limited to about 550 MB/s. That is a factor of 6 difference in raw read speed.
In practice you notice this when loading dynamic pages, running database queries and processing visitor requests. Websites on NVMe storage load noticeably faster, which directly affects your bounce rate, user experience and SEO ranking.
LiteSpeed vs Apache: web server technology
The second big technological difference is the web server. Argeweb runs on Apache, the oldest and most widespread web server. Theory7 uses LiteSpeed Enterprise, the most modern web server on the market.
LiteSpeed is on average 6 times faster than Apache at serving dynamic content, such as WordPress pages. This is due to the optimised event-driven architecture and the built-in caching engine. In addition, LiteSpeed offers native support for the LSCache plugin, the fastest caching solution for WordPress and other CMS systems.
The difference is especially visible during peak traffic. Where Apache gets slower under high load and consumes more server resources, LiteSpeed keeps performing stably. For business websites that depend on fast load times this is a crucial difference.
CloudLinux: account isolation and stability
Theory7 runs on CloudLinux, an operating system specially designed for shared hosting. CloudLinux isolates each hosting account in its own environment (CageFS), which makes it impossible for a busy website on the same server to slow down your website. Each account has guaranteed CPU, RAM and I/O resources.
With Argeweb this isolation is missing. This means that if another customer on the same server has a spike in traffic or runs a poorly optimised script, this can affect the performance of your website. On a shared server without CloudLinux, the stability of your hosting depends on the behaviour of your neighbours.
DirectAdmin vs cPanel
Argeweb uses cPanel as its control panel. Theory7 uses DirectAdmin. Both are full control panels, but there are relevant differences. cPanel is the best-known panel and has an extensive interface. DirectAdmin is lighter, faster and uses fewer server resources, which leaves more room for your websites.
In practice both panels offer the same core functionality: file management, database management, email configuration, DNS settings and domain management. The most important difference is that cPanel has pursued an aggressive pricing policy since 2019 with annual increases, which providers such as Argeweb pass on to their customers. DirectAdmin has a more stable pricing model, which contributes to the lower hosting costs at Theory7.
Bringing your email hosting with you
A common question during migrations is what happens to your email. With Argeweb your email accounts are linked to your hosting plan. When you migrate to Theory7, your email accounts are migrated along with it. This includes:
- Email accounts: all addresses are recreated on the Theory7 server
- Existing messages: if you use IMAP, your stored emails are migrated along
- Forwarding rules and autoresponders: are reconfigured
- Spam filters: Theory7 offers SpamAssassin and additional security layers
Importantly, during the migration you only change your MX records after the email migration is fully completed. This prevents messages from being lost during the transition period. Our team coordinates this carefully so that there are no interruptions in your email traffic.
Imunify security
Besides CloudLinux, Theory7 also offers Imunify security technology. This is an advanced system that runs at server level and protects your websites against malware infections, brute-force attacks, SQL injection and other common threats. What is special is that this works automatically, you do not have to install or configure security plugins yourself. With Argeweb this type of server security is not included as standard, which means you are responsible yourself for the security of your website.
Step by step: migrating from Argeweb to Theory7
Migrating from Argeweb to Theory7 is simpler than you think. You can do it yourself, or use our free migration service. Below we explain both options.
Option 1: free migration service (recommended)
The simplest way is our free SiteSwitch migration service. Here is how it works:
- Order a Theory7 plan: choose the plan that suits you on the web hosting page
- Request the migration: open a ticket through your Theory7 account with a request for website migration
- Provide your Argeweb details: send your cPanel login details securely through the ticket system
- We do the rest: our team copies your files, databases, email accounts and settings to your new Theory7 account
- Check and approve: test your website on the new server before we switch the DNS
- DNS switch: we adjust the DNS records so that your domain points to Theory7. This takes at most 24 hours
Throughout the whole process your website stays online. There is no downtime. Read more about our free migration service.
Option 2: migrate yourself
Migrating from Argeweb does not have to be complicated. Anyone who wants to migrate from Argeweb to a better hosting provider can count on a smooth migration process.
Would you rather carry out the migration yourself? That is possible too. Follow these steps:
- Make a backup at Argeweb: download a full backup through cPanel (Full Backup). This contains all your files, databases and email configuration
- Order a Theory7 plan: create an account and log in to DirectAdmin
- Upload your files: use SFTP (FileZilla, WinSCP) to upload your website files to the public_html folder
- Import your database: create a new database in DirectAdmin, import your SQL dump through phpMyAdmin
- Adjust the configuration: update the database password in your CMS configuration file (wp-config.php for WordPress)
- Test through the hosts file: add the IP address of your Theory7 server to your local hosts file to test before you change DNS
- Change DNS: adjust your nameservers or A record to point to Theory7
Transferring your domain
Your domain is separate from your hosting. If your domain is registered with Argeweb, you can leave it there and only adjust the DNS records to point to Theory7. You can also transfer the domain to Theory7 for central management. Request a transfer code (EPP code) from Argeweb and start the transfer through our domain name registration page.
What do you save per year?
Let's do the maths. An Argeweb Personal plan with SSL costs €16.94 per month, or €203.28 per year. A Theory7 Starter plan with the same storage capacity (25 GB), including SSL, LiteSpeed and NVMe SSD, costs €2.49 per month, or €29.88 per year.
That is a saving of €173.40 per year, or 85%. And on top of that you get better technology at Theory7: NVMe instead of SATA SSD, LiteSpeed instead of Apache, CloudLinux isolation and SSH access with every plan.
Do you have the Argeweb Business plan (€24.99/mo)? Then you save as much as €270 per year by switching to Theory7 Starter.
Migrating WordPress from Argeweb
Do you run WordPress at Argeweb? Then you have an additional advantage at Theory7: the combination of LiteSpeed Enterprise and the LSCache plugin. The LiteSpeed Cache plugin for WordPress (LSCWP) is the fastest caching solution available and works exclusively on LiteSpeed servers. The plugin offers server-side caching, browser caching, CSS/JS minification and lazy loading for images. After the migration you install the LSCache plugin and your WordPress site loads considerably faster than at Argeweb on Apache.
In addition, Theory7 offers SSH access with every plan, so that you can use WP-CLI. With WP-CLI you manage WordPress through the command line: installing plugins, running updates, optimising databases and adjusting configuration, all faster and more efficiently than through the WordPress dashboard. With Argeweb SSH access is not available with the Personal plan, so you have to pay extra for these tools.
Frequently asked questions about switching
Anyone considering migrating from Argeweb does well to put the technical specifications side by side. Migrating from Argeweb to Theory7 concretely delivers better hardware and software.
The most frequently asked questions we get from Argeweb customers who want to switch:
How long does the migration take?
With our free migration service the migration is usually completed within 24 hours. The actual DNS propagation can take an additional 4 to 24 hours, but your website stays reachable throughout the whole process.
Will I lose emails during the migration?
Many customers who migrate from Argeweb notice an immediate difference in speed and stability. The decision to migrate from Argeweb is a logical step for most users when you expect more from your hosting.
No. Our team migrates your email accounts and existing messages along with it. We make sure no emails are lost during the transition. Important: only change your MX records after your email has been fully migrated.
Will my website work exactly the same after the migration?
Yes. We copy your complete website, including all files, databases, scripts and configuration. After the migration you test everything thoroughly before we switch the DNS. Should anything not be right, we fix it before you go live on the new server.
What if I have multiple websites at Argeweb?
No problem. With the Theory7 Starter plan you can host multiple websites. We migrate all your websites at once. Each website is migrated and tested separately before we switch the DNS, so that nothing goes wrong.
Can I cancel my Argeweb plan after the migration?
Yes. Once you have checked that everything works correctly on the Theory7 server and the DNS propagation is complete, you can cancel your Argeweb plan. We recommend waiting at least a week after the migration before you cancel, so that you are sure everything runs stably.
Ready to migrate? See the Theory7 plans or start straight away with the free migration service.
