Switching and Data Portability

ALTIUS HOST LLC | Last Updated: September 28, 2026

This page is published in accordance with Article 26 of Regulation (EU) 2023/2854 (the Data Act). It sets out how to move your data and services away from us, what you can export, in which formats, and what it costs. The contractual terms that govern switching are in Schedule C of our Terms of Service.

You can switch to another provider, move your data to your own infrastructure, or run services with more than one provider at the same time. We will not place any obstacle in your way.

Who this applies to. The switching rights described on this page are those set out in Schedule C of our Terms of Service, which applies to clients established in the European Union or the European Economic Area. Every client, wherever located, can use the same export tools and ask for our help in moving; for clients outside the EU/EEA, cancellation and data retention follow Section 7 of our Terms of Service.

1. How to start

Open a ticket in the client portal stating which services you wish to switch or terminate, and, if you already know it, where the data is going.

We acknowledge every switching request without undue delay and help you until the move is finished.

You may also simply download everything yourself at any time, without telling us — every export described below is available to you directly in cPanel.

2. Timeline

StageDurationWhat happens
Notice periodUp to 2 months, or shorter if you say soYou tell us you are switching. Services run normally.
Transitional period30 days from the end of the notice periodWe keep the service running with the same security while you move. We assist you and your new provider.
Retrieval periodAt least 30 days after the transitional periodServices have stopped, but your data is still available for download.
ErasureAfter the retrieval periodWe erase all exportable data and confirm the erasure to you in writing.

You may ask for a longer transitional period if that suits you better. If the move cannot technically be completed within 30 days, we will tell you within 14 working days of your request, explain why in writing, and agree a longer period with you — at most seven months. Once the switch is complete, the contract for the services you have moved ends, and we confirm this to you in writing.

3. What you can export

Everything below can be downloaded by you at any time, and we will also produce it for you on request.

Data or assetFormatHow to obtain it
Website files and directory structure.tar.gz archive (also .zip on request)cPanel → Backup → Home Directory, or File Manager → Compress
Databases.sql dump (MySQL/MariaDB)cPanel → Backup → Download a MySQL Database Backup, or phpMyAdmin → Export
Email mailboxes and messagesMaildir, inside the .tar.gz home directory or full account backup (folder mail/); .mbox on requestcPanel → Backup → Download a Home Directory Backup, or Download a Full Account Backup
Email routing configurationPlain text — forwarders, filters, autoresponderscPanel → Backup
DNS zone recordsBIND zone file (.db)Included in the full account backup (folder dnszones/); as a separate file on request
TLS certificates and private keysPEM (.crt, .key, .pem)cPanel → SSL/TLS → Manage SSL Sites
Cron jobs and scheduled tasksPlain text (crontab syntax)cPanel → Cron Jobs
Account and application configurationPlain text or JSON, depending on the settingcPanel, or on request
Full account backup — everything above in one filecPanel full backup, .tar.gzcPanel → Backup → Download a Full Account Backup
Billing records and invoicesPDFClient portal → Billing → My Invoices

A full cPanel account backup is the simplest route: it contains files, databases, email, DNS records, and configuration in a single archive, and any other cPanel host can restore it directly.

4. What cannot be exported

Only data specific to the internal operation of our own infrastructure: platform-wide monitoring and orchestration records, security event logs relating to our network as a whole, and anything whose release would compromise the security of our infrastructure or a third party’s trade secrets.

None of this is your content, and none of it is needed to run your website elsewhere. If you think something you need falls into this category, ask us and we will tell you exactly what and why.

5. Open standards and interoperability

We use only widely adopted open formats. Nothing you host with us is stored in a proprietary format that only we can read.

  • Web files are stored on a standard Linux filesystem and exported as standard archives.
  • Databases are MySQL/MariaDB and export as standard SQL.
  • Email uses Maildir, readable by any standard mail server.
  • DNS uses the BIND zone file format defined in RFC 1035.
  • Certificates use PEM, defined in RFC 7468.
  • The control panel is cPanel, so a full backup restores directly on any other cPanel host without conversion.

Where you are moving to a non-cPanel host, we will extract the individual components for you in the formats listed in Section 3.

6. Known technical limitations

We would rather tell you these in advance than have you discover them mid-move.

  • DNS propagation. After nameservers change, resolvers worldwide may take up to 48 hours to follow. Lowering your TTL values a few days before the move shortens this considerably, and we will help you do it.
  • DNSSEC. If DNSSEC is enabled, it must be disabled and the DS record removed at the registry before nameservers change, or the domain becomes unreachable. We coordinate this step with you.
  • Email in transit. Messages already queued for delivery may arrive at the old server during the cutover. We keep mail delivery running throughout the transitional period so nothing is lost.
  • Server-specific software. Anything configured at server level rather than in your account — custom PHP modules, server-wide settings — does not travel inside an account backup. We will document your configuration so your new provider can reproduce it.
  • Managed Edge Security. Where you use this service, your Cloudflare account is your own and stays with you. We simply remove our administrative access; nothing needs to be migrated.

7. What it costs

Nothing. We do not charge for exports, for assistance during a switch, or for early termination in connection with switching.

Until 12 January 2027 the Data Act permits providers to recover the direct costs of a particular switching operation. We do not apply such charges. From that date onward no switching charge of any kind is permitted, and none will be applied.

Standard service fees remain payable for the period during which the service continues to run, including during the notice and transitional periods.

8. Erasure

After the retrieval period ends, or earlier if you ask in writing, we erase all your exportable data and digital assets from our systems and confirm the erasure to you in writing.

Backup archives are overwritten within the rolling seven-day rotation described in Section 4 of our Terms of Service.

Billing and tax records are retained separately, for the period required by accounting and tax law. This is a legal obligation and applies regardless of switching; the detail is in our Privacy Policy.

9. Contact

Switching and data portability

ALTIUS HOST LLC

8206 Louisiana Blvd NE, Ste A #9372

Albuquerque, NM 87113, United States

Client portal: client.altius.host

Support: [email protected]

Data protection: [email protected]

The contractual terms governing switching are set out in Schedule C of our Terms of Service. Where this page and Schedule C differ, Schedule C prevails.

For your administrative records, you may download an official copy of the ALTIUS HOST LLC Switching and Data Portability.
Download PDF Document →