Migrating from 3CX Hosted to Self-Hosted

Introduction

If you plan on downgrading your subscription to an edition of 3CX that is not eligible for 3CX Hosting, you need to prepare for migration to a Self-Hosted or On-Premises setup.

This guide describes how to migrate your PBX from a 3CX Hosted environment.

Step 1: Check if your SIP Trunk is Restricted to your 3CX Public IP Address

  1. Check whether your SIP trunk provider restricts traffic to your current 3CX Public IP Address, since this is a common security restriction required by many SIP trunk providers.
  2. If your SIP trunk is indeed restricted, you will need to notify your SIP trunk provider of the move and give them the new public IP of the machine that will host 3CX; without this precaution, the SIP trunk will not work with your new 3CX after the migration.
  3. You are strongly recommended to get your SIP trunk provider to, at least temporarily, allow both the old and the new public IP Address to minimize downtime.

Step 2: Take a Full Backup of Your Configuration

Go to your Admin Console, and:

  • Navigate to "Admin → Backup"
  • Click the Backup Now button

  • In the Backup Now dialog:
  • set a meaningful Backup name
  • in this example, the PBX version number has been appended
  • keep in mind that you can NOT restore a backup onto an OLDER version of 3CX
  • enable the "Include local/temporary recordings" option
  • for added security, you can encrypt the backup with a password
  • click the OK button
  • When the backup is complete, you will receive an email
  • Refresh the Backup page in the Admin Console to view the completed backup

  • Select the completed backup and click the Download button to download it to a safe location

Step 3: Stop the 3CX Hosted Instance

  • Navigate to your My Systems page
  • Locate your subscription; you can search for your License Key in the Search field
  • Click on the status link, which should show up as Running

  • In your Subscriptions page, again click on the status link, which should show up as Running

  • In the Change Hosting Status dialog:
  • select the Stop action
  • you can also add a comment (optional)
  • click the Execute button
  • The portal will now stop your hosted instance - this can take around 2 minutes, depending on how busy your 3CX is at the moment you request it to be stopped; at this stage, your 3CX telephone system is down, and will come back up after you have completed the migration process

Step 4:  Deploy your Self-Hosted Instance and Restore your Backup

  • Navigate to your My Systems page
  • Locate your subscription; you can search for your License Key in the Search field
  • Click on the Edit icon

  • Click the Install button to start the deployment of your new instance

  • Select your preferred deployment method; this example uses the Self Hosted deployment option

  • Select the number of extensions for your new deployment, and click the Next button; however, since you will be restoring your backup during the deployment, your selection should not make a difference here

  • Select the preferences for your new deployment, and click the Next button; once again, since you will be restoring your backup during the deployment, your selection should not make a difference here

  • Select your preferred Cloud Provider for your deployment:
  • different Cloud Providers may have slightly different authentication mechanisms; this example assumed the use of Google Cloud
  • Click the AUTHENTICATE button and complete the authentication process with your Cloud Provider

  • When asked if you have a backup to restore, click the YES button

  • Upload your backup file, insert the password for your backup file, and click the NEXT button

  • Configure the access details for your new self-hosted deployment

  • Your new self-hosted system is being deployed:
  • your backup will be automatically restored
  • do NOT close or refresh the page until the deployment is completed

  • Once your 3CX deployment is completed, click on the LOGIN button

See also

Last Updated

This document was last updated on 9 January 2026

https://www.3cx.com/docs/switch-self-hosted-pbx/