How to Migrate from Apache to LiteSpeed on cPanel

LiteSpeed is a drop-in replacement for Apache on cPanel — it reads all existing .htaccess files and WordPress permalinks work immediately with no changes required.

Prerequisites

• cPanel/WHM server with root access
• LiteSpeed licence (1 domain free, paid for unlimited)
• Full server backup before starting

Step 1 — Purchase/Get LiteSpeed Licence

Visit litespeedtech.com → get a trial or purchase licence for your server IP.

Step 2 — Install via WHM Plugin

# SSH as root
cd /tmp
wget https://www.litespeedtech.com/packages/cpanel/lsws_whm_plugin_install.sh
bash lsws_whm_plugin_install.sh

Step 3 — Access LiteSpeed WHM Plugin

WHM → LiteSpeed Web Server → Switch to LiteSpeed

Step 4 — Switch Apache to LiteSpeed

# Via command line
/usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/cp_switch_ws.sh litespeed

This stops Apache and starts LiteSpeed — typically takes under 60 seconds.

Step 5 — Verify All Sites Working

# Check LiteSpeed is running
sudo /usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl status

# Check error log
sudo tail -f /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log

# Test each domain
curl -I https://yourdomain.com | grep Server
# Should show: Server: LiteSpeed

Step 6 — Install LiteSpeed Cache Plugin

Install "LiteSpeed Cache" WordPress plugin on all WordPress sites — instant performance boost.

Rollback if Needed

# Switch back to Apache instantly
/usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/cp_switch_ws.sh apache

Conclusion

cPanel to LiteSpeed migration typically takes under 5 minutes with zero downtime. Our team handles LiteSpeed migrations with guaranteed uptime.