Why should you use a WordPress backup plugin?
A dedicated WordPress backup plugin will let you restore the site in case you get hacked or the site gets broken. Having a complete backup will make sure that you can get back your site whenever you want.
There are some distinct advantages of using a dedicated WordPress backup plugin. These plugins will let you do the following –
- Fully automatic backup process,
- Scheduled backup,
- Saving backups in cloud storage,
- Simple restoration feature and
- Eliminate the chance of losing data.
In today’s post, I will introduce you to the 7 best backup plugins for WordPress. First of all, let’s take a quick look at the backup plugins I have chosen :
| Plugin Name | Price | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|
| UpdraftPlus Backup and Restoration | Free/$70 | More than 500,000 installs |
| BackWPup Free | Free/$75 | Single backup file |
| WordPress Backup to Dropbox | Free | Save backup in Dropbox |
| BackupBuddy | $80 per year | Advanced options for developers |
| VaultPress | $299 per year | Backup and scan |
| WP-DB-Backup | Free | Complete database backup |
| Duplicator | Free | Complete backup and restoration tool |
Now that you know what the best WordPress backup plugins are, let’s discuss them one by one.
1. UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup and Restoration Plugin
With more than 500 thousand active installs, UpdraftPlus Backup and Restoration is probably the most popular backup plugin for WordPress. The simple and easy to use plugin lets you store backups in Dropbox, Amazon S3, Google Drive, OneDrive, Rackspace and lots of other cloud storage services.
UpdraftPlus allows you to create scheduled backups for your files and database. It is possible to create separate schedules for the file and database backups. If you own a large site, you can split the backup into several parts. You can choose which things to backup – themes, plugins, files etc. It is possible to restore specific parts of the backup too.
By purchasing UpdraftPlus premium for $70, you can get additional features like database encryption, restoring from other backup plugins, one year update and support etc.
2. BackWPup Free – WordPress Backup Plugin
BackWPup Free is another popular plugin for creating complete backup of your WordPress site. Like UpDraftPlus, BackWPup also allows you to save the backup in third party storage services like Dropbox, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, RackSpace, SugarSync etc. You can choose to enable email notifications for the backups.
Unlike most other backup plugins, BackWPup creates a single zipped archive for your backup. Therefore, you can easily move and/or restore your backup anytime you want. Another useful feature of the plugin is its database check and optimization feature. This feature makes sure that your database is kept in proper condition.
The multi-site supported plugin could be easily used in your networked sites too. Besides the regular English version, BackWPup is also available in French, German, Russian and Chinese languages. The premium version of the plugin comes with support for more cloud storage services, differential backup, database compression, backup archives management etc.
3. How to Backup WordPress to Dropbox
If you are looking for a simple solution to backup your WordPress site, WordPress Backup to Dropbox should be one of your top choices. This simple plugin lets you create complete backup of your site and save the backup file in Dropbox.
WordPress Backup to Dropbox allows you to set the day, time and frequency for the backups. Once a backup schedule is in place, the website files and the database will be automatically backed up in your specified Dropbox account. As the plugin uses OAuth technology, your Dropbox account details are completely safe with it.
You can specify the backup location inside of your Dropbox account. It is also possible to exclude any specific file and/or folder from the backup. The multi-lingual plugin is available in several other languages too.
4. Backup WordPress by Using BackupBuddy
Developed by iThemes, BackupBuddy is a premium backup solution for WordPress. Based on iThemes’ own experiences, the plugin comes with all the necessary ingredients – complete backup, convenience and a reliable, user-friendly interface.
BackupBuddy allows you to create complete backup including the database and all the files of your website. You can also backup your database only. It is possible to exclude specific files or database tables from your backup. You can save your backup file in various storage destinations including Dropbox, Rackspace, Amazon S3 and FTP.
You can create multiple custom backup schedules. Once they are set, the backups will be executed and sent to your desired storage location automatically. BackupBuddy makes it easy for the developers to move WordPress sites from one domain/host to another. You can also create staging sites and push or pull changes with a few clicks only.
5. How to Use VaultPress for WordPress Backup
VaultPress is developed by Automattic, the same company behind WordPress. By connecting your WordPress site with the VaultPress servers, the plugin will make sure that your valuable data is properly backed up. Besides viewing a list of all the backups by the day and hour, you can also restore any of them with a single click.
If enabled, VaultPress will scan your website for dangerous files and suspicious changes. The common threats and suspicious code could be handled with a button click. You will be able to watch the backup and scan process in real-time from your VaultPress dashboard.
VaultPress allows you to restore only specific parts of your backup like the themes, plugins, uploads or the database. It is also possible to download a copy of the backup data.
6. How to Use WP-DB-Backup to Backup WordPress Database
If you ever need a WordPress plugin to backup the database only, WP-DB-Backup will be an excellent choice for you. With more than 500 thousand active installations, this is one of the most used database backup plugins for WordPress.
If your site does not use a lot of images and/or, you don’t update your site too often, you will find the WP-DB-Backup plugin useful. This simple plugin also comes with scheduled backup. Therefore, you can set up the schedule and rest assured that your database will be backed up automatically.
The backed up database could also be restored easily. In case you don’t have easy access to your PHPMyAdmin, there is also a way to perform manual database backups.
7. Use Duplicator to Backup and Restore a WordPress Site
While Duplicator is technically a backup plugin, it is much more than that in reality. The powerful WordPress plugin provides a complete solution for backing up, cloning, moving, transferring or duplicating your WordPress site.
With lots of advanced options, Duplicator is not obviously developed for the regular users. If you don’t have a decent experience around WordPress, you should stick with any of the other choices described above. However, if you are looking for a complete backup and restoration plugin with powerful feature, this could be a wise choice for you.
Final Thoughts
Keeping regular backups is a critical part of your website management. Yet, we tend to take this seriously only after falling victim to unexpected events.
Now that you have the list of 7 best backup plugins, let me know which plugin looks the most useful to you. If I have missed your favorite backup plugin here, don’t forget to share the plugin name by leaving a comment below.
And if you want any help in setting up the backup plugin in your site or any other WordPress related service, you will find reliable WordPress services here.
