Working on WordPress can be overwhelming at times. Many things are going around, and not everyone is familiar with all the aspects of the WordPress content management system (CMS). Therefore, you need to pay close attention to what is going on in the environment.
Plugins are one of the essentials of working with WordPress. While going through the platform, you may see some recommendations for the best WordPress backup plugins.
So, let’s walk through what they are and how they may help you.
What Is a WordPress Backup Plugin?
WordPress backup plugin refers to plugins that help in backing up your website. It is mostly a plug and play kind of plugin that only requires the installation and minimal initial configuration.
You might be asked to select what you need to back up and how frequently you are going to backup your site. As you add the details, the plugin will generate a backup file after a particular interval to keep your website safe and secure.
There are different types of WordPress backup plugins. They vary in terms of functionality and features. Some require manual backup, some will work on a schedule, while some may offer you a few more features as compared to the standard ones.
Why You Need a Backup Plugin Installed in WordPress?
There are many reasons why one must have a backup plugin installed in WordPress. Most of the time, people do not pay close attention to the backend of their website. For them, everything is fine till the time their site is not crashing or breaking.
However, as soon as a problem arises, they seek help. Also, there are times when you are trying to install something or make a few changes to your WordPress site.
In these instances, anything can go wrong. You would never wish to have your website all gone just because of one mistake. It is where the backup matters.
As the site is being backed up by a plugin now and then, you will be able to restore things functionally and make your website operational without much trouble. However, without a backup, the site may be all gone.
There are three kinds of backups: Manual backups, Automatic backups with hosting add-on like CodeGuard, or scheduled backups via a WordPress plugin.
We will see more of the best WordPress back plugins out there, if you wish to know more about the backup process, we invite you to check this full guide that covers this subject.
List of Top 8 WordPress Backup Plugins
Talking about WordPress backup plugins, there are a few options that certainly stand out from the lot. Here we will consider some of the best WordPress backup plugins in the market in terms of their features, functionality, and pricing.
Duplicator
Duplicator makes it easy for you to duplicate your website and put it in a zip format that you can store anywhere you like. The most significant benefit of using this plugin is probably the downloading of a pre-configured site, which gives you a chance to simply bundle up your website and move it to different locations.
Also, you get a backup scheduling and cloud storage facility with email notifications from the duplicator.
Using duplicator, you can work with third-party apps and cloud storage spaces like Amazon web services, Dropbox, google drive, one drive, FTP, and cPanel to backup and migrate your website with ease.
Features:
- Simple backup scheduling.
- Move WordPress without any trouble.
- Backup your website to the cloud.
- Several third-party apps integrated (cloud services, Cpanel).
- Multisite support.
- Data filtration.
- Advanced customization.
Cost: Free and paid versions. The later start at $59 and go all the way up to $359.
Rating: The plugin has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars
UpdraftPlus
UpdraftPlus is one of the most useful WordPress backup tools. It is rated amongst the popular backup solutions and has more than a million active installations. It offers you two different versions, free and premium.
The plugin gives you access to manual and scheduled backups with a lot of customization. With the free version, you can create backups for your databases, plugins, themes, and all different aspects of your WP website.
The premium version gives you free updates, support, storage space of up to 1 GB, and an option to generate cloned test sites. Moreover, it also supports cloud integration, including Amazon S3, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive.
Features:
- Backing up and restoring a site.
- Maximum cloud integration options.
- Set up an automatic backup schedule.
- Requires few server resources.
- More than a million active users.
- Free remote storage up to 1 GB (premium*).
- Free updates (premium*).
Cost: the plugin is available to you both free and paid. The paid version price varies from $70 to $400 and requires annual renewal (at a lower price).
Rating: the average score of this product is 4.8 out of 5.
VaultPress (Jetpack)
VaultPress is created by Automattic, the team that is behind WordPress.com. It is a security plugin that provides a backup facility. You can create up to date backups of your website and go for real-time syncing with this plugin. Moreover, it also scans your site for security problems at regular intervals to ensure that the website is secure.
Now, the VaultPress has become a part of Jetpack. To acquire this plugin, you need to install Jetpack and connect your website to WP. The complete package includes real-time backup, malware scanning, and automatic blocking of spam information from comments and forms.
Features:
- Thorough monitoring and scanning of the website.
- Enhanced protection.
- Guard against brute force and spam.
- Simple and easy backup.
- Real-time backup and restoring.
- Site stats.
- Image CDN and lazy loading images.
Cost: Free, Premium at $9 a month and $99 a year, Professional at $29 a month and $299 a year.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (for Jetpack).
BackupBuddy
BackupBuddy stands amongst the old WordPress plugins and is in the store since 2010. It has more than half a million active websites and can help you in creating a backup with a few clicks. The entire website backup is provided, which you can move to a secure location and restore later with just a few clicks.
Optimizing your database and repairing it is what makes BackupBuddy stand out from the rest of the lot. It gives you free Stash live storage of 1 GB with each plugin purchase. Therefore, your website is backed up continuously with changes that you make to the database.
Features:
- Comprehensive backup of pages, posts, widgets, comments, theme files, plugins, etc.
- Backup of WP core files.
- Backup of the media library.
- Scheduled automatic backups.
- Offsite backup storage facility.
- Simple backup restoring.
- Customizable backup contents.
Cost: the pricing starts at $80 for a single site and $127 of up to 10 sites. You can buy a gold version for $199 and use it for as many sites as required.
Rating: 3.9 out of 5.
BackWPup
BackWPup starts by backing up the website and accompanying files. It sends the backup to external storage spaces. You can use Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3, Dropbox, and FTP to store your backups.
Also, if you are suffering from damaged backup, the plugin helps in repairing it. Some people are interested in sending backups to emails from where they can store the files anywhere else. With BackWPup, you can easily configure the settings to send you backup as an email.
Moreover, there is a pro version of this plugin that allows the encryption of backups and enhances the protection to a great extent.
Features:
- Database Backup.
- Plugin backup.
- Backups in different formats.
- Store backups to different locations.
- Backup Encryption (premium).
- Send logs and backups by email.
Cost: the plugin is available to you in two versions, free and pro. The latter offers three plans at $69, $119, and $199.
Rating: The plugin has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
WP Time Capsule
WP Time Capsule is one of the intriguing names in our list of backup plugins. It gives you a comprehensive backup solution. Those looking to back up recent files and not the entire site can get the most from WP Time Capsule. It can help you store your saved data on different cloud storage services.
One of the most significant benefits of using WP Time Capsule is the consumption of resources on the server. It consumes limited resources, but it also means that your website files are not compressed. To use it, all you have to do is register an account with WP Time Capsule and install the plugin to your site.
Features:
- Backup as you make changes to your website.
- Protection from hacks.
- Change testing before going live.
- Automatic backups.
- Light and fast.
Cost: the plugin is available to you for free. There are three different packages for pro version starting from $49 to $199 per year.
Rating: the product is rated at 4.1 out of 5 stars.
Total UpKeep (BoldGrid Backup)
It is an automated WP backup plugin by BoldGrid, formerly known as BoldGrip Backup. It lets you create simple backups of your site and restore them with ease when required. The solution can be used if you are transferring your website from one host to another. The automated backups are created as defined by the user, whereas the manual backups can also be made with a single click.
In case an update fails, you can simply roll back your website to the older version with the help of Total UpKeep. You can store the backups to cloud services and create up to 10 archives.
Features:
- Automated backup.
- Simple site migration.
- Automated fault protection.
- Restoration of files individually.
- Controlling automatic updates.
- Remote storage facility.
Cost: Available for $2.50 a month (annual billing).
Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Backup Guard
Backup Guard is one of those WordPress plugins that are very easy to use. It provides you a comprehensive backup solution and is very helpful for individuals who want a thorough backup of their website. If you are looking to migrate your website or schedule backups at regular intervals, this is the plugins that can come very handy.
As you are scheduling backups, you will receive an email every time a backup is completed, and it will be sent to the cloud. The backups can be uploaded to Dropbox, Google Drive, or Amazon S3.
Features:
- Unlimited backups and restores.
- Backup scheduling.
- Backup downloads.
- Cloud integration.
- Email notifications.
- Backup customization.
Cost: the plugin is available to you for $46 and includes free support for up to 6 months.
Rating: the overall rating of this product is 4.33 out of 5.
What to Consider When Selecting a WordPress Backup Plugin?
There are various aspects that you need to consider when you are working with WordPress backup plugins. With so many options in front of you, getting your hands on the right backup plugin becomes a tough ask. So, here is how to choose the perfect WordPress backup plugin.
Comprehensive Backup Solution – A comprehensive backup solution will save all the data from your WordPress site. It includes the core files as well as the database and all other media. The backups may also include themes and plugins. Try choosing a plugin that syncs every part of your website.
Smart Increments – Backing up your website and sending it off to storage requires a decent amount of resources. If you are to back up a complete site every time, things will get tough. So, a plugin must pick up the modified and newly added content and back it up smartly.
Storage – Backup storage can take a decent amount of space. Therefore, you have to be vigilant and choose a solution that allows you to store data in a number of different ways. Most of the WordPress backup plugins given above let you store data offline and online on various platforms.
Backup Encryption – One of the premium features of a backup plugin is encryption. It adds a layer of protection to your data and will make it secure.
Scheduling – Scheduling is one of the critical features of a backup facility. You don’t want to go to the plugin every time you need a backup. So, scheduling saves you time and effort by backing up your website at given intervals.
Final Words
This was all about the best WordPress backup plugins and how you should choose one. Ensure that you are vigilant with your choice and select the up to date plugins that address your needs best.
