Data is the most important element of any website. Losing it can lead to nightmarish results. If by any chance your website gets corrupted or hacked, you might lose a lot of precious information.
Imagine that you run an ecommerce site and it gets hacked. All sensitive customer information could get stolen.
If you back up your website regularly and it gets infected, all you have to do is upload your clean backup and your site will be up and running again.
In this article, I’ll be discussing the best WordPress backup plugins to help you increase your site’s safety.
Why You Need to Backup Your Data?
As mentioned before, you should always backup your website. Unexpected issues are very likely to happen, and you might lose your data. When a disaster occurs and you don’t have a backup, you will have to rebuild everything from scratch.
Here are some common causes of data loss:
- Cybersecurity attacks. Cyber-attacks occur every 39 seconds. This can affect any kind of a website, whether you run an online store or a personal blog. The results might be disastrous, as sensitive information could get stolen and leaked.
- Power failure. Power failure of your hosting provider’s server might result in loss of data that you’ve been working so hard on. So it’s always a good idea to have a backup plugin ready.
- Mechanical damage. Technical failures can still happen even if you use remote servers, so you can never be too guaranteed that your data is safe.
- Accidental deletion of data. Everybody makes mistakes. One of your mistakes can accidentally delete your data, so you can never be too careful.
Keep in mind, that if your website experiences downtime your SEO might suffer as well. This is why it’s important to get your site up and running ASAP, should it become a victim of any malicious attacks.
All in all, it’s basically impossible to predict data loss. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so always make sure to backup all of your website’s data.
What Features a Backup Plugin Should Have?
You shouldn’t solely rely on automatic backups offered by your host. Furthermore, some hosting companies do not even offer an automatic backup feature if you reach your backup limit.
Some hosts only keep the latest copy of the backup. If your website was already infected when the backup was made, you won’t be able to restore your data as quickly and easily.
The solution to this issue is WordPress backup plugins.
Free plugins might be tempting, but it is recommended to spend more money on a paid plugin. Paid plugins offer more features for your data loss prevention. You never know when you might run into trouble, so try to take care of your hard work.
To know which WordPress backup plugin can suit you best, you need to make sure it has the features that you need. Here are some highlights of a backup plugin you should be watching for:
- Ease of use. You should be able to backup your data easily. The process shouldn’t take more than a few clicks.
- Full backup. A plugin must back up all data, not just parts of your site.
- Cloud storage. There should be an option for cloud storage such as Google Drive or Dropbox. It will allow you to access your backup files from anywhere.
- Automated backups. Backup should be created automatically, so you don’t have to worry about doing it manually every time.
- Customer support. In case you want to ask questions or need help with the plugin.
Top 8 WordPress Backup Plugins Worth Checking Out
To help you make the right pick, I’ll list the top eight backup plugins and overview their features.
1. UpdraftPlus
UpdraftPlus is a gem among WordPress backup plugins. All versions offer automated backups, allowing you to download backup files to your computer.
With the free version, there’s an option to store your files into Google Drive and Dropbox. The Premium version offers more options for cloud storage. You can backup unlimited WordPress files and external databases, and have up to 100 GB storage.
There are several Premium plan options whose prices range from $70/year to $399/year, but they do offer various discounts for longtime customers.
The Good
- Flexible backup schedule. You can customize how often you want to backup your website. If you want, you can do it every few hours, daily, weekly or monthly.
- Encrypted files. Backup data can be encrypted for better security.
The Bad
- Paid support. Online support is only available for Premium plans. If you’ll be using the free version, you’ll have to seek help on their official WordPress forums or by using their ticketing system.
The Verdict
UpdraftPlus provides great services when it comes to flexibility. It’s perfect for those who want to tweak their backup schedule and store their backup files online.
UpdraftPlus also has a support team, who are ready to tackle your issues immediately. However, the best support options are only available for paid users.
2. VaultPress
VaultPress comes from the developers of WordPress.com. This backup plugin offers great features such as 30-day backup archive and uptime monitoring.
Moreover, VaultPress provides extra security features such as protection from brute force attacks.
Since VaultPress is a part of Jetpack, you have to subscribe to Jetpack’s plans. Jetpack is a security and performance toolkit used to greatly improve your website.
Jetpack offers three plans – a Jetpack Personal plan that costs $39/year with two Business plans ranging from $99/year to $299/year.
The Good
- Daily security scans. Your backup files will be scanned for malicious threats. You’ll be protected from brute force attacks, spam, and various security threats.
- Easy website restoring. A useful one-click restoration will speed up the process of getting your website up and running again.
The Bad
- No third-party cloud storage. VaultPress stores your backup files on their data centers. If you want to make use of cloud storage, you’ll have to download your files and upload them to your preferred cloud service yourself.
The Verdict
If you don’t want to worry about backup and restoration, VaultPress is for you. Their restoration and backup system is especially easy to use for beginners. Moreover, with Jetpack, you get additional security features, like spam filtering service Akismet.
3. Sucuri
Sucuri is a website security software created by the developers of GoDaddy and offers lots of features and removes traces of malware from your website. Of course, they will do malware scanning before removing any traces of malware.
Besides malware, Sucuri also provides hacking protection through virtual patching or hardening and it will remove traces of hacking from your website.
What’s even more, Sucuri provides brand and blacklist monitoring for your products. If you ever need help, they have a support team available through a ticketing system.
Other features include SSL certificate support (Premium plan only), and firewall – SSL & PCI Compliant.
Sucuri’s backup plugin provides automatic backups based on your pre-set schedule. Although they don’t offer third-party cloud storage options, Sucuri provides their own personal cloud storage solution.
The Good
- Extra security measures. You get more than just a way to back up your website. Malware protection, anti-hacking protection, and speed optimization are just some of the additional features that you get with their full Securi package.
- An active blog. Sucuri has its own official blog that is full of tutorials and helpful information.
The Bad
- Poor live support. Although Sucuri offers live support, many customers claim that their support team can be rather unresponsive.
The Verdict
Sucuri is a perfect solution for those who want to have the benefits of a complete security package. Its price and features make Sucuri best used for medium to large businesses. That being said, you’ll get other handy features, such as security and website speed optimization.
Sucuri’s Basic plan costs $199.99/year, while their Business plan costs $499.99/year. These plans might seem pricey, but you’re paying for a lot of features.
4. BackupBuddy
One of its main highlights is their WordPress dashboard integration. Through your dashboard, you can easily back up your files with a few clicks.
You get malware scanning as one of the multiple additional features that they offer. You’ll receive automatic updates and customer support in the form of a support ticket system.
BackupBuddy Stash ensures automatic updates for your WordPress site and stores it online.
BackupBuddy’s most affordable plan is its Blogger plan that costs $52/year, and you can back up one website. There’s a $130/year Gold plan that allows you to reserve an unlimited number of sites.
The Good
- Choose your files. You can exclude individual data for your backup. You can also backup personal files.
- WordPress dashboard integration. There’s no need for additional installation, as BackupBuddy can be found in your WordPress dashboard.
The Bad
- Limited storage. The maximum amount of space given by Stash Live is 25 GB. If you want to use more than that, you need to filter your backup files manually.
The Verdict
BackupBuddy is perfect for those who prefer simplicity since almost everything can be done in a single click or two. Unfortunately, they do not offer unlimited storage for your backups, since you can only back up to 25 GB of data.
5. BlogVault
BlogVault is another WordPress backup plugin that is worth checking out. They do guarantee that its backup will always work 100% and can restore your website within minutes.
Another highlight BlogVault offers is its staging plugin. The staging plugin creates a copy for the website for tests and demos. Moreover, the company also provides WordPress security such as malware scan and removal.
BlogVault’s price ranges from $89/year to $149/year. If you are unsure, you can op for its free trial to try out the product.
The Good
- Ecommerce optimized backup. Blogvault’s backup system is optimized for WooCommerce. You can be certain that even the smallest of changes will be saved and your website can continue working as intended.
- Incremental backup. BlogVault can back up portions of the website that’s been changed. It saves time and won’t slow down your website.
The Bad
- Limited cloud storage. Only cloud storage service that can be used with BlogVault is DropBox.
The Verdict
If you’re planning to have an ecommerce website, BlogVault is definitely for you. This way, you can easily maintain any issue if something happens to your site. Note that you can only do cloud storage through DropBox, so make sure you create an off-site backup.
6. Duplicator
More than one million users installed Duplicator, making it one of the most popular WordPress backup plugins on the internet.
Duplicator offers a lot of cloud-based storage, including DropBox and Amazon S3 options. The backup process is easy, and you can use your backup files from one WordPress host to another. Duplicator’s Pro plans offer one-on-one priority technical support and will get back to you as quickly as possible. There’s also a community forum in case you need further help.
There are four Pro plans available, ranging from $59/year to $359/year.
The Good
- Full site backup. You can reserve your entire website easily. You can also backup your website in the form of a .zip file, allowing you to download backup files to your computer.
- Scheduled backup. Create your custom schedule for backups. Perfect for those who like to strategize how they go about protecting their data.
The Bad
- Technical knowledge. Those with no technical expertise will have a harder time getting to know some of the features.
The Verdict
The simplicity of its backup system makes Duplicator perfect for easy backup and an ideal backup system for beginners. Moreover, you won’t have to set your alarm to remind you to back up your files manually, thanks to the scheduled backup feature.
However, parts of the plugin will be difficult to understand for some beginners. Thankfully, their live support, alongside with frequent updates, will provide help whenever you may need it.
7. WP Time Capsule
WP Time Capsule pride themselves in two things ‒ incremental backup and staging.
Incremental backup allows you to back up only the changes that you make without the need to backup the whole site repeatedly. Meanwhile, the staging feature can aid you when tweaking your website by using a duplicate one. When using a duplicate website, you can experiment to your heart’s content without changing anything on your real website.
The Good
- Incremental backup. You can secure the newly-updated parts of your website without having to renew the entire backup. Incremental backup uses less space and restores your site faster.
- 365-day restoration window. Your backup files will be saved for up to 365 days, but only if you’re using Amazon S3 to store your files.
The Bad
- No offline backup. Since backup files are automatically stored in the cloud, you’re unable to download your files to your computer.
The Verdict
If your website doesn’t go through massive changes too often, WP Time Capsule might be your perfect WordPress backup plugin.
WP Time Capsule offers two kinds of payment options – yearly subscriptions and one-time payments. Three plans are available for yearly subscriptions, starting from $49/year to $199/year. Meanwhile, the three available one-time purchase options range from $149 to $699.
8. BackWPup
According to its website, BackWPup has over 600,000 active users. It’s one of the most downloaded WordPress plugins out there with over 8 million clicks and counting.
BackWPup’s free version offers essential backup tools and a couple of cloud storage options.
Where BackWPup really shines is through their Pro versions. BackWPup Pro provides features such as complete database backup and encrypting backup archives. Unfortunately, their support office hours are only Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 7 PM.
Moreover, a Pro plan offers more cloud storage options such as Dropbox, Amazon Glacier, and Google Drive.
The Standard plan costs $69/year, while their fully-packed Agency plan costs $349/year.
The Good
- Multiple cloud storage options. Backup can be done to several cloud destinations, from Microsoft Azure to Rackspace.
- Database maintenance. You can optimize your database. When it’s damaged, BackWPup can patch it for you.
The Bad
- Scheduled backup-only. While having a scheduled backup can be helpful, there are moments when you might need to create a backup right away. Unfortunately, BackWPup doesn’t offer such a feature.
The Verdict
The features offered by BackWPup makes it the right candidate for being one of the most popular WordPress backup plugins out there. Having multiple cloud storage options brings a lot more freedom where to keep your data.
However, you need to make sure you always have your latest backup onboard, since there is no on-demand backup feature.
Protect Your Data Immediately!
I’ve discussed quite a few alternatives regarding WordPress backup plugins. It’s always a good idea to backup your website separately from your WordPress host for those worst-case scenarios.
Here’s a recap of WordPress backup plugins mentioned:
- UpdraftPlus ‒ offers an option to encrypt your backup files.
- VaultPress ‒ easy installation through one-click installation system, but does require using Jetpack services.
- Sucuri ‒ a complete package for maximum security measures.
- BackupBuddy ‒ integrated with the WordPress dashboard.
- BlogVault ‒ perfect with ecommerce websites.
- Duplicator ‒ can back up an entire website quickly.
- WP Time Capsule ‒ can store your backup files for up to 365 days.
- BackWPup ‒ offers database maintenance.
Once again, when it comes to website maintenance, it’s always wise to invest some time and effort into backing up your most precious files. After all, you don’t want your hard work to go to waste, do you?
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