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.

The post 8 Best WordPress Backup Plugins for 2020 appeared first on WP Pluginsify.

The solution? Well, it’s backups of your website. This will ensure your website is always running even under extenuating circumstances.

There are multiple ways of taking a backup copy. You can do it manually, use web host services or use a backup plugin.

Manually Backing Up a Website

Manually backing up a website is one of the most time-consuming processes. It involves backing up the site’s content, including the most important files and database, to a Cloud hosting service like DropBox or Google Drive. If you own multiple websites, it will naturally be a most tiresome process.

Web host services, on the other hand, may prove to be insufficient. Most services will only let you keep a single backup, which will overwrite any previously stored backup copies. There might be size constraints too. If you are planning to go back and select a previous backup version, you will not be able to do so.

Besides, almost all web hosting services use their own servers to store your backups. If their servers face trouble and your website goes down, you won’t be able to access your backup either.

Backing Up a Website With a WordPress Backup Plugin

The last option – of using a WordPress backup plugin- is thus the best one. Most plugins give you the opportunity of backing up your WordPress website with a single click. However, you cannot rely on every plugin which claims to be the best. Some criteria need to be fulfilled.

Choosing the Best WordPress Backup Plugin

There is an immense number of plugins currently available. Some are paid, some premium and others are freemium products. How do you choose from among so many contenders? Here are some features to look out for when deciding upon a WordPress backup plugin.

Complete Website Backup

The first thing to look out for in a plugin is its ability to back up a website completely. Your website is more than the WordPress core, themes, and plugins. It also has a database and other types of files. Everything needs to be backed up properly and without fail.

An Untethered Dashboard

Occasionally, you may get locked out of your own website because you can’t access your website admin via WP-Admin. While rare, such instances may include hacking, unforced errors, unsuitable or unsupported plugins among other reasons.

That means that if you can only access your website via your WP-Admin credentials, you cannot access your backup. An independent and untethered backup is thus a necessity, for even if you are locked out, will help you restore your site.

Offsite Storage

If you save your backup on the same server as your website, if the server goes down, you’ll lose your site and your backup. The point of having a backup is lost. This is why it’s recommended to store backups in a completely independent place from the website server.

Multiple Backups With Encryption

Ideally, you should always use a WordPress backup plugin which is capable of storing multiple encrypted backups at separate locations. Even if one storage system fails or is unresponsive, you can still access another copy.

Incremental Backups

Incremental backups increase the speed of your websites. Its the ideal way of backing up larger sites too. The entire website is backed up securely first, with further updates backed up in real-time. It leaves behind a minimal footprint and loading speeds skyrocket.

Real-Time Backups

All websites, including E-commerce websites with orders pouring in literally every second, need real-time back-ups. It is applicable for organizations dealing in large rolling stock, new listings and signings, and very frequent transactions over its website. Without real-time support, some orders can be misplaced.

Backups Should Be Independent of Hosting Servers

Without a doubt, the primary reason why organizations need backups is to have a full copy of their websites whenever they need it. If you save your backup on the same server as your website, you’ll lose both your site and your backup if the server goes down. The point of having a backup stands forgotten.

There are two ways to back up a website. The most common way of backing up a website still depends on hosting servers. That is, most WordPress users and site owners leave it to their web hosting partners to back up their site data, etc. Yet, there are very few if not any web hosting name which will take responsibility of lost backup data. For a fact, lost backup data can even deny the user/owner access to their website.

It is vital, therefore, to have a backup which is independent of such hosting servers. A backup plugin is a much safer alternative. With a plugin, you are not in a situation to lose valuable data unless you delete it first-hand. A backup plugin allows complete control over your site’s backup data and freedom from your hosting.

Superior Customer Support

Often, customer support is the differentiating factor between the best option and another pretender to the throne. Customer support has to be reliable and agile.

Is There a WordPress Plug-In Which Can Offer a Comprehensive Solution to Backing Up a Site?

WordPress is open-ended. As such, there is no ‘best’ but there is ‘better.’ A plug-in which covers all the edges to a certain function can only be popular till another alternative does the same but only better. And to recommend a WordPress backup plugin among the more than many options available, BlogVault can be the go-to option.

The idea is to ease operations as much as possible with a cent per cent success rate while maintaining simplicity and above all, time. BlogVault is more than just site restoration. It helps in backup, staging as well as site testing. It can be utilized as a single-end solution to a multi-faceted and of basic WordPress task.

BlogVault has a 100% success rate at site backup and restoration, and that’s a record the developers would like to keep up with the help of a small price. Yes, it is a paid service but one that is worth more considering the added holistic benefits.

How to Back Up Your Website Using BlogVault Plugin

You need to log in to your BlogVault account. If you do not have an account, register for free. On the dashboard, you will find an “Add New Site” option. Insert your website’s URL here and click on “Next step”. Add the BlogVault plugin to your website now. You now have the option to either automate or manually finish the process.

Of these, the automatic installation process is simpler. It also takes very little time. Submit your site credentials and then click on “Install Plugin”. That is all; BlogVault will start installing automatically and the backup will start once the process is completed.

If you are looking for better control over the installation and configuration of the plugin, you can choose to install it manually.  Download the plugin from the dashboard first. Then, log in to your website. Go to the ‘plugins’ section and press on “Add new”. Once you click “Upload Plugin” and then “Install now”, you can easily install the BlogVault plugin.

The last step is easy: return to the dashboard and click on “Plugin Already Installed? Check Now!”

BlogVault will start the first round of backup in real-time.

Note that the first backup takes some time to complete. Once it is finished, you will be informed via dashboard notifications.

Before You Go

Over 400,000 website owners around the world trust BlogVault because it is the best at what it does. You can choose another WordPress backup plugin depending on your specific needs as well. But never use a backup plugin as an afterthought.

Given the specter of malware and hacker attacks, you need constant and consistent backups of your site/s. Website security and backup go hand in hand. With the Plus and Advanced plans, BlogVault offers all-round security for your website that’s powered by MalCare.

Backups are vital to the life and health of any website, big or small. A website is prone to a number of risks, and in the event, something happens to your site, your backup will come to the rescue. Installing a plugin to help get the job done will make life easier and can save you from a lot of trouble in the future!

The post How to Backup a Website Using a WordPress Backup Plugin appeared first on WP Pluginsify.