A site with no backup strategy is one server crash or hack away from losing everything. Backup and restore plugins automate what used to be a manual, easy-to-forget task: scheduled copies of your files and database, stored somewhere other than the same server that might fail.
What These Plugins Actually Do
They create copies of your site’s files and database on a schedule, store them somewhere offsite (cloud storage, in most cases), and restore from that copy with a few clicks if something breaks. No manual FTP downloads or database exports required.
What to Look For
Automatic scheduling, offsite cloud storage (not just a folder on the same server), and genuinely simple one-click restoration. Beyond that: incremental backups (only changes since the last backup, faster and lighter), encryption, and multisite support if you need them.
12 Best Backup and Restore Plugins
1. UpdraftPlus
Free (WordPress.org) plus a premium tier. Scheduled backups, cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, FTP, and more), one-click restore, encryption, and multisite support. Incremental backups (changes-only) are a premium feature.
2. Kadence Backups (formerly BackupBuddy)
Worth a direct correction here: BackupBuddy’s own product page now redirects through SolidWP to Liquid Web’s Kadence add-ons, the same StellarWP/Nexcess/Liquid Web consolidation already seen elsewhere with Kadence Memberships and LearnDash. Daily incremental backups and one-click full or partial restore, included with Kadence Pro and Elite plans rather than sold as a standalone product the way BackupBuddy was.
3. Jetpack VaultPress Backup
Automattic’s premium backup service, real-time backups (changes saved as they happen, especially useful for WooCommerce order data), daily backups for less active sites, one-click restore, activity log, and offsite cloud storage. Worth a direct correction: this post’s earlier version listed “Jetpack Backup” and “VaultPress” as two separate entries; VaultPress has since been folded directly into Jetpack as Jetpack VaultPress Backup, they’re the same product now, consolidated here. Sold as a standalone service or as part of Jetpack Security/Complete.
4. Duplicator
Built primarily for migration and cloning, packaging your entire site (files, database, plugins, themes) for transfer to a new host, with a genuine backup use case as a side benefit. Free version covers the basics; Pro adds scheduled backups and cloud storage.
5. WPvivid Backup Plugin
Full-site backups with cloud storage integration (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3), incremental backups, migration tools, backup exclusions, and password-protected encrypted files. Free tier is genuinely usable; Pro adds more cloud options and unlimited schedules.
6. BackWPup
Database and file backups with scheduling, multiple storage destinations (Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, FTP, even email), compressed zip/tar output, and job logs. A solid, flexible free option.
7. BlogVault
Automated daily and real-time backups, offsite storage, one-click restore, migration tools, malware scanning, a firewall, and a staging environment for testing changes safely. A combined backup-and-security service rather than a pure backup plugin.
8. WP Time Capsule
Built around incremental backups specifically, only changed files and database entries get backed up, which keeps it fast and light on storage. Automatic pre-update backups (before you update themes, plugins, or core) are a genuinely useful safety net most other plugins don’t emphasize as clearly.
9. All-in-One WP Migration
Primarily a migration tool: export your whole site and import it into a new WordPress install, handling serialized data correctly so links and settings survive the move. Free version has file-size limits; Pro removes them and adds search-and-replace during migration.
10. Backup Migration
One-click backup, restore, and migration with selective file/table inclusion, scheduling, and a genuinely lightweight footprint that doesn’t add noticeable overhead to the site.
11. WP Database Backup
Focused specifically on the database, posts, pages, user data, plugin settings, rather than full-site backups. A reasonable lighter-weight option if your media/file backups are already handled elsewhere and you just need database coverage.
Choosing One
UpdraftPlus is the reasonable default: free, well-supported, works for most sites. Jetpack VaultPress Backup or BlogVault if you want backups bundled with security monitoring. Duplicator or All-in-One WP Migration if migration, not ongoing backup, is the primary need. WP Time Capsule if incremental efficiency matters most for a large, frequently-updated site.