BackupBuddy was one of the original commercial WordPress backup plugins, launched in 2010 by iThemes (now SolidWP) and still trusted by site owners who like the certainty of a paid plugin that runs locally. BlogVault emerged around the same time but went a different direction entirely, building a managed SaaS that runs backups off your origin server. Fifteen years later, both still ship updates, both protect serious sites, and both have very different opinions on how a backup plugin should behave.
The choice is not really about features. BackupBuddy and BlogVault both do scheduled backups, both do migrations, both restore. The choice is about where the work happens and who is responsible for the moving parts. BackupBuddy puts everything inside your WordPress install and lets you pick where to send the archives. BlogVault owns the entire pipeline from change detection to off-site storage to restore execution, and gives you a single dashboard to manage many sites at once.
This comparison walks through pricing, backup mechanics, restore behavior, staging, and the operational decisions that come down to whether you want to manage the backup tool yourself or pay someone to manage it for you. By the end you should have a clear answer for your specific situation.
⚡ Quick Verdict
- →Pick BlogVault if you want fully managed off-site backups, included staging, and restores that work without touching your origin host.
- →Pick BackupBuddy if you prefer a self-hosted plugin bundled with the SolidWP security suite and your own cloud storage.
📋 In This Comparison
BlogVault Overview
BlogVault is a managed WordPress backup, staging, and migration service launched in 2011. The defining feature is that backups, compression, encryption, and storage all happen on BlogVault’s infrastructure rather than your origin server. The plugin in wp-admin is small and mostly relays changes to BlogVault, which keeps server load minimal even on shared hosting. Unlimited backup storage is bundled with every plan, removing the math around archive size.
The platform includes incremental backups by default, real-time backups for WooCommerce stores on higher tiers, one-click staging on BlogVault’s servers, host-to-host migrations, malware scanning, and a multi-site dashboard for agencies. The single-pane-of-glass model suits owners who want backups to be invisible until they need them. For broader category context, see our roundup of the best WordPress backup plugins.
BackupBuddy Overview
BackupBuddy is a self-hosted WordPress backup plugin from SolidWP (formerly iThemes), one of the longest-running commercial plugins in the ecosystem. It runs backups inside WordPress, packages them into a single zip archive plus an importbuddy.php restore script, and ships the archive to whichever remote destination you configure: Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, Stash (SolidWP’s own storage), Rackspace, FTP, or email.
The plugin is now bundled into the SolidWP suite alongside Solid Security and Solid Central, which means licensing covers more than just backups. BackupBuddy supports full and database-only backups, scheduled runs, and migrations via the importbuddy script that walks you through database search-and-replace on the destination host. It does not include incremental backups in the same way modern tools do, but it has been quietly reliable for over a decade.
Pricing Compared
BlogVault starts at roughly $89 per year for one site with daily backups, 90-day retention, staging, and migrations included. Higher tiers add real-time backups, malware scanning, longer retention, and white-label dashboards. Storage is unlimited and included, so the price you see is the total cost.
BackupBuddy is now sold as part of SolidWP’s bundles. Solid Backups starts around $99 per year for one site, with multi-site packs at higher tiers. Bundled suites that include Solid Security and Solid Central run higher but cover the broader stack. Cloud storage costs depend on where you send archives, with Stash adding a separate ongoing fee if you use SolidWP’s own storage.
For pure backup functionality, the prices land in similar territory, but BlogVault’s bundled storage and staging tilt total cost of ownership in its favor for owners who would otherwise pay for S3 plus a staging environment.
Backup Approach
BlogVault uses off-server incremental backups: only changed bytes are sent to BlogVault’s infrastructure, where they are compressed, deduplicated, and encrypted. Backup jobs complete in minutes even on large sites and barely register on your origin server. Real-time mode pushes changes as they happen, suitable for stores with continuous orders.
BackupBuddy runs in-process inside WordPress, packaging files and database into a single zip archive on your server, then uploading the archive to remote storage. Full backups on a 5GB site can take a long time and stress shared hosts, although BackupBuddy includes settings to break the process into smaller chunks. Scheduled backups are common, real-time backup is not part of the workflow, so a busy store relies on whatever frequency you schedule.
If your hosting is generous and your site is moderate-sized, BackupBuddy’s local approach is fine. If you are on shared hosting or running anything resource-sensitive, BlogVault’s off-server model is materially easier on the server. See our backup and restore plugins guide for more depth on backup architectures.
Restore Experience
BlogVault restores run from BlogVault’s servers and stream files back to your host in chunks. The restore works even when your origin is down, hacked, or out of disk, which is precisely when you need it. An auto-rollback feature takes a fresh snapshot before each restore, so a bad restore can itself be reversed in one click.
BackupBuddy restores use the importbuddy.php script. You upload importbuddy.php and the backup zip to the destination server, visit importbuddy.php in a browser, and walk through the wizard, which handles database import and URL search-and-replace. It is reliable but manual, and on a thoroughly compromised site you still need a working PHP environment to run the importer. For migrations to a fresh host this works well; for emergency restores to a broken host, it is slower than BlogVault’s off-site model.
Staging and Migrations
BlogVault includes one-click staging on every paid plan. The staging copy runs on BlogVault’s servers, no subdomain configuration on your host, and merge-back is selective at the file or database-table level. Migrations are similarly two-click, point at the new host and BlogVault moves the site over with URL rewriting handled automatically.
BackupBuddy supports migrations via importbuddy and includes Deployments for staging-to-production workflows, but staging itself is not a managed environment. You set up the staging copy on a subdomain or separate hosting account yourself, then use BackupBuddy to push files between environments. This is more hands-on than BlogVault’s bundled staging but gives you full control over where the staging copy lives.
User Experience
BlogVault’s dashboard is off-site at blogvault.net. You log in once and manage backups, scans, staging, and migrations across every connected site from a single screen. For agencies, this is a significant time saver over the per-site login model.
BackupBuddy lives inside wp-admin, with Solid Central available for managing multiple sites from a remote dashboard. The interface is older and denser than BlogVault, with the long-tenured-plugin feel of many tabs and many options. Owners who like configurability find it satisfying; owners who want fewer clicks typically prefer BlogVault.
Side-by-Side Table
| Feature | BlogVault | BackupBuddy |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | 7-day trial | No, paid only |
| Starting Price | $89/year, 1 site | $99/year, 1 site |
| Backup Storage | Unlimited, off-site, included | Your cloud + optional Stash |
| Incremental Backups | Yes, byte-level | Limited |
| Real-Time Backups | Yes, higher tiers | No |
| Restore Source | BlogVault servers | importbuddy.php on destination |
| Staging Environment | One-click, included | Manual via Deployments |
| Migration Tool | Two-click, built-in | importbuddy script |
| Mobile App | No | No |
| Multi-Site Dashboard | Yes, agency-grade | Solid Central |
| Best For | Agencies, WooCommerce, large sites | SolidWP suite users, DIY hosts |
Which Should You Choose
Pick BlogVault if you want backups, staging, and migrations bundled into a managed SaaS, you run on shared hosting where backup load matters, you manage multiple client sites, or you operate a WooCommerce store that needs real-time protection. The off-site architecture genuinely changes the operational story.
Pick BackupBuddy if you are already a SolidWP customer and want the bundled suite economics, you prefer self-hosted plugins where the archives live in your own cloud storage, or you are comfortable running importbuddy.php for restores and migrations. It is the classic option, well maintained, and reliable for owners who like the local-plugin model.
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Start BlogVault Trial →FAQs
Is BlogVault better than BackupBuddy?
For modern requirements (off-site backups, included staging, real-time WooCommerce protection, easy multi-site management), BlogVault is the stronger product. BackupBuddy still wins for owners who are committed to the SolidWP suite or want a self-hosted plugin model.
Does BackupBuddy still get updates?
Yes, BackupBuddy is now part of the SolidWP suite as Solid Backups and continues to receive updates from the SolidWP team.
Where does BackupBuddy store backups?
You choose: Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, Rackspace, SolidWP’s own Stash storage, FTP, SFTP, or email. The plugin itself does not host backups beyond temporary local storage on your server.
Does BlogVault have a free plan?
No, BlogVault is paid-only with a 7-day free trial. Plans start at roughly $89 per year for one site with all core features included.
Can BackupBuddy do incremental backups?
BackupBuddy supports faster backup methods than full archives on every run, but it does not match the byte-level incremental model that BlogVault and WP Time Capsule use. Most BackupBuddy users run scheduled full backups.
Which is easier for migrations?
BlogVault. The migration tool is two clicks from the dashboard. BackupBuddy’s importbuddy.php script is reliable but requires uploading files to the destination host and walking through a wizard.
Does BlogVault include malware scanning?
Yes, on the Plus tier and above. The integrated MalCare scanner runs daily and can auto-clean infected files when issues are detected.
Which is better for agencies?
BlogVault. The bundled storage, off-site staging, and multi-site dashboard scale to managing many client sites without per-site configuration overhead. BackupBuddy via Solid Central is workable but more manual.
Final Word
BlogVault and BackupBuddy represent two generations of WordPress backup thinking. BackupBuddy is the classic, a self-hosted plugin that gives you full ownership of every part of the pipeline. BlogVault is the modern managed alternative that hides the moving parts and lets you focus on the site instead of the backup tool. Both work, both are maintained, both will save your site when something breaks. The right pick depends on whether you want to own the toolchain or rent the service. For more options across the staging side of the workflow, see our best WordPress staging plugins roundup.