Performing regular backups on your WordPress site is essential for your website security. Through backups, you can rest assured when your site gets hacked or you accidentally lock yourself out.

There are several free and paid WordPress backup plugins that you can use for your business. In this article, we will review UpdraftPlus, the most popular backup plugin in WordPress that comes with many useful features.

Getting Started

UpdraftPlus is a plugin that allows you to save your backups to several cloud storage services including Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and many others. In addition to that, you can also send it to an email address. To put it simply, UpdraftPlus simplifies backups and restoration. 

This plugin makes backups and restoration easier with an abundance of useful features offered. With over three million active installs, it is the world’s highest-ranked and most popular scheduled backup plugin. Back up your files and databases to the cloud, then restore them with a single click!

What Is UpdraftPlus Used for?

• Restores and backs up files
• Provides many cloud backup choices, including Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and more
• Set up automatic backup schedules
• Backups & restores files quicker and uses fewer server resources.

UpdraftPlus is the most popular and highly rated plugin on the market, and for good reason. It is not only comprehensive in terms of functionality, but it is also simple and intuitive to use. Because it has such a large user base, it has been tried and tested in a variety of circumstances and scenarios.

Where Does Updraftplus Store Backups?

Your backups are stored in whatever location you chose in the UpdraftPlus settings (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.). However, if you don’t choose the backup destination, by default,  your backups are saved in the “wp-content/updraft” folder of your WP install.

For your information, it’s not good to save your backups in your web servers because if hackers destroy your website or your web hosting company goes bust, then you lose both the site and the backups in one go. This is why UpdraftPlus shows you a warning if you select that option.

What Are the Features Inside UpdraftPlus?

Great Backup Features

Being WordPress.org’s highest-rated backup and restoration plugin, UpdraftPlus offers many useful features, including backs up an unlimited number of non-WordPress files & databases, supports WP-CLI command-line interface, incremental backups, and scheduled backups.

Moreover, this plugin can work with any platform that supports WordPress and major cloud storage like OneDrive, BackBlaze, Azure, WebDAV, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and more. In addition to that, it is compatible with (WPMU/WordPress Network) too.

Scheduled Backup

You are able to set up a scheduled backup with UpdraftPlus. There are two options for backup: manually or automatically (on a schedule): every 4, 8, or 12 hours; daily, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. It’s even possible to set it to a specified time.

In addition to that, there are other schedule options, such as:

• Separate scheduled backup for files and databases
• Report the time of the next scheduled backup
• Reduces the number of old backups kept on a regular basis.
• Backs up automatically when plugins or dashboard themes are updated, as well as before WordPress core changes are applied

Database Security

All backup files and databases from your website are safe with UpdraftPlus. There is an option for encrypting database backup to add protection. In addition to that,  the file transport to cloud storage is encrypted too.

Reporting, Monitoring, and Scheduling

UpdraftPlus documents all of your backups. In the WordPress admin panel, you can see the status of ongoing backups, as well as any faults or warnings. When a backup is finished, it generates a report that includes file checksums for backup integrity verification.

Moreover, there is a “Debug/expert” that provides further information about the backup process, including the ability to inspect a different set of SSL certificates, turn off SSL certificate verification, and turn off SSL completely. syslog (Linux/UNIX) / Event Log can receive all log messages (Windows).

Restoring, Recovering, and Migrating

UpdraftPlus backups each WordPress entity (including database, plugins, themes, uploaded content, and “other” stuff) into a single file, all from the WordPress control panel. As for the add-on can back up additional files, the WordPress core, or any arbitrary directory on the server.

Databases may be decrypted using drag-and-drop within the WordPress admin panel. In addition to that, you can import the backups made elsewhere through FTP or drag-and-drop (uploading of any size).

When you import a site, search and replace migrates the database. With a single click, you can restore backed-up entities from the console. BackupWordPress, BackWPup, WordPress Backup to Dropbox, and Simple Backup, as well as general SQL (uncompressed, gzip-compressed, or bzip2-compressed), backups are imported and restored.

WordPress Network, and Multisite

As mentioned before, Updraft Plus is very handy, it supports WordPress Network / Multisite setups. Besides, the network dashboard has the backup/restore control panel. Individual sites within the network should be restored (without having to restore all sites). Moreover, you can import the installs from a single site into the network.

Why Should I Use UpdraftPlus?

It’s vital for you to back up your WordPress files and databases to a secure location on a regular basis. Making regular backups can be a lifeline in the event of data loss due to an accident, malicious assault, or other disasters. That way, even if your entire website is hacked, destroyed, or deleted, you can easily recover your files and databases.

You can quickly back up and restore your entire WordPress website with the help of a reliable WordPress backup plugin. For added protection, it should also allow you to send your backup data to a secure remote site.

Is UpdraftPlus Free?

UpdraftPlus is a free plugin. However, it also has a premium version that provides more features and options. For more details, please read the following section.

Updraftplus Free vs Premium Version?

The free version of UpdraftPlus is adequate, but if you require additional features and options, there is a Premium version available.

UpdraftPlus Free Version

The features in the free UpdraftPlus are actually quite adequate.

• Backup WordPress files & database
• Translated into over 16 languages
• Restore from backup & backup to remote storage including Dropbox, Google Drive, FTP, S3, Rackspace, Email
• Basic email reporting
• Scheduled backups

UpdraftPlus Premium Version

As for the premium version of UpdraftPlus, it includes everything in the free version plus additional features. Here are just a few of UpdraftPlus Premium’s many features:

• Incremental backups
• Duplicates or migrates websites with ease (with Migrator)
• Compatible with multiple sites and networks.
• Backs up non-WP files and databases to a number of different distant locations.
• Multiple destinations and more storage destinations, including OneDrive, BackBlaze, Azure, WebDAV, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, SFTP/SCP, encrypted FTP
• Backup sets from other backup plugins such as WordPress Backup to Dropbox, BackWPUp, BackupWordPress, Simple Backup
• 1 GB of centralized remote storage is included (with UpdraftVault)
• Databases encryption
• Advanced reporting
• Supports WP-CLI
• Free expert assistance

How Is UpdraftPlus Pricing?

UpdraftPlus premium version has two methods of renewal, Manual and Subscription. We recommend you opt for the Subscription for a cheaper renewal price. There are 5 premium plans:

Personal

Up to 2 sites. The price is $70.00 now, then $42.00/ year.

Business

Up to 10 sites. The price is $95.00 now, then $57.00/ year.

Agency

Up to 35 sites. The price is $145.00 now, then $87.00/ year.

Enterprise

For unlimited sites. The price is $195.00 now, then $117.00/ year.

Gold

Ultimate premium package. The price is $399.00/ year.

Read more about UpdraftPlus pricing.

How to Install UpdraftPlus?

How to Use UpdraftPlus?

Pros

• Simple & straightforward user interface
• Provides free version with decent features
• Reasonable price for the Premium plan
• On-demand and scheduled backups are available
• Customizable backup options for files and databases
• Covers a variety of cloud storage locations
• There are tools for migration and cloning
• Extra sites security features such as a migrator and duplicator, automatic backups, additional backup storage destinations, and more

Cons

• Premium support is more responsive and hands-on.
• Difficult advanced configurations
• No updates for the rest of your life.
• Need to renew licenses every year to maintain obtaining free upgrades, add-ons, storage, and priority support

What Are the Alternatives to UpdraftPlus?

• VaultPress – Premium backup plugin with premium services by Automattic. Now rebranded as JetPack Backups.
• WP Time Capsule – Perfect solution to back up only your recent files and not your entire WordPress site.
• Duplicator – A migration plugin that also doubles as a suitable backup solution.
• Snapshot – Provides an efficient backup system that allows you to create manual and automatic full-site copies to both local and cloud servers.
• BlogVault – Great featured backup plugin with offsite backups independently.

Conclusion

UpdraftPlus is a popular backup plugin with a free version that includes features such as multiple backup cloud destinations or local backups, scheduled and on-demand backups, single-click restore, and more. It also has a premium version that includes capabilities like multiple site backup, migration, and cloning, as well as priority support, advanced backup, and security.

The tool streamlines database and file backups to the cloud, which you can recover with a single click. For the free version, it backs up your site to cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Rackspace Cloud, UpdraftVault, and email, among others. The Premium version, on the other hand, saves backups to Microsoft Azure, OneDrive, Google Cloud Storage, SCP, Backblaze B2, WebDAV, and SFTP. It obviously has more features than a similar tool like Duplicator.

References

• UpdraftPlus Official Website
• WordPress Official Plugin – UpdraftPlus
• How to Backup & Restore WordPress Sites with UpdraftPlus – WP Beginner
• UpdraftPlus Review: Is It the Best WordPress Backup Plugin? – Is It WP
• BackupBuddy Vs UpdraftPlus – Which Is Better? – Rigorous Themes
• 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons) – WP Beginner