Backing up your precious data is a common best practice these days. But, what about your WordPress-powered website? Yes, most web hosting companies do perform regular system backups.
But beware – not every host is reliable when it comes to backups. And you certainly don’t want to wait until disaster strikes to find out how they did.
You’ll get much more peace of mind if you perform regular site backups yourself. Luckily, there are several outstanding free plugins that will do the job for you.
Note that there are some differences in what various plugins will backup. A WordPress website is comprised of both a database (usually MySQL) and a set of files that sit on the webserver.
You’ll really only need to worry about the /wp-content/ folder, which contains your theme, plugins, and file uploads. Some plugins backup both the database and files.
Others will handle one of the two. Keep in mind that you’ll need both the database and the /wp-content/ folder to have access to all of your site’s data.
Now, let’s check out some plugins to keep your site backed up. We’ll take note of whether they back up a site’s database, file system, or both.
Total Upkeep – WordPress Backup Plugin Plus Restore & Migrate
WordPress software updates can sometimes cause problems. That’s why it’s important to have backups that can be restored immediately.
Total Upkeep’s auto rollback feature will create backups before you run updates, allowing you to easily restore the site to its previous state. A Pro version also enables cloud-based backups and staging sites.
Backs Up: Database and File System (with an option to customize what gets backed up)
WP Staging – Backup Duplicator & Migration
Having a staging environment for your WordPress website is always a good idea. But if your web host doesn’t offer this functionality, WP STAGING can help.
The plugin makes it easy to clone your site and into a subfolder (or a subdomain, if you opt for the Pro version).
Backs Up: Database and File System
WordPress Backup & Migrate Plugin
Backup, restore or even migrate your site. Also available is the ability to download a copy of a backup to keep on your local machine. A pro version lets you schedule backups and connect to various cloud storage services.
Backs Up: Database and File System (with an option to customize what gets backed up)
WP-DBManager
Schedule regular backups of your WordPress database and have it both emailed to you and stored on your web server. Restore a backup with just a couple of clicks.
Also, you can schedule automatic database optimization and repair.
Backs Up: Database Only
WP Time Capsule
Rather than doing a time and resource consuming full backup each time, WP Time Capsule will perform an incremental backup of just the files that have changed.
You have the ability to schedule backups and connect to Dropbox, Amazon S3 and Google Drive.
Backs Up: Database and File System
WPBackItUp
WPBackItUp touts its ease of use – just one click to backup your entire site. The plugin compresses the backup into a .zip file stored on your web server. Backup status notifications will arrive via email.
Backs Up: Database and File System
UpdraftPlus
Automatically or manually backup your entire site to your web server, multiple cloud services, email or even an FTP server. Restore backups directly from inside WordPress. Site migration packages can also be downloaded.
Backs Up: Database and File System (with an option to customize what gets backed up)
WP Database Backup
Backup your site’s database to the cloud, email, or FTP. Set up a schedule to run on a routine basis. The ability to exclude specific database tables is included.
Backs Up: Database Only
BackWPup
You can schedule complete automatic backups for your site and store them in the cloud. Backups can be compressed into .zip, .tar, tar.gz or tar.bz2 formats. BackWPup will also check, repair, and optimize your database.
Backs Up: Database and File System
BackUpWordPress
This plugin is all about simplicity – there is no setup required. Backup your entire site on a schedule and optionally have the archives emailed to you. Backups will run even on low-powered web hosting accounts.
Backs Up: Database and File System (with an option to customize what gets backed up)
No More Excuses – Backup Your Site!
A WordPress site can break for many reasons, including a database crash, theme or plugin incompatibility, or a failed web host. But you don’t have to leave things to chance.
There are free WordPress backup plugins that cater to every need. It’s time to be proactive with your website and prepare for the worst. If something does happen, you’ll be glad that you took steps to regularly backup your website.
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