I’ve Tried ALL the WordPress Backup Plugins – These Ones Work in 2026
Written By:
Joella Dunn
Joella Dunn
Joella is a writer with years of experience in WordPress. At Duplicator, she specializes in site maintenance — from basic backups to large-scale migrations. Her ultimate goal is to make sure your WordPress website is safe and ready for growth.
Reviewed By:
John Turner
John Turner
John Turner is the President of Duplicator. He has over 20+ years of business and development experience and his plugins have been downloaded over 25 million times.
February 10, 2026
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April 3, 2023
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8:00 am
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0 Comment(s)
Your WordPress site is a valuable online store, portfolio, blog, or other personal space. So what happens when disaster strikes?
A bad update, hacking attempt, or simple human error can bring your entire site crashing down.
If you have a backup plugin, you’ll be able to restore your site. These tools regularly save copies of your data so you can get your site back online if anything goes wrong.
Here’s the bottom line: you NEED a backup plugin. But if you need help finding the right one, don’t worry. I’ve done the legwork for you.
I tested, reviewed, and compared the best WordPress backup plugins on the market. I’ll show you how to pick one that fits your needs so you can start backing up your site today!
Here are the key takeaways:
You should have a reliable backup plugin to recover from malware, server failures, or human error.
The best plugins offer automated schedules, cloud storage (like Google Drive or S3), and easy one-click restoration.
Duplicator is the top overall pick for its ability to handle complex migrations and disaster recovery even when your site is offline.
Other strong contenders include UpdraftPlus for ease of use and Solid Backups for staging environments.
Before we get started, here’s a quick list of the best WordPress backup plugins! Be sure to continue reading this post for a deep dive into each plugin’s features and ease of use.
Real-World Use: Our team members actively use the plugin during the review process and for personal projects. This provides first-hand experience of the plugin in a practical setting.
ReviewCore Functionality: We thoroughly test the core functionalities advertised by the plugin. This ensures the plugin delivers what it promises.
UsabilityTests: We evaluate how user-friendly the plugin is, including its interface design and overall user experience.
Identify the Target Audience: We consider the ideal website type or user that would benefit most from the plugin’s features.
What to Look For in a WordPress Backup Plugin
If you own a website, it’s important to perform regular backups. Essentially, this involves saving a copy of your WordPress files and database. When a coding error or software bug breaks your site, you can easily restore a recent backup.
Often, hosting providers will give you a way to back up your website. However, it can be beneficial to have a third-party backup tool. By installing the right WordPress backup plugin, you can access your website even after server errors.
The best WordPress backup plugins make it easy to back up and restore your live site. You won’t need to use cPanel or an FTP client to manually download your data.
Here are some features we’d recommend looking for:
Real-time backups
Full backups and database-only backups
Cloud storage
Scheduled backups
One-click restores
Off-site disaster recovery
When you install any plugin, you’ll want to know it comes with a stellar support system. Before choosing a backup plugin, make sure it provides reliable customer service. This way, you can have peace of mind that your website will be backed up correctly.
Our Favorite WordPress Backup Plugins (Reviewed for 2026)
Even when you know what backup features to look for, you might not know which plugin is right for you.
To help you make the best choice, here’s our list of the best backup plugins for WordPress!
Duplicator: Best for flexible backups, migrations, and cloning, including disaster recovery even when your site is down.
UpdraftPlus: A popular user-friendly option for free backups and restores directly from your dashboard.
Jetpack Backup: Offers easy one-click restores and management from a mobile app.
BlogVault: A premium SaaS solution that stores backups on its own servers to reduce site load.
Solid Backups: A long-standing, reliable plugin with simple restores and staging features.
WPvivid: An all-in-one solution for backups and migrations, with an image optimizer add-on.
WP Database Backup: A simple, focused tool for backing up just your WordPress database.
Duplicator is a flexible plugin that backs up, migrates, and clones WordPress sites. Because of its simplicity and versatility, it’s actively installed on over 1 million websites.
As a new website owner, you might not know how to back it up. Duplicator makes this process easy. All you’ll have to do is add a new backup.
Use tags to create the perfect name. This will help you identify the right one if you ever need to restore it.
Save your backup locally or choose an off-site storage location. Duplicator supports all of these cloud storage services:
Google Drive
Dropbox
Microsoft OneDrive
Amazon S3
Wasabi
Google Cloud
DreamObjects
Vultr
DigitalOcean Spaces
Cloudflare R2
Backblaze B2
Plus, Duplicator has its own cloud storage. Duplicator Cloud is easy to set up, since it activates with your Duplicator Pro license.
Once you set up automatic Duplicator Cloud backups, you can manage them in an off-site dashboard. You’ll view backup activity and used storage space.
By monitoring the activity log, you won’t get caught off guard by storage limits or unauthorized logins.
With the Duplicator plugin, you can customize exactly what data is saved in your backup. This is as easy as checking a box.
When you need to restore a backup, simply click on the Restore button. Duplicator will guide you through the rest of the process.
Unlike other backup plugins, Duplicator can restore your site even if it’s completely offline. If you can’t access your dashboard, upload your backup files to your server. Launch the installer with this URL: https://your-domain/installer.php
By uploading these backup files to another server, you can migrate your site to a new host or domain name. This makes Duplicator a useful tool for WordPress migrations and cloning.
What We Liked About Duplicator
Drag-and-drop site migrations
Scheduled hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly backups
Custom backups
Integrates with cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, and more
Customizable pre-configured sites
Multisite network backups and migrations
Large site support
Streamlined installer
Disaster recovery points
One-click restores
Native Duplicator Cloud storage with scalable pricing
Free WP Media Cleanup plugin with Elite
Pricing: Duplicator Lite is a completely free WordPress backup plugin. Consider upgrading to the premium version to access cloud storage, automatic backups, and drag-and-drop migrations. These plans start at $69.30 per year.
Duplicator Cloud costs as little as $29 yearly for 2GB of storage space. There are plenty of higher plans if you need more backup storage.
Why we chose Duplicator: Duplicator streamlines backups for beginners and has extra features for more advanced users. Unlike the others on this list, Duplicator can restore your site even if it’s down. Plus, it can migrate your website to a new server without making you install WordPress first.
Another popular WordPress backup plugin is UpdraftPlus. You can use this tool to perform both manual and scheduled backups. Either of these options will save a backup of your website files, plugins, themes, and database.
UpdraftPlus allows you to save backups to cloud storage locations like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, and Rackspace Cloud. It also has UpdraftPlus Vault, a paid storage service.
Similar to Duplicator, UpdraftPlus supports website cloning. However, you’ll have to purchase additional tokens to access the UpdraftClone add-on.
Generates separate backup files for your database, themes, plugins, and uploads
You have to purchase tokens to clone your website
Can only restore backups from the dashboard, leaving you potentially vulnerable to lockouts
Pricing: UpdraftPlus has a free version with basic backup and restore options. The premium plugin will include advanced features like incremental backups, database encryption, and backups of non-WordPress files. These plans start at $70 per year.
Why we chose UpdraftPlus: UpdraftPlus can be a good solution for creating free backups and restoring them when you need to.
Jetpack Backup, or VaultPress, is a beginner-friendly plugin that simplifies the backup process. Since it was developed by Automattic, the same company behind WordPress, Jetpack seamlessly integrates into your dashboard.
Using Jetpack, you can back up your database and root directory. Even in the Jetpack mobile app, you’ll be able to restore your site in one click.
However, keep in mind that Jetpack Backup only performs partial backups. Core WordPress files and additional WordPress installs will be excluded from any backup.
It’s also important to note that Jetpack’s lower plans will only store your backups for 30 days. If you want unlimited restores from the past year, you’ll have to upgrade to the Complete plan for $50 per month.
Some users report that Jetpack causes performance issues on their sites
Only stores backups for 30 days
Pricing: Although you can find a Jetpack as a free plugin, you’ll have to sign up for a paid subscription to use it. These start at $4.95 per month. You’ll receive up to 10GB of backup storage space.
Why we chose Jetpack Backup: Jetpack makes it easy to view your previous backups and restore your site with one click. If you want to manage backups with a mobile app, Jetpack could be for you.
Unlike the other WordPress backup plugins on this list, BlogVault is an SaaS (Software as a Service). Rather than overloading your server resources with bulky backup zip files, BlogVault stores your website data on its dedicated servers. This can boost your loading speed.
BlogVault can also handle websites up to 500GB in size. This includes WordPress multisite networks and WooCommerce stores.
When you need to restore your website, you can test a recent backup. By restoring it on the BlogVault servers first, you’ll know it’s safe to upload to your website. Plus, BlogVault supports selective restores to only replace the corrupted data on your site.
Pricing: BlogVault’s subscriptions start at $99 per year. Even the basic backup plan includes cloud storage, multisite backups, and automated daily backups.
Why we chose BlogVault: BlogVault stores backups on a dedicated server, reducing bloat that could come from other backup plugins. Plus, it gives you more control with incremental backups and selective restores.
Because it’s been around since 2010, Solid Backups (formerly known as BackupBuddy) is one of the oldest backup plugins. This tool is capable of backing up everything on your website, including posts, theme files, WordPress settings, and the database.
One of Solid Backup’s main selling points is its simple restore process. Using the import tool, you can restore individual files whenever they become corrupted or changed. You’ll be able to roll back your database or your full WordPress website.
Solid Backups is also a cloning and migration plugin. This allows you to move to a new web hosting provider or domain name. It even comes with a URL replacement feature to automatically update your site’s URLs.
What We Liked About Solid Backups
Complete, database-only, or files-only backups
Scheduled backups
Off-site backup storage
Restore individual files, database, or complete website
Migration and cloning functionality
Staging site to test changes
What We Didn’t Like About Solid Backups
No free version
Expensive premium plans
Pricing: Solid Backups starts at $99 per year for a single website. You can also purchase a bundle that includes Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security Pro). This will give you malware scans and other essential security features.
Why we chose Solid Backups: Solid Backups is a reliable backup tool that’s been around for a long time (formerly as BackupBuddy). It offers simple ways to restore corrupted data and migrate your website to another location.
WPvivid has all of the basic features you’d expect from a WordPress backup plugin. You’ll be able to back up your website, create staging sites, and migrate your content to a new host. Additionally, there are off-site storage options to save your site remotely.
With WPvivid, you can get an image optimization add-on. By compressing your site’s media files, you’ll enjoy a faster server. WPvivid will also clean up unused images so that your backup files are lighter.
What We Liked About WPvivid
Full, files-only, and database-only backups
Scheduled backups
One-click restores
Cloud storage
Compatible unused images cleaner plugin
Export/import options
Auto-backup before updates
What We Didn’t Like About WPvivid
Some key features like auto-backups before updates and incremental backups are only available in the premium version
Pricing: The core WordPress plugin is free. For more advanced features, the premium plans start at $49 per year.
Why we chose WPvivid: WPVivid makes it easy to create staging sites, save backups before updates, and import/export data. Unlike other backup plugins, it has add-ons to optimize images and support staging.
In some cases, you might only want to back up your database. With WP Database Backup, you can start backing up your database files and restore them if needed. It also enables you to set up a backup schedule to regularly save a copy of your database.
The main benefit of WP Database Backup is that it’s easy to use. You can create new database backups with a single click. The restore process is just as simple.
However, keep in mind that WP Database Backup does not perform a backup of your entire site. To keep your data fully secure, we’d recommend installing a plugin that backs up your files as well.
What We Liked About WP Database Backup
Manual and automatic database backups
One-click restores
Remote storage locations
Sort and search backup list
Backup reports
What We Didn’t Like About WP Database Backup
I found the backup process very slow
There’s a free version, but it has more limited features
Pricing: WP Database Backup is free. If you want to access built-in cloud storage, you can purchase it for $1 per 50GB every month.
Why we chose WP Database Backup: Using WP Database Backup, you can quickly and easily back up your WordPress database. It also has restore options, remote storage, and backup reports.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best way to back up WordPress?
The best way to back up WordPress is to install a backup plugin like Duplicator Pro. Using Duplicator, you can easily customize backups with the available backup presets (full-site, database-only, media-only, or custom). You’ll also be able to connect third-party cloud storage locations and enable automatic backups.
What is the best free backup plugin for WordPress?
The best free backup plugin for WordPress is Duplicator Lite. This tool compiles all of your WordPress files, plugins, themes, media files, and database information into a single zip file. Since Duplicator also provides a standalone installer, you can also use it to migrate your website to another domain name, server, or web host.
Does WordPress do automatic backups?
No, WordPress does not provide built-in automatic backups. However, a plugin like Duplicator can help you schedule recurring backups. You can choose between hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly backups. If needed, you’ll be able to run multiple schedules to back up specific parts of your site at the right time.
How do I completely back up my WordPress site?
To completely back up your WordPress site, install Duplicator Pro as your backup plugin. Then, create a new backup and include all components of your website. After you finish building the backup, download it to your local computer.
Which is a recommended plugin for automated backups?
Duplicator Pro is the best plugin for scheduling automated backups. With this tool, you can create monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly backups.
You can pick and choose which parts of your site to back up once the schedule runs. This makes it easy to save the right data at the right time.
Decision Time: Which Is the Best WordPress Backup Plugin?
Duplicator is the best WordPress backup plugin because of its comprehensive features. This tool allows you to easily create both full and database-only backups. Plus, you can use Duplicator to set up automatic backups, migrate your website to a new server, or build a staging site.
Alternatives: All-in-One WP Migration, WP Time Capsule, and Backup Migration are other plugins that can back up your site. However, we eliminated them from this list to focus on the best options for your site.
Don’t Let a Crash Cost You Your Business
Your website is your storefront, your portfolio, and your direct line to your audience. A single error could wipe out years of hard work in seconds.
That’s why having a reliable backup plugin is an absolute necessity.
The most important step is simply getting started. By automating your backups and storing them off-site, you’re ensuring that a minor glitch doesn’t turn into a catastrophic failure. You’ll sleep better knowing your data is safe and fully recoverable.
Are you ready to start backing up your website? Download Duplicator Pro for automatic backups and cloud storage!
Joella is a writer with years of experience in WordPress. At Duplicator, she specializes in site maintenance — from basic backups to large-scale migrations. Her ultimate goal is to make sure your WordPress website is safe and ready for growth.
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