There is always a lot of talk about the importance of backing up your website. I could not agree more. There are MANY WordPress backup systems available but choosing the right WordPress backup system can sometimes seem like a difficult or confusing process.
You might be asking yourself, “well why do I need a backup system? Isn’t that what I have a hosting service for?” Though, it is true that most hosting companies are backing up your websites, the how, when, and to what extent they are backed up will vary from host to host. Personally, I am not going to rely on someone somewhere else to be responsible for my (or my clients) websites. I want to be able to rely on them as MY backup for backups.
Here are my primary reasons I want to use my own backup system in addition to that of my host.
- Servers Fail
- Clients Experiment
- Hackers Hack
- Operator Error (yes, even I make mistakes – don’t tell my teenager)
What I Look for in a WordPress Backup System
It is Complete
I want a backup system that is going to not only backup my database (the location on my server that holds all the data from my site in its tables), but also the site itself. Meaning, I want it to remember the database plus all of my files, uploads, themes, plugins and configurations.
It is Automatic
I do not want to have to do something that is tedious or takes me away from actually building and maintaining my client’s websites. I want to be able to have a backup system that knows to run the backup on its own and do so regularly.
It is Reliable
I want a backup system that keeps up to date regarding the fast changing world of WordPress, is compatible with a vast amount of web hosting services and has a support system that I can count on when and if I need assistance.
It Offers Redundancy
My backup system has to offer me the ability to not only store my backups on my server but in a variety of other locations off of the server. This gives me the ability to build in additional redundancy. Is there such a thing as having too many good copies of your site?.
It is Easy
Keep my backup system simple. I am not rocket scientist and I do not want to have to think (too much) to ensure that I can grab a good copy of my website from my backup system and be able to use it to restore my site should I experience a potentially catastrophic failure!
Searching for WordPress Backup Options
In most cases, backup systems for WordPress websites fall into one of three categories.
- Free Backup System Products
- Premium Backup System Products
- Service Backup Systems
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when choosing a backup system is determining which WordPress backup system is right for you.
When choosing a backup system, consider the pros and cons of each of the WordPress backup options and the systems within them. Making the final choice is up to you. Only you can do your own research to determine which backup options, system and process is the right one for you and your WordPress backup needs.
Some Popular WordPress Backup Systems
The chart below lists and graphs some of the popular WordPress backup systems with their basic statistics (feel free to click the image for the PDF download version of the chart). Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that these plugins and services are constantly evolving and though I did my best to find the most accurate information for you at the time of this post, some of the information may not be up to date by the time that you receive this information.
These are the links to the WordPress backup systems in the chart for you to use for more research on your own.
- Automatic WP Backup
- Blog Vault
- BackupBuddy
- Backup WordPress
- EZPZ One Click Backup
- GD Press Tools
- Manage WP Professional
- My Repono
- Vault Press
- WP Backup to DropBox
- Xcloner
Here are some additional resources for your reading enjoyment along the same topic with additional and sometime specific details:
- Backup to DropBox Celebrates One Year With Exciting New Release or WordPress
- Snapshot Now Supports Automatic Backup Scheduling for WordPress
- Worryproof WordPress – Backup Strategies For Your Web Site
- Monitor and Backup Your WordPress Sites with the Free WP Remote Service
- WordPress Settings Backup Tip
Again, be sure to follow-up with your own research to determine which WordPress backup system is right for you.
Author’s Note: To all of you out there who are sure to notice that the particular WordPress backup system that you use may have been “missed” or “forgotten”…
I did not fail to mention or forget your backup system or plugin. I choose not to add all the available plugins. There are MANY. Too many to mention them all. This article and it’s resources are designed to get someone started in their research. It is by no means all inclusive of all of the options out there.
Please feel free to add yours to comments and tell us what you like and why.
*Image by jinterwas
You forgot an important free plugin from the official repository: BackWPup
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/backwpup/ (Downloads: 273,846)
Please add this so users have an even better resource to compare backup solutions.
Thanks, Dave :)
I have added an author note at the bottom of the article to address this. Thanks for the reminder.
You failed to include BackWPup http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/backwpup/ , which is free and can backup to dropbox, S3, FTP and more. It’s what we use for our clients’ sites.
Thanks for the article. The topic of backups is confusing for some of my clients. It’s great to have a comprehensive list in one place, helping them to have a better understanding of their options. You’ve saved me a lot of energy! I’ll refer them to your article instead of having to explain it all myself!
Please keep in mind that this is not intended to be a comprehensive list… one will still need to do their own research. This list is designed as a starting point with a few systems from each of the different types of options available.
Probably best to highlight that in some cases the big red NO icons are not necessarily bad. If a backup provider is storing your backups on their server, then you don’t need the S3 account and such.
Often people just look at the most greens and make the final call.
Sorry, I am not going to do someone’s research for them.
Personally, having the ability to store in MORE than one location (ie. the providers server) is imperative. I want to have control of my own backups in addition to any provider.
I’m using the Backuper plugin.
It’s easy and stable. Love the fact it do a complete cpanel backup :)
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/backuper/
Awesome. I am currently conducting more in depth research. Feel free to send me details using the criteria from the chart above for inclusion.
Sure :)
Complete Site Backup: Yes
Email Backup: Yes
Malware Scan: No
Migration: No
Multisite Support: Yes
Set Limit to Stored Backups: No
Stores to Amazon S3: No
Stored to REmote FTP: Yes
Stored to DropBox: No
Stores to Server: Yes
Vendor provides Storage: No
Plugin Name: Backuper
Cost: Free
Thanks!… you rock!
Kerry, can i be the first to say thanks! I conducted my own research and your chart pretty much nails what i had discovered. thanks again!
Kerry, thanks for doing the research and posting the results… a great starter resource.
I myself also like BackWPup… one reason for that is its great scheduler.
I use a backup strategy with a mix of daily, weekly and monthly backups to make sure I can go back in time if need be. And BackWPup automatically deletes old archives when relevant… a completely hands off solution…
I’ve written a post about my backup strategy… which will apply regardless of which plugin you use… WordPress Backup – The Plugin And The Plan.
Thanks for the cross reference, I will check it out.
Indeed this points are useful and quite important too.
I am right now using Blog vault.
Thanks for your descriptive Post i really like this
Great post! I’d like to add http://wppilot.com to the list of alternative solutions to blogvault and vaultpress.