CompareBlogVault vs BackupBuddy (now Kadence Backups)

BackupBuddy is in maintenance mode. Your backups shouldn’t be.

BlogVault is a backup service you can buy on its own, from $99 a year. No bundle, no SSH, no ImportBuddy.

Back up my site — free Compare features

$99A year, on its own
1M+Successful restores
400,000+Sites backed up
14 daysMoney-back guarantee

Why BackupBuddy users choose BlogVault

The plugin you have gets no new features, and its successor comes in a bundle. There’s a simpler move.

01
Sold on its own, for a third of the price
BackupBuddy’s successor, Kadence Backups, comes only inside Kadence bundles from $299 a year. BlogVault is a backup service on its own.
BackupBuddy / Kadence
Bundle only, from $299
BlogVault
From $99 a year
02
No ImportBuddy, no FTP uploads
Restoring with BackupBuddy means uploading importbuddy.php and a zip by hand. BlogVault restores from its dashboard, even when WordPress won’t load.
BackupBuddy / Kadence
Upload importbuddy.php
BlogVault
Restore from the dashboard
03
Works on any host
The new Kadence Backups needs SSH and WP-CLI, and some hosts aren’t supported. BlogVault works through its plugin.
BackupBuddy / Kadence
Needs SSH and WP-CLI
BlogVault
Just the plugin
04
Test restores and migrations included
Kadence Backups has no migration tool and no test restores. BlogVault includes both, with staging, on every plan.
BackupBuddy / Kadence
Neither included
BlogVault
Both, plus staging

Back up my site — freeNo credit card · 14-day money-back guarantee

Same crash. Two recoveries.

At 09:12 an automatic update takes down a store, wp-admin included. Here is the way back with each.

09:12 · payments-gateway 3.2.1 auto-updatedCritical error on every pagewp-admin won’t load

BackupBuddyRuns inside WordPress

01
wp-admin won’t loadBackupBuddy restores from inside it.
[Site]
02
Download the zip and importbuddy.phpFrom Dropbox, S3 or Stash.
[You]
03
Upload both over FTPThen run the importer.
[You]
04
Restore the whole backupDatabase included.
[You]
05
Chase this morning’s ordersThey were in the database it replaced.
[You]

Back online. Orders since 02:00 gone.

Tested first: No
New orders: Lost
Steps you take: 4

Runs on our servers

01
Open the BlogVault dashboardIt works while your site is down.
[You]
02
Test-restore the 22:00 backupA private copy on our servers. Checkout works.
[BlogVault]
03
Pick plugins and wp_optionsOrders and uploads stay untouched.
[You]
04
Emergency Connector restores themWorks without WordPress, over FTP.
[BlogVault]

Checkout back. All 184 new orders kept.

Tested first: Yes
New orders: Kept
Steps you take: 2

BlogVault and BackupBuddy’s successor

BackupBuddy is now Kadence Backups. Here is what you get with each.

Feature	Kadence Backups	BlogVault
▸ Sold on its own	No: No: Kadence bundles from $299	Yes: Yes, from $99 a year
▸ What your host needs	Partly: SSH and WP-CLI	Yes: Just the BlogVault plugin
▸ Where backups run	Yes: Kadence’s servers	Yes: BlogVault’s servers
▸ Backup frequency	Partly: Daily	Yes: Daily to hourly, by plan
▸ Real-time WooCommerce backups	No: No	Yes: Yes, on the WooCommerce plan
▸ Test restores	No: No	Yes: Yes, any backup
▸ Partial restores	Yes: Yes	Yes: Yes: files, tables, or only what changed
▸ Migration	No: No migration tool	Yes: Included, to 5,000+ web hosts
▸ Staging	No: Not listed	Yes: Included on every plan

Kadence Backups details from Liquid Web’s product pages and documentation · September 2026

BackupBuddy’s successor costs $299 a year and comes with a bundle you may not need. BlogVault is $99.

One site, one yearKadence BackupsBlogVault

▸ Sold on its ownNoYes

▸ PriceFrom $299 (Kadence Pro)$99

▸ Test restoresNot availableIncluded

▸ MigrationsNot availableIncluded

▸ Real-time WooCommerce backupsNot availableWooCommerce plan

What you payFrom $299$99 a year · $49.50 the first year

Kadence prices from Liquid Web. The BlogVault first-year price is the current offer.

See plans

Switching

Switch from BackupBuddy without a gap

Keep BackupBuddy running until BlogVault has backed up your site and you’ve tested the backup.

How restores work

Both run side by sideRetire the old tool last

[Connect]

Add your site

Install the BlogVault plugin. It takes a couple of minutes.

Start free

[Back up]

First backup runs

On our servers. After it, only changes are copied.

How backups work

[Prove it]

Test-restore it

Open the backup as a private copy and click through.

See a recovery

[Retire]

Switch off BackupBuddy

Deactivate it once you’re happy. Nothing else to move.

See plans

BlogVault is the most reliable backup and restore tool we’ve ever used at SiteCare.

Ryan SullivanSiteCare

400,000+Sites on BlogVault
1M+Successful restores
4.5 / 5From 328 WordPress.org reviews

Switching from BackupBuddy: questions

What happened to BackupBuddy?

It was renamed Solid Backups, and in 2026 became Kadence Backups, sold by Liquid Web only in its Kadence bundles. The original plugin is in maintenance mode: no new features, and bug fixes only case by case.

Do I need SSH access for BlogVault?

No. BlogVault works through its plugin on any host. You only need FTP details if WordPress won’t load and you restore through the Emergency Connector.

Can I run BlogVault alongside BackupBuddy while I switch?

Yes. BlogVault’s heavy work runs on our servers, so running both adds little load. Switch BackupBuddy off once you’ve tested a BlogVault backup.

What happens to my BackupBuddy backups?

Keep the latest one somewhere safe. BlogVault restores its own backups, so after a few weeks its history covers everything you’re likely to need.

Will BlogVault slow my site down?

No. The plugin only sends what changed, in small pieces. Building, encrypting and storing the backup happen on our servers.

What if it isn’t right for me?

Your first backup runs without a credit card. When you subscribe, every plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Backups built for scale. Restores for the bad day.

Back up my site — free Talk to an expert

No credit card · 14-day money-back guarantee