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CompareBlogVault vs UpdraftPlus

When your site goes down, UpdraftPlus goes down with it.

BlogVault backs up and restores from our servers, so you can bring your site back even when WordPress won’t load.

Back up my site — freeCompare features
  • 1M+Successful restores
  • 400,000+Sites backed up
  • 9 copiesEncrypted, off your host
  • 14 daysMoney-back guarantee

Why people switch from UpdraftPlus

A backup is only worth the restore it gives you. This is where the two differ.

  1. 01

    Restore a site that won’t load

    UpdraftPlus restores from inside WordPress, so a crash locks you out of your own backups. BlogVault restores from its dashboard, even when WordPress can’t start.

    UpdraftPlus
    Fix wp-admin by hand first
    BlogVault
    Restore from the dashboard
  2. 02

    Know the backup works before you need it

    Open any BlogVault backup as a private copy of your site and click through it. With UpdraftPlus, the restore itself is the first test.

    UpdraftPlus
    No test restores
    BlogVault
    Test any backup
  3. 03

    No strain on your host

    UpdraftPlus zips your whole site on your own server, where big sites run into time limits. BlogVault copies only what changed and does the heavy work on its servers.

    UpdraftPlus
    Zips on your server
    BlogVault
    Built on our servers
  4. 04

    Backups a hacker can’t delete

    UpdraftPlus keeps your storage credentials in the WordPress database. BlogVault’s storage keys never touch your site.

    UpdraftPlus
    Keys in your database
    BlogVault
    No keys on your site
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

UpdraftPlusRuns inside WordPress
  1. 01
    wp-admin won’t loadUpdraftPlus can’t run to restore.
    [Site]
  2. 02
    Rename the plugin over FTPTo get wp-admin back.
    [You]
  3. 03
    Rescan Google DrivePull the 02:00 backup to your server.
    [You]
  4. 04
    Restore the pluginsRuns on your host, within its limits.
    [You]
  5. 05
    Check the live siteNo test copy: customers see it first.
    [You]

Back online, untested until now.

Tested first
No
New orders
Kept
Steps you take
4
BlogVaultRuns on our servers
  1. 01
    Open the BlogVault dashboardIt works while your site is down.
    [You]
  2. 02
    Test-restore the 22:00 backupA private copy on our servers. Checkout works.
    [BlogVault]
  3. 03
    Pick plugins and wp_optionsOrders and uploads stay untouched.
    [You]
  4. 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

Feature by feature

What you get with each, side by side.

FeatureUpdraftPlusBlogVault
▸ Where backups runPartly: Your serverYes: BlogVault’s servers
▸ Incremental backupsPartly: Premium only, files onlyYes: Incremental: only what changed
▸ Off-site storagePartly: Bring your own accountYes: Included: 9 encrypted copies, off your host
▸ Storage keys on your siteNo: Yes, in the databaseYes: None
▸ Restore when WordPress is downNo: NoYes: Yes, from the BlogVault dashboard
▸ Test restoresNo: NoYes: Yes, any backup
▸ Partial restoresYes: By componentYes: Yes: files, tables, or only what changed
▸ StagingPartly: Paid tokens, by the weekYes: Included on every plan
▸ MigrationYes: YesYes: Included, to 5,000+ web hosts
▸ Real-time WooCommerce backupsNo: NoYes: Yes, on the WooCommerce plan
▸ SupportPartly: Forums; tickets on PremiumYes: WordPress experts, on every plan

UpdraftPlus details from its own documentation and pricing · September 2026

UpdraftPlus is free until you add what it leaves out. BlogVault includes it all.

One site, one yearUpdraftPlusBlogVault
▸ Off-site storageYour own account, paid separatelyIncluded
▸ Incremental backupsPremium, $70 a yearIncluded
▸ StagingTokens, by the weekIncluded
▸ Test restoresNot availableIncluded
▸ Restore when WordPress is downBy hand, over FTPIncluded
What you payPlugin, storage, tokens and your time$99 a year · $49.50 the first year

The first-year price is the current offer.

See plans
Switching

Switch from UpdraftPlus without a gap

Keep UpdraftPlus 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 UpdraftPlus

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

See plans
In my opinion it is the best backup plugin you can get. Easy to set up, back up, and restore if necessary, with excellent support. I never got disappointed and it saved me several times. Worth the money!
Jennifer CarelloTech Care
  • 400,000+Sites on BlogVault
  • 1M+Successful restores
  • 4.5 / 5From 328 WordPress.org reviews

Switching from UpdraftPlus: questions

UpdraftPlus is free. Why pay for BlogVault?
Because a backup only matters on the day you restore it. BlogVault restores when WordPress won’t load, lets you test any backup first, and keeps the heavy work off your server. For a site that earns money, one failed restore can cost more than years of BlogVault.
Is UpdraftPlus enough for some sites?
For a small hobby site you’re happy to restore by hand, it can be. If the site earns money, or a day offline would hurt, you want a restore that works from outside WordPress.
Can I run BlogVault alongside UpdraftPlus while I switch?
Yes. BlogVault’s heavy work runs on our servers, so running both adds little load. Switch UpdraftPlus off once you’ve tested a BlogVault backup.
What happens to my UpdraftPlus 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.
Can I keep backups in my own Google Drive or S3?
No, and that’s deliberate. Storage keys kept on your site let a hacker delete your backups too. BlogVault keeps 9 encrypted copies with 2 providers, out of reach, and you can download any backup whenever you like.
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 — freeTalk to an expert

No credit card · 14-day money-back guarantee

© 2026 BlogVaultWhatever breaks, you'll get it all back.