BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus: Ultimate Backup Solutions Compared

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BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus

You’re on the hunt for the perfect free backup plugin for your WordPress site, and two names have caught your eye: BackWPup and UpdraftPlus. Both claim to be the ultimate shield against data loss, whether it’s from server failures, cyber-attacks, or human error. Yet, with a bewildering array of features, prices, and promises, how do you decide which one is truly worth your time?

Make the wrong choice, and you could waste hours on trial and error or spend money on an upgrade that’s all flash and no substance. Meanwhile, your site stays vulnerable, teetering on the edge of potential data loss. The stakes are high—choosing the right WordPress backup plugin is crucial for your site’s safety.

We’ve compared both BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus in detail, breaking down their features, usability, and pricing. We cut through the marketing fluff to provide straightforward tested insights. By the end of this article, you’ll be equipped to choose the perfect plugin, ensuring your site stays secure and your peace of mind is intact.

TL;DR: UpdraftPlus is a solid free option for basic backups and small sites, but it lacks advanced features. BlogVault offers a more robust solution ideal for larger sites, with seamless restoration and comprehensive backups.

FeaturesBackWPupUpdraftPlusBlogVault
On-demand backups
Scheduled backups
Complete and partial backups
Complete and partial restores
Restore fully crashed sites from an external dashboard
Migration
Cloud storage
Staging

BackWPup in a snapshot

BackWpup Homepage
Install BackWPup

BackWPup introduces immediate confusion by labeling its backup tasks Jobs. For first-time users, this term isn’t intuitive, and it may leave you scratching your head until you dig around or turn to Google for clarification. Once you understand that Jobs simply mean backup tasks, creating and managing them becomes simpler.

Select Add New Job

BackWPup offers flexibility in backup scheduling, allowing you to set backups at intervals ranging from hourly to monthly. It also supports on-demand backups for those moments when you need an immediate copy. However, the glaring downside of BackWPup’s free version is the inability to restore your backups. 

If you attempt to restore by accessing the Restore section and uploading a .ZIP file, only to encounter an HTTP error, rest assured, it’s a limitation of the free version and not a user error.

Another annoyance is how backups are named—they’re tagged with dates and a random string of letters, making it cumbersome to identify specific backups quickly.

Beyond basic backup creation, BackWPup offers little unless you’re willing to pay for premium features. Additional features like site migration and restore options are locked behind paid plans.

If you are willing to upgrade to a premium version, we recommend choosing a reliable plugin like BlogVault. It has all that you need in a backup plugin, plus multiple advanced features like testing your restores, restoring a completely crashed site, and more.

UpdraftPlus in a snapshot

UpdraftPlus home
UpdraftPlus Plugin Install

When it comes to backing up your WordPress site, UpdraftPlus takes a compartmentalized approach. Your backups are divided into five different parts—Files, Database, Themes, Plugins, and Others

UpdraftPlus backup structure

The default backup frequency is set to Manual, meaning you’ll need to tweak the settings to automate the process, with options ranging from every two hours to once a month. However, unless you’re running a bustling e-commerce site, backing up every two hours is an overkill and can severely impact your site’s performance.

Schedule backups in UpdraftPlus

One standout feature of UpdraftPlus is its ability to restore your site even in the free version, something that BackWPup DOES NOT offer. This is a massive win for those keeping a close eye on their budget. In terms of flexibility, the plugin supports multiple cloud storage options for secure and convenient data storage, although the free version restricts you to just one remote storage location at a time.

Additionally, UpdraftPlus offers basic migration capabilities, but you’ll need an extra plugin for a complete migration process. If you’re switching hosting servers, brace yourself for some downtime. You’ll have to back up your site first and then restore it, which is far from a seamless experience.

Note: With BlogVault, you can migrate your site with just a few clicks. And the best part? You get zero downtime—a feature that most backup and migration plugins don’t offer.

That said, UpdraftPlus isn’t without flaws. The plugin stores your backup on the same server as your site. When taking full-site backups, UpdraftPlus skips vital core site files, which makes them incomplete. 

Moreover, the lack of incremental backups means your site could be bogged down by massive backup files, eating up server space and potentially slowing down performance.

Additionally, backups are listed by date and time, with no option to rename them or add notes for identification. This makes pinpointing specific backups a chore. As for managing multiple sites, get ready for a cumbersome ride—you’ll need to log into each admin panel separately unless you opt for an additional plugin to streamline the process.

Test site setup

To objectively assess the performance of both BackWPup and UpdraftPlus, we set up two test WordPress sites, one with a size of approximately 800MB and the other at 3.25GB.

By using sites of different sizes, we tested to see how each plugin handles the spectrum of backup tasks. This setup made our assessment practical and usable in real-world situations while providing insights that are both useful and actionable.

BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus backups

Verdict: UpdraftPlus takes the lead for backups. While both plugins offer on-demand and scheduled backups, UpdraftPlus blazes through the process compared to BackWPup. However, while both managed to back up our test sites effectively, UpdraftPlus stumbled by not providing full-site backups in its free version. So, if you’re after speed, UpdraftPlus delivers—but at the cost of completeness.

BackWPup backup performance

When it comes to scheduling backups with BackWPup, you’ve got a bunch of options—ranging from hourly to monthly slots. But note that, unless you’re running an e-commerce site, the hourly backup option is sheer overkill. BackWPup can also perform partial backups, though it’s not recommended. For our 800MB test site, the backup process clocked in at around 3 minutes. For the 3.25GB site, it took roughly 7 minutes to wrap up.

Schedule backups with BackWPup

One of BackWPup’s standout features is its ability to create complete site backups. BackWPup captures everything—plugins, themes, core files, and content—all bundled neatly into a single zip file.

Complete site backups with BackWPup

This comprehensive coverage is useful but comes with some limitations. A significant limitation includes storing backups on your local server which causes your site to turn into an overfed sloth. You can always download these backups for manual offsite storage, or if you have existing access to any of the remote storage locations, you can pick them as long as you provide accurate credentials.

If you don’t have these services, you’re stuck with limited options: sending backups to a local folder, via email, or through FTP. Bear in mind that storing backups on your server can lead to overloading issues and drag down your site’s performance.

BackWPup’s backup process can be particularly resource-intensive for larger sites, increasing server load and potentially causing performance hiccups. And let’s not forget, there are no incremental backups, making the entire procedure even more taxing on your server. Because of these severe drawbacks, even though BackWPup is thorough in creating complete backups, it doesn’t make it a viable choice for those who need a comprehensive backup solution.

UpdraftPlus backup performance

Updraftplus backup performance

UpdraftPlus lets you switch from manual to automatic scheduling with ease, allowing separate schedules for both files and databases. These schedules can range from every two hours to monthly which is great when it comes to schedule flexibility.

Flexible backup scheduling

However, there is one major flaw: UpdraftPlus doesn’t provide full backups of your site. Although this isn’t explicitly stated on the dashboard, the plugin only backs up what’s in the wp-content folder. Core file backups are a premium feature. This is a big no-no for us—every backup should be a full backup to ensure reliable restoration. Anything less and you’re courting disaster with a potential failed restore.

For non-WooCommerce sites, backing up every two hours might seem impressive but is usually a waste of server resources because the backup files are stored locally.

During our tests, UpdraftPlus took about one minute to back up an 800MB site—impressively quick. For a 3.25GB site, the backup wrapped up in roughly four minutes. However, this speed comes at a cost; there was a noticeable spike in server CPU usage, causing a temporary dip in site performance. This slowdown occurs because the plugin uses your site’s server resources for backups.

UpdraftPlus’s premium version employs incremental backups for subsequent backups, solving this server load issue for later backups. However, your initial backup must include all the components, or those incremental updates won’t happen.

While UpdraftPlus shines with speedy backups and relatively low initial disruptions, the lack of full site backups in the free version remains a significant drawback. This limitation isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it’s a deal-breaker if reliability is a priority.

BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus restoration

Verdict: UpdraftPlus wins by allowing restoration within the free version, even though it doesn’t back up core files. In contrast, BackWPup requires a premium upgrade to access its restore features. Note that neither plugin can fully restore a completely crashed site with their free versions. For full site restoration, including core files, premium versions are essential.

BackWPup restore performance 

One of the most baffling aspects of BackWPup is its restoration capabilities—or the lack thereof—for its free users. If you haven’t upgraded to the premium version, forget about restoring your site directly within the plugin. You need to be a PRO user to take advantage of the automatic restore feature and to restore your site when you don’t have dashboard access.

We found it puzzling as to why BackWPup even displays a Restore section in the free version. This feature is a tease, raising hopes only to dash them when you realize it’s off-limits. A clear “PRO” label would have saved us from this unnecessary confusion and disappointment.

Limited restore feature in free version

If you’re not keen on upgrading to the PRO version but still need to restore your site, brace yourself for some manual labor. You’ll have to dive into FTP and phpMyAdmin to piece things back together. It’s a tedious process, far from the seamless experience one hopes for in a backup plugin.

UpdraftPlus restore performance 

UpdraftPlus Restore Performance

Restoring your site with UpdraftPlus can be quick, but there’s a catch: you must delete old backup folders first. If not done, a notification on top of your screen will prompt you. Once that’s sorted, you can restore backup files directly through the plugin.

In our tests, UpdraftPlus took less than a minute to restore an 800MB site, which is impressively fast. However, restoring a 3.25GB site was less consistent. While it completed the process in about two minutes, not all attempts were successful. Handling larger sites, particularly those jam-packed with media, can sometimes slow down the process—or not work altogether.

For added versatility, the premium version of UpdraftPlus allows you to restore backups created by other plugins. Although this is handy if you have archives from a different plugin, it’s generally more effective to stick with the premium version of the backup plugin you already use.

One of UpdraftPlus’s strengths is its ability to perform partial restores. However, if you need to restore core files, you’re out of luck with the free version, as these aren’t included in the backup.

UpdraftPlus delivers speedy and generally reliable restore performance, but larger sites present a challenge. For comprehensive restoration, including core files, you might find the premium version necessary.

BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus storage

Verdict: BackWPup is the better choice when it comes to storage options. While UpdraftPlus offers more remote storage options, it limits free users to one remote destination. BackWPup, on the other hand, allows you to use multiple storage options as long as you provide the necessary credentials.

BackWPup storage options 

BackWpup Storage Options

BackWPup offers an array of storage options—Backup to Folder, Backup sent via email, Backup to FTP, Backup to Dropbox, Backup to an S3 Service, Backup to Microsoft Azure (Blob), Backup to Rackspace Cloud Files, and Backup to SugarSync. This flexibility sounds like a dream, but there’s a catch.

Unless you have remote storage access, your choices narrow down to email (only feasible for small backups), FTP, or storing backups in a local folder on your server. 

These options could spell trouble, as storing backups on your local server can drag your site’s performance down, leading to slow load times and a sluggish user experience. So, while BackWPup’s storage options are extensive, your ultimate choice might be more limited than you’d like.

UpdraftPlus storage options

UpdraftPlus storage Options

UpdraftPlus provides a plethora of options for storing your backups offsite, but there’s a twist here too. In the free version, you’re limited to adding just one remote destination at one time. The premium version opens up multiple concurrent storage destinations, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Amazon S3, and even throws in 1GB of UpdraftPlus Vault storage.

If you need more space in UpdraftPlus Vault, you can scale from 5GB to 250GB, but remember, after a year, each storage location incurs separate costs. While UpdraftPlus’s array of storage options is impressive, the storage costs can add up significantly over time which is not ideal if you are on a tight budget. Offsite storage flexibility might sound appealing, yet it comes with its down-the-road expenses.

Other features

Migration

When it comes to migrating your site, only UpdraftPlus has you covered, even with its basic migration features in the free version. 

UpdraftPlus for migration

The free version requires you to install the plugin on both your source and destination sites. It’s a relatively straightforward process, yet migration can be tricky because data can get corrupted, links can break, and compatibility issues can arise. This might require you to get some professional technical help.

For those opting for UpdraftPlus’s premium version, additional steps include obtaining and using a migration key, which you copy and paste between sites.

BackWPup, in contrast, doesn’t provide any migration features. It focuses solely on backups and offers no additional functionalities in the free version.

Update management

UpdraftPlus takes the lead in update management with UpdraftCentral. A central dashboard that you can use to regulate users, pages, posts, plugins, themes, updates, and more. Additionally, the plugin offers pre-update backups. 

You can configure UpdraftPlus to automatically backup your site before you apply updates to any plugins, themes, or even the WordPress core. This ensures that if an update causes any issues, you can quickly roll back your site to its previous, stable state.

For even more control, UpdraftPlus integrates with Easy Updates Manager, providing enhanced update management features that handle WordPress, plugin, and theme updates within the UpdraftPlus suite.

In stark contrast, BackWPup leaves you high and dry in this department, offering no such update management features.

Pricing

When it comes to pricing and value, UpdraftPlus takes the cake with its more flexible and cost-effective pricing at higher licensing tiers.

UpdraftPlus Pricing Plans

UpdraftPlus delivers better value for money, especially for users who need to cover multiple websites. Its pricing remains competitive, even at higher licensing tiers, and includes a robust set of features—except perhaps affordable offsite storage.

BackWPup’s Standard plan offers basic functionality at a price comparable to UpdraftPlus’ entry-level offering. However, BackWPup quickly spirals into higher costs per site as you scale up.

BackWPups Pricing Plans

Critical features in a backup plugin

Choosing the right backup plugin can make or break your site’s safety and performance. Here are the features you absolutely need:

Automated backups: Set it and forget it with automatic, regular backups at specified intervals (daily, weekly, monthly) to keep your data consistently secured.

Real-time backups: Get backups in real-time or near-real-time—essential for sites with frequent updates like WooCommerce and high-traffic blogs.

Full and incremental backups: Capture a complete snapshot of all your data, including files, databases, and system settings. Incremental backups save only the changes, reducing storage needs and speeding up the process.

On-demand backups: On-demand backups should be just a click away.

Remote storage: Plugins should either store your backups on a completely different server or integrate with cloud storage services to store backups offsite, adding an extra layer of security.

Easy restoration: The plugin must allow you to restore backups quickly and efficiently, even if your site is completely down.

Partial restore: While it is not recommended, you can restore specific files, databases, or settings without touching the whole system—a massive time-saver. 

Test restore: The option to test your backups and restores in a staging environment is essential to make sure everything works before you go live.

Backup encryption and security: Ensure your backups are encrypted both during transfer and at rest to protect sensitive information.

Zero-downtime migration: Move your site from one server to another without affecting its uptime.

Staging sites: Create a staging site on servers independent of your local server to test restores and updates. It is a great plus point if the staging site is password-protected. This ensures the preservation of your live site’s SEO.

Uptime monitoring: Keep an eye on your site’s uptime and get alerts for any downtime incidents.

Activity logs: Maintain detailed logs of all backup and restore activities for auditing and troubleshooting.

Update management: Manage updates for your website, including options for auto-updates and safe updates to ensure compatibility and stability.

Most backup plugins, free or premium, fall short of offering all these features. BlogVault, however, stands out as the only plugin that ticks all the boxes, keeping your site safe and secure with a comprehensive suite of tools and features.

A better alternative—BlogVault

When talking about WordPress backup plugins, BlogVault emerges as a top-tier alternative. BlogVault plugin takes the hassle out of safeguarding your site by automatically backing it up every day, ensuring continuous data protection. It only saves the changes made since the last backup, which reduces server load and conserves storage space.

Restoring your site is a breeze with BlogVault’s one-click restore feature, drastically minimizing downtime and effort. Your data isn’t confined to your server; it’s securely stored offsite on BlogVault’s servers, with additional integration options like Dropbox and Google Drive.

BlogVault offers real-time backups for WooCommerce sites to prevent any data loss. It even includes a staging environment, allowing you to test changes before they go live, thereby enhancing site safety during updates.

Migrating your site to a new host? BlogVault makes it effortless, supporting over 5,000 hosts. And if you manage multiple websites, a centralized dashboard allows for streamlined management, saving you time and effort.

Going beyond backups, BlogVault monitors your site’s uptime and issues real-time alerts if it goes down. It also regularly scans for malware and provides tools for easy removal, bolstering your site’s security.

BlogVault doesn’t stop at functionality; it offers detailed reports on backups, restores, and migrations so you can keep track of all activities. And if you run into any issues, responsive and knowledgeable customer support is readily available to help.

BlogVault isn’t just another backup plugin; it’s an all-in-one solution for site management and security.

Parting thoughts

Both UpdraftPlus and BackWPup offer essential backup features, but UpdraftPlus excels with a user-friendly interface, faster performance, and better value for money. While BackWPup focuses mainly on backups and requires a premium plan for restoration, it’s still suitable for basic needs.

If you want more than basic features, BlogVault stands out with automated backups, real-time updates, easy restoration, staging environments, and strong security features.

FAQs

Is UpdraftPlus easy to use for beginners?

Yes, UpdraftPlus is straightforward to use for beginners. Navigating around the interface is easy and intuitive even if you’re not particularly tech-savvy.

Does UpdraftPlus support incremental backups?

Yes, UpdraftPlus supports incremental backups but only in the paid version. Since the free version does not backup your core files, the incremental backup feature is not applied.

Are there any additional features that UpdraftPlus offers over BackWPup?

Yes, UpdraftPlus comes loaded with extra features. It offers upgrade management and pre-update backups. It also allows you to restore your site directly from within the plugin, without needing to upgrade to a premium version for these functionalities. BackWPup falls short in these areas.

What backup scheduling options does BackWPup offer?

BackWPup allows you to schedule your backups as per your needs—hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly. However, it’s worth noting that hourly backups can strain your server, so they’re best used sparingly unless absolutely necessary.

Can BackWPup handle partial backups?

Yes, BackWPup can handle partial backups, allowing you to back up specific files or databases. However, it’s generally recommended to perform full backups to ensure all aspects of your site are secure and can be completely restored when needed.

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