7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)

7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
Creating regular WordPress backups is the best thing you can do for your website. Backups give you a peace of mind and can save you in catastrophic situations when your site gets hacked or you accidentally lock yourself out. There are several free and paid backup plugins for WordPress, and most of them are fairly easy to use. In this article, we will show you the 7 best backup plugins for WordPress.
Important: Many WordPress hosting providers offer limited backup services, but please remember that it is your responsibility to backup your website on your own. Do not rely solely on your hosting provider for backups.
If you are not already backing up your site, then you should pick one of these 7 best WordPress bckup plugins and start using it right away.
1. VaultPress

VaultPress



At WPBeginner, we use VaultPress to backup our site. VaultPress was founded by Matt Mullenweg (WordPress co-founder) and his team at Automattic.
It is a subscription based service with different plans and pricing. VaultPress offers automated real-time cloud backup solution starting at $5 / month (which is good for most websites).
Setting up VaultPress and restoring from backups is just a matter of clicks. With some of their packages, they even offer security scans.
The only downside to VaultPress is that it is a recurring expense that can add up if you have multiple WordPress sites.

2. BackupBuddy



BackupBuddy - The most beginner friendly WordPress Backup Plugin
BackupBuddy is the most popular premium backup plugin for WordPress. It allows you to easily schedule daily, weekly, or monthly backups and store them in Dropbox, Amazon S3, Rackspace Cloud, FTP, Stash (their cloud service), and even email it to yourself.
The biggest advantage of using BackupBuddy is that it is not a subscription based service. You are licensed to use the plugin on the number of sites mentioned in your plan. You get access to premium support forums, updates, and 1GB of cloud storage to store your backups.
You can even use BackupBuddy to move WordPress to a new host with no Downtime.

3. BackWPup



BackWPup
BackWPup is a free plugin that allows you to create complete WordPress backup for free and store it on the cloud (Dropbox, Amazon S3, Rackspace, etc), FTP, email, or on your computer.
It is extremely easy to use and allows you to schedule automatic backups according to your site’s update frequency.
Restoring a WordPress site from backup is also very simple. The BackWPup Pro version comes with priority support, ability to store backups on Google Drive, and some other cool features.

4. BackUpWordPress




BackupWordPress
BackupWordPress is a complete WordPress backup plugin with automatic scheduling support. It allows you to create different schedules for your database and files. The only problem is that the free version does not allow you to store your WordPress backups to a cloud storage service.
If you want to store your backups on Dropbox, Google Drive, FTP, etc, then you will need to purchase a premium extension for it. The extensions are available for each service, and you can buy the one you need or the whole bundle.

5. UpdraftPlus




UpdraftPlus Settings
UpdraftPlus is another WordPress backup plugin. It allows you to create complete backup of your WordPress site and store it on the cloud or download to your computer. The plugin allows you to create scheduled backups and store them to your chosen location. There is a premium version of the plugin with additional features and addons.
The only downside of Updraftplus is that despite having great features, it has a cluttered user interface. This makes it difficult for beginners to locate the options they need. Despite the clutter, it still has a very good rating in the WordPress plugins directory.

6. Duplicator



Duplicator - Backup and Migration Plugin for WordPress
As the name suggests, Duplicator is a popular WordPress plugin used to migrate WordPress sites. However it is also has backup features.
It does not allow you to create automated scheduled backups which makes it less than ideal for a regularly maintained site to use as its primary backup solution.

7. WP-DB-Backup



WP-DB-Backup
With more than 2 Million downloads, WP-DB-Backup is one of the most popular WordPress backup plugins. The only problem is that it only backups your WordPress database.
This means that you will have to backup your media files manually. If you do not update a site too often or do not upload images, then you can use WP-DB-Backup as your primary WordPress backup plugin.
WP-DB-Backup makes it really simple to create database backups, schedule automated backups, and restore your database. It is also a very useful tool for users who do not have access to phpMyAdmin to backup WordPress dataabase manually.
Conclusion

Each WordPress backup plugin has it’s Pros and Cons. We use and recommend VaultPress for two main reasons. First it is extremely easy to use. Second, it offers real-time incremental backups. What that means is that instead of backing up all of your files every day or every hour, it only creates a backup of what has updated and literally within minutes of the update. This is ideal for large sites like ours because it allows us to use our server resources efficiently.
However if you run a small-medium size website and hate paying monthly fees, then we recommend the popular BackupBuddy plugin. Why? Because they have their own cloud storage, Stash, which makes it easy for beginners to store their backups in cloud with a matter of few clicks.
That’s all. We hope that this list helped you pick the best WordPress backup plugin for your site. Make regular backups a habit and save yourself from a lot of trouble.
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Top 10 Most Important Things To Do After Installing WordPress

What do you do after installing WordPress? This is a common question asked by beginners. In this article, we will show you the top 10 most important things you must do after installing WordPress.

1. Change The Title, Tagline, Time zone, and Favicon

The first three steps can be combined into one because you can quickly make those changes in the same area of your WordPress Admin Dashboard.



To change these, go to your Settings in your dashboard and choose General. Change both your site title and tagline to something that relates to your site.



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Top 10 Most Important Things To Do After Installing WordPress

Last updated on November 18th, 2014 by Editorial Staff SHARE THIS ARTICLE
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Top 10 Most Important Things To Do After Installing WordPress
What do you do after installing WordPress? This is a common question asked by beginners. In this article, we will show you the top 10 most important things you must do after installing WordPress.
1. Change The Title, Tagline, Time zone, and Favicon

The first three steps can be combined into one because you can quickly make those changes in the same area of your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
Changing title and tagline of your WordPress site
To change these, go to your Settings in your dashboard and choose General. Change both your site title and tagline to something that relates to your site.
Changing timezone in WordPress
Now scroll down the page to update your timezone. This functionality is important to show the most accurate date on your site, and it also helps with scheduling posts.
Towards the middle of the page you’re on (in General Settings), you’ll find the option to set your zone. You can choose a city that is in the same time zone as you live in or set by UTC. To find the right UTC setting, you can search a site like this one here to make sure you select the right time zone.
Don’t forget to save your changes.
The final part of item 1 is updating the favicon. This is the little icon that appears in the browser tab next to your site title which is important for your site’s identity. Often people don’t change this which ends up showing either the default WordPress icon or their hosting provider’s icon such as Bluehost, etc.
The easiest way to add a favicon to your site is by following our guide on How to Add a Favicon in WordPress.

2. Change Your Permalink Structure

Unfortunately, the default permalink structure — the URL structure that tacked on the end of your site name — of WordPress is not very Google friendly. As that is the case, you should be sure to alter this to something else.



Go back to Settings and then select Permalink from the menu. There you will find a few different choices for setting a new structure. The best ones to use are either the Day and Name or Post Name options.
Select the one you prefer and then save your changes.

3. Configure the Reading Settings

While in the Settings area of your dashboard, you should also configure the Reading settings. Here you can set what your front page display will be.



This part is great if you want to have a custom homepage to display your services and have a separate page to display all your blog posts.
Navigate over to the Reading option in the menu and decide if you want your front page to show your latest posts or if you want to use a static page. Make your choice and then save your changes. You can always change this one later, so don’t feel too pressured.
As a quick note, you can also make some of the above-stated changes using the Customize option in the front-end of your site if you are logged in. However, following this flow of things simply speeds up the process a little.

4. Delete Unused Themes

Most WordPress users will install and test a few themes before deciding on one that’s a keeper. Instead of leaving those unused themes installed, be sure to delete them. Themes even ones that go unused, will need updates.
Leaving them there can create the unnecessary chore of updating them. And not updating them can create a hazard to your sites safety as it can give hackers a way in.

Thankfully, deleting unused themes is a snap. Simply find the menu item named Appearance, and then go to themes. To delete a given theme, you need to hover over it and select Theme Details. After that, a window will open and the option to delete the theme will be available there.

5. Install a Cache Plugin

Why a cache plugin? Because it can help speed up your site. Caching helps take the load off your server and make your site faster. This is great for SEO as well as prevents your site from crashing during heavy load times.

Below are a couple of cache plugins that you can use in your WordPress site:



W3 Total Cache – This plugin can likely lay claim to being the most powerful cache plugin available for WordPress users. It has a ton of options for boosting your site and is a popular plugin of choice for CDN integration. The plugin really does pack a punch and can easily mess things up if you’re not sure how to configure it properly. If you’ve never used the plugin before, it may be better to start small before using this one. However, if you’d like to be brave and use this plugin, be sure to check out our step-by-step guide for setting it up:
How to Install and Setup W3 Total Cache for Beginners
WP Super Cache – This one is a bit easier to start using, and yes, it’s still a great cache plugin. Simply install it and turn on caching, and you’re one step closer to a faster site. There are other options that come with the plugin, just be sure you know what you’re selecting before you hit save. Want some help with this plugin? Check out our guide below:
How to Install and Setup WP Super Cache for Beginners

6. Improving WordPress Security

When it comes to your website, it is probably best to be of the philosophy that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
First security step that you can take is installing a backup plugin (we will come to that later). After that you need to protect your WordPress admin area.
WPBeginner uses Sucuri for security purposes. If you’d like to know why we chose this one over others, then be sure to give this post a read:
5 Reasons We Use Sucuri to Improve Our WordPress Security

7. Install an Anti-Spam Plugin

No one likes spam.
Spammy comments are a huge headache for many WordPress site owners. Not only are they irritating, they’re also bad for SEO. To help alleviate the problems that come from this issue, you should install an anti-spam plugin on your site. Here are a few top choices:



Akismet – This plugin by Automattic is a premium anti-spam plugin that does wonders for keeping that icky spam stuff out. If you decide to use Jetpack in your site, then you can use that account to activate Akismet for your site. If not, you’’ll need to follow the prompts for fully activating the plugin after install. The free version is limited but can be upgraded it you pay.



Antispam Bee – This is another great free plugin that helps to block out those pesky spammers. Even though the Akismet plugin does a better job, this one is a great option too.
Either way, be sure you use one.

8. Install A SEO WordPress Plugin

SEO is an important part of any website. To ensure that your blog posts are getting maximum results, you need to optimize them using an SEO plugin. Though these types of plugins don’t automatically boost SEO, they do help you make the most of your blog posts.



A top choice for many is the WordPress SEO Plugin by Yoast. It’s easy to use and can even generate an XML sitemap at the click of the mouse. Want to know how to really boost the power of the plugin? Here’s our tutorial:
How to Install and Setup WordPress SEO by Yoast

9. Optimize For Social Media Sharing via Sharing Plugins



First off, is this really important? Yes, absolutely! You shouldn’t wait for your site to get traffic before optimizing your site for social shares. The best and easiest way to optimize your site for social shares is to use a Social Sharing Plugin.
There are hundreds of these to choose from, and some of them shouldn’t be used as they tend to slow down site speed. However, there are others that get the job done without bogging you down.
Here is a great article that narrows down the choice a bit:
7 Must Have Social Media Plugins and Tools for Bloggers

10. Start Scheduling Regular Backups

Now that you’ve spent all that time setting up and customizing your WordPress site, you wouldn’t want to lose any of this right? Well, in that case, you should create regular backups.
Here is our post on the best backup plugins for WordPress:
7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)