There are several plugins which provide backup for your WordPress website. Some provide backup only of your database since you can download the files using ftp or file manager of your cpanel.
Some plugins offer complete backup of your WordPress website.
However before exploring plugins we would suggest you to first check with your hosting account. Normally hosting account nowadays has the option to take a backup of your website.
So in case your host provides scheduled backup or weekly, monthly or quarterly depending on the changes you make into your website you should first go for them.
In case you are looking for additional backups or in case your host doesn’t have such feature these plugins will come handy.
- WP-DB-Backup: As the name suggests it takes backup of your WordPress database. The plugin recommends the user to download the WordPress database after taking the backup since keeping backup of your database open on your site can be risky. This is a free plugin.
- 2. BackWPup Free: This plugin takes backup of your complete wp-content folder as well as the database. The pro version comes with support. So one can try using the free version to see if it works well for them. This is a free plugin. The pro version is as low as $15.
The backedup wp-content folder can be downloaded into a dropbox, s3 or ftp. It also has 3-4 languages: Russian, German, French and Chinese apart from English.
- 3. BackupWordpress: This plugin is similar to BackWPup plugin but the only difference is that it has schedule option. Also this plugin is completely free. This plugin also has more languages like Spanish, Romanian, Dutch, Basque etc more than supported by BackWPup plugin. It also has similar features of uploading wp-content and mysql files to dropbox, s3 and or ftp.
- 4. Vaultpress: Vaultpress is a service provided by Automattic. The same company behind WordPress. They offer backup from as low as $5 per month. As this is a paid plugin all you need to do is just install the plugin and relax. Not much of a setting. The $15 per month plan takes realtime backups as you keep on updating your website.
- 5. BlogVault: BlogVault has been around for quite some time now. It is another paid plugin which starts from as low as $9 per month for single site to $99 for unlimited sites. It is comparable to vaultpress. It has one extra good function and that is saving the backups to dropbox.
- 6. Backup Buddy: Backup buddy is another paid plugin and one of the first ones to be launched for backup of WordPress sites. So it is one of the oldest available plugins. Prices start as low as $80/year for 2 websites.
- 7. Backup Breeze: Backup breeze is yet another paid premium plugin. It costs $47 for the plugin. Backup Breeze however is a onetime paid plugin unlike vaultpress, blogvault or backupbuddy. Yes features are a little less but it is value for money.
- 8. WP Time Machine: Cost of this plugin is free and as this name suggests it is indeed a time machine of your WordPress site. It takes complete back up of your wp-content folder as well as the mysql databases. You can provide dropbox, amazon s3 or ftp account details for backups. It also backs up your .htaccess file so that you can recover your site as well as restore or install your site onto another server.
- 9. WP DB Manager: WP DB Manager doesn’t take backup of any files but only the mysql files or database files. You can repair, backup, restore, empty, write sql queries, optimize, delete as well as modify tables of your database using this plugin. This is a plugin for complete database management of your WordPress site. It is a free plugin.
Conclusion:
We would suggest you first to check with your hosting account if they provide backups. Most WHM cpanel server allow backup in them nowadays. If not try using some of the free plugins first and check if they are useful and work for you. If they work for you then you need not worry or spend on the paid plugins. FREE plugins come with no obligation to pay and hence can be used.
However if you are unsatisfied with the free ones they you can compare all the paid ones and decide which one suits you the most.