Best WordPress Backup Plugins
A backup plugin has one job that matters: getting a complete, restorable copy of your site somewhere safe — ideally off the same server. But the category splits by intent. Some tools are built for scheduled, hands-off recurring backups; others for one-click migration; others for developer-style cloning. The best pick depends on whether you're protecting a live site, moving one, or duplicating one. These four cover the category, and each wins a different job. One rule holds across all of them: a backup stored only on the same server it's backing up isn't really a backup.
Updated July 13, 2026 · 4 picks
| Product | Price | Lighthouse | WP.org | Installs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | $70 | 96 | 4.8 ★ | 3,000,000+ |
| | $69 | — | 4.5 ★ | 5,000,000+ |
| | $69 | — | 4.9 ★ | 1,000,000+ |
| | $69 | — | 4.0 ★ | 500,000+ |
Ranked by our editorial call, not the table alone · Lighthouse: reproducible median of 5 mobile runs · Ratings: WordPress.org
- 1Full reviewEditor's pick — best overall
UpdraftPlus
Free, Pro from $70 · LH 96 · 3,000,000+ installsThe most-installed WordPress backup plugin, and the safe default for scheduled, automated backups. The free tier handles scheduling; Premium adds remote storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, S3, and more), incremental backups, and a site migrator. The one to reach for when you want reliable, recurring backups without much thought.
- 2Full reviewBest for one-click migration
All-in-One WP Migration
Free, Pro from $69 · 5,000,000+ installsThe simplest way to move a whole site: export to a single file, import it on the destination, and URLs are rewritten automatically. Installed on over five million sites for good reason. Just know the free version caps import size — large sites need the paid Unlimited Extension — and it lacks scheduling, so it's a mover more than a backup scheduler.
- 3Full reviewBest for cloning & developers
Duplicator
Free, Pro from $69 · 1,000,000+ installsPackages an entire site into an archive plus an installer, which makes host moves, staging copies, and client handoffs clean. Carries nearly a five-star rating on WordPress.org. The free tier is manual; scheduled cloud backups arrive in Pro. The developer's choice when migration and cloning are the point.
- 4Full reviewBest free off-server backups
BackWPup
Free, Pro from $69 · 500,000+ installsIts standout trait is a free tier that sends scheduled backups to external storage — Dropbox, S3, FTP — where UpdraftPlus reserves remote destinations for Premium. Now maintained by WP Media (the WP Rocket team). The budget pick when getting backups off your server for free is the priority.
Duplicator vs All-in-One WP Migration
See the top picks side by side on the full spec sheet.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the best free WordPress backup plugin?
- UpdraftPlus is the most popular free choice for scheduled backups, but its free tier stores them locally. BackWPup's free tier can send backups to off-server storage like Dropbox or S3, which is safer. For a one-off free full-site copy before a move, All-in-One WP Migration's free export is unlimited. Pick UpdraftPlus for hands-off scheduling, BackWPup for free cloud destinations.
- Where should I store WordPress backups?
- Not on the same server as your site. If the server fails or is compromised, a local-only backup goes down with it. Store backups in remote cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, S3) or download them off-site. This is the single most important backup decision — several free tiers back up locally by default, so check where yours actually saves.
- Is a backup plugin the same as a migration plugin?
- They overlap but aren't identical. Backup plugins (UpdraftPlus, BackWPup) focus on scheduled, restorable copies over time. Migration plugins (All-in-One WP Migration, Duplicator) focus on moving or cloning a site once. Several tools do both, but if your priority is recurring protection, choose a backup-first plugin with scheduling and retention.
Rankings are our editorial call, informed by the same reproducible data behind every detail page: Lighthouse scores are the median of five mobile runs on identical hosting, and open-CVE counts come from Patchstack and Wordfence Intelligence on every build. We take no payment for placement — the order reflects fit and merit, not sponsorship. Prices and install counts are vendor- and WordPress.org-reported and refresh on each build.
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