UpdraftPlus
by UpdraftPlus
Most-installed WordPress backup plugin. Schedules, remote storage, restore, migration.
- Lighthouse
- 96 / 100 Tested May 30, 2026
- Accessibility
- WCAG AA
- Open CVEs
- 0
- Last release
- May 19, 2026 v1.24.4
- WP.org rating
- 4.8
UpdraftPlus is the most-installed WordPress backup plugin. UK-based vendor, founded in 2013 by David Anderson. Free version handles scheduled backups to local storage with sensible defaults. Premium adds remote storage destinations (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, more), incremental backups, multisite support, encrypted backups, and the migrator add-on for site-to-site transfers.
Pros
- Free version is genuinely useful for scheduled local-storage backups
- Largest install base of any WordPress backup plugin
- Remote storage covers most cloud providers in Premium tier
- Migrator add-on solves the WordPress site-to-site transfer problem cleanly
Cons
- Premium pricing tiers can feel confusing
- Admin UI shows its age compared to newer entrants like BlogVault
- Restore process requires patience on large sites
Pick UpdraftPlus when you want a free, well-maintained WordPress backup plugin and you do not need fancy admin UI. The default safe choice for budget-conscious site owners.
Avoid for high-traffic stores where commercial backup-as-a-service (BlogVault, ManageWP, or hosting-provided backups) provides better restore tooling and incremental backup performance.
Frequently asked questions
- Is UpdraftPlus free?
- Yes for local storage backups. UpdraftPlus Premium ($70+/year) adds remote storage destinations (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, more), incremental backups, encrypted backups, and the migrator add-on.
- Where does UpdraftPlus store backups?
- Free version stores backups locally on the same server as your WordPress install (a common single-point-of-failure mistake). Premium adds remote destinations — Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, Rackspace, FTP, more.
- UpdraftPlus vs Jetpack VaultPress?
- UpdraftPlus is self-managed; you handle storage choice and restore. VaultPress (Jetpack Backup) is fully managed; backups run on Automattic infrastructure with one-click restore. VaultPress is more turnkey; UpdraftPlus is more flexible.
- How do I migrate a site with UpdraftPlus?
- Premium includes the Migrator add-on for site-to-site transfers (search-replace URLs, transfer backups, restore on the new host). The free version supports backup/restore but not URL rewriting; migrating between domains requires Premium or manual intervention.
Recent releases
- v1.24.4 May 19, 2026
S3 storage compatibility update, security patch
- v1.24.3 April 22, 2026
Patch release for Dropbox auth flow
- v1.24.2 April 2, 2026
Maintenance release
- v1.24.1 March 12, 2026
Hotfix for incremental backup edge case
- v1.24.0 February 18, 2026
New: encrypted backup option in free tier
- v1.23.18 January 28, 2026
WordPress 6.8 compatibility
- v1.23.17 January 4, 2026
Patch release
- v1.23.16 December 9, 2025
Maintenance release
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BackWPup
Scheduled WordPress backups to cloud storage — Dropbox, S3, FTP — with cloud destinations in the free tier.
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All-in-One WP Migration
One-click full-site export and import in the browser. The simplest way to move a WordPress site — installed on 5M+.
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Duplicator
Package a whole site into a portable archive + installer. The developer's favorite for cloning and moving WordPress, plus backups.
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AI Engine
Most-featured AI plugin for WordPress. Chatbots, content generation, image generation, MCP server endpoints, multi-provider.
Performance testing
Tested on Kinsta Starter (Google Cloud C3D, Iowa). Configuration: UpdraftPlus active with default settings, admin-side only, mobile, 4G simulated, cold cache. 5 runs, median reported. Raw Lighthouse JSON downloadable on request.
Vulnerability tracking
Open and recently closed CVE counts pulled from Patchstack and Wordfence Intelligence on every build. Last disclosure date reflects the most recent public CVE for this plugin, not necessarily the most recent vendor patch.