UpdraftPlus is one of the most widely used backup and migration plugins for WordPress, trusted by millions of websites to protect their data and make site management safer and easier. It lets you back up your entire site, restore backups, and even migrate your site to a new host or domain—all without needing deep technical skills.
What UpdraftPlus Does
Reliable Backups
At its core, UpdraftPlus lets you back up everything about your WordPress site—including:
- Your database (all posts, pages, comments, settings)
- Themes and plugins
- Uploaded media files (images, videos)
- Other WordPress content or directories (depending on settings)
- You can choose to run backups:
- Manually whenever you want
- On a schedule (every few hours, daily, weekly, etc.) This “set and forget” setup ensures your site stays backed up without you having to remember each time. WordPress.com +1
Remote Storage Support
UpdraftPlus supports saving backups to many remote locations so your backups aren’t stuck on your server:
- Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, Rackspace, FTP, email, and more
- Premium adds Microsoft OneDrive, Azure, Backblaze B2, pCloud, WebDAV, UpdraftVault This helps protect backups from server failures and makes recovery easier. WordPress.com +1
Easy Restore
If something goes wrong—like a failed update, hack, or content loss—you can restore your site to a working state in just a few clicks. You can even choose which parts to restore (for example, only the database or only files).
Migration & Cloning
UpdraftPlus can help you move your WordPress site to a new host, server, or domain. The plugin can export backups and then import them to a new location. It even has a built-in “search and replace” to update old URLs for the new domain.
Key Features — Free & Premium
Free Version Features
Even in the free version, you get:
- Full site backups (database + files)
- Scheduled backups with flexible intervals
- Remote storage destinations (cloud & FTP)
- Easy one-click restore
- Basic migration
- Works with most WordPress configurations This makes it a great choice for personal and small business sites.
Premium Version Enhancements
Upgrading to the paid version unlocks powerful advanced tools: Enhanced Backup & Control
- Automatic backups before updates
- Incremental backups (only backup changes to save space)
- Advanced scheduling with specific timing
- Detailed reports and cryptographic checksums
- Backup retention control and cleanup rules Extended Storage & Security
- Even more remote storage options
- Database encryption and anonymization for GDPR/CCPA compliance
- Lock plugin access with a password More Power & Convenience
- Multisite network support
- Run commands via WP-CLI
- Backup and restore non-WordPress files and databases
- Import backups made by other plugins
- Direct site-to-site migration
- Premium support from the developers TeamUpdraft +1
Why It’s Useful
Protects Against Data Loss
Sites can fail for many reasons—updates, hacks, human error, server crashes. With scheduled backups, you always have a fallback.
Saves Time & Effort
The automation features and cloud integration mean you don’t need manual backups or technical backup scripts.
Flexible & User-Friendly
The interface is straightforward, and most tasks (backup, restore, migrate) are done within a few clicks.
Limitations & Things to Consider
Server Resource Use
Large sites may strain hosting resources during backups, especially on shared hosting. Best practice is to schedule backups during quiet periods. WPNext – WordPress Information Site
Migration Can Be Tricky on Large Sites
For massive sites or complex migrations, the built-in features may need supplemental tools or plugins. BlogVault
Premium Required for Advanced Features
Many convenience and enterprise features require purchasing the premium version. TeamUpdraft