Updraft is a great plugin for free WordPress backups.
Of all the backup plugins, I find it probably the best. That’s why it made it into my selection of best WordPress plugins.
Do you need a backup plugin?
Yes. The only exception is if your site backups are done directly by your hosting (for example, Siteground). If the hosting solution is trusted, then you don’t need the backup plugin.
How often to perform backups?
As often as your site changes significantly. If it gets several articles a day, daily backups are in order. If it’s an online business card, monthly backups will probably do just fine.
A big advantage of Updraft, for example, is the ability to not only set how often backups are made, but you can also specify how many backups you want to keep.How can Updraft be used?
I personally use it in combination with the cloud storage Backup Sheep and have restored sites (even quite large ones) from Updraft backups several times – always successfully.
Backups can be done by Updraft directly to FTP (to the server where you have the site) or to Google Disk.
Updraft can also automatically delete backups and replace them with new ones.
As you can see, the setup is very intuitive:
Other plugins to look at
Builder: Bricks
Cookies: Complianz
SEO: Rank Math
Best general plugin: ACF
⤴️ Migration: All in One WP Migration
Security: Wordfence
Translations: WPML
Speed: WP Rocket
Word by Conclusion
A WordPress site backup, like any backup, is most valuable when it’s too late to start creating it.
Create it, while there is time.
I’ve been called out myself a few times over spilt milk – for example, a hacked site with no backup, and I can tell you with confidence that in those moments you’d give almost anything for a good backup.
Let me know in the comments how you get on with your backups?
