UpdraftPlus Review 2023: Is It Worth The Money?

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UpdraftPlus Review

This plugin was developed under the original Updraft plugin released in 2010 by another developer, which was modified to enhance its functions. Currently UpdraftPlus stands out for its large number of functionalities, which surely make it the most powerful WordPress backup plugin on the market. So, much so that today it is trusted by more than 3 million WordPress websites as we will see on this UpdraftPlus review.

This plugin simplifies backups and restoration. It is the most popular and highly rated programming plugin in the world with more than three million active installations today. Backup directly to Google Drive, Cloud to Dropbox, Amazon S3 (or compatible), DreamObjects, Rackspace Cloud, Openstack Swift, FTP, Updraft Vault, and via email. The paid version backs up to Google Cloud Storage, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Azure, SCP, SFTP, Backblaze B2, and WebDAV.

With the help of this plugin you can easily configure full, manual or scheduled backups of all the files on your website including its database, themes and plugins. It is so easy to use that you can restore a complete website backup in just a few clicks as we will show you on this Updraftplus review. The restoration process with UpdraftPlus is the only backup plugin on the market that allows you to restore and backup your website also with a free plan.

In this UpdraftPlus review we will talk in depth about everything you need to know about this incredible plugin that we are sure will surprise you with its features and functionalities.

UpdraftPlus Review: Step by Step Guide in 2023

In this UpdraftPlus review we will talk in depth and in detail about the UpdraftPlus plugin currently on the market.

What is UpdraftPlus?

UpdraftPluses is a WordPress plugin that helps us restore and backup. It is so popular because it allows us to make backup copies from the WordPress dashboard so we save a lot of time. In fact, for making backups it is one of the best rated plugins. You can also make backup copies of databases in the cloud and files easily and simply.

One of the advantages of this plugin we seen on this UpdraftPlus review is that it allows us to get and store backups, in fact it allows us to make backup copies directly in the cloud from platforms such as Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Storage, Backblaze B2, SFTP, SCP, WebDAV, DreamObjects, FTP, Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Openstack Swift, Rackspace, its own UpdraftVault platform and also by email.

UpdraftPlus Premium Full Feature List

It has a good support that is dedicated to solving the problems that have arisen during the process. It has additional functions such as the possibility of cloning or migrating websites with just one click as well as making backup copies in multisite WordPress or network installations of WordPress sites.

They have positioned UpdraftPlus as one of the reference plugins when it comes to backing up to the WordPress CMS, for this reason many developers, online marketing agencies or Webmaster fully trust the functions and services to offer the client the best.

UpdraftPlus Features

  1. Scheduled or manual backups: you will be able to automate a large part of the work with the possibility of scheduling files and databases.
  2. You can save backups in the cloud, not on your server. Being able to make backup copies of WordPress outside of your WordPress hosting is necessary so that it is protected when the server fails.
  3. UpdraftPlus retries the copy automatically in case of failed upload of the copy.
  4. Dividing heavy backups into multiple files. UpdraftPlus offers automatic facilities to divide the different partitions of the copy into folders.
  5. Optional manual selection of files to restore or copy. You can choose to do it manually or automatically.
  6. From the WordPress panel you can download the files directly.
  7. Multi-language interface.
  8. Compatible with older versions of PHP.
  9. Backup debugging mode.
  10. Compatible from WordPress 3.2 to the present.
  11. Effective support.

UpdraftPlus has many benefits compared to other resources and other applications:

  • You can make SFTP and FTP backups
  • It has the capacity to make backup copies of encrypted databases
  • Some other backup plug-ins charge extra for features like automatic restore, which is standard in UpdraftPlus
  • Works in almost all scenarios
  • Make automatic backups before updating the site
  • It supports network / multisite
  • Back up directly to the proprietary cloud service

UpdraftPlus Pros and Cons Comparison

UpdraftPlus Pros

  • You can store your backup on multiple cloud locations
  • Easily migrates or duplicates websites (with Migrator)
  • The restoration process of your backup is too easy
  • Tested on over 1 million websites
  • The Plugin is Free and easy to use
  • Setting up UpdraftPlus is too easy
  • You can take backup of your website just in few minutes

UpdraftPlus Cons

  • The plugin is little bit costly
  • This plugin doesn’t offer any security scanning or malware monitoring

Why use UpdraftPlus in 2023

There are a variety of plugins that perform this function, but we have to say in this UpdraftPlus review that UpdraftPlus from our experience is the best in 2023. Do you want more reasons? Here you have objective data:

  • It is number 1 and has more than a million active installations today
  • It has 2777 evaluations and a score of 4.8 / 5
  • It is continuously updated
  • The free version is sufficient in most cases

What can we do with UpdraftPlus?

UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin
  • Backup copies to CDNs: S3 Amazon, Dropbox, Google Drive, Rackspace, OpenStack, Copy.com, Google Cloud Storage.
  • Backups to an account by FTP, SFTP, SCP or WebDAV.
  • Quick and easy backup and restore, complete, manual or scheduled.
  • Automatic backup on a scheduled time.
  • Backup copies to an email account.
  • Fast restoration of both databases and files.
  • Restore and migrate backup sets or files from other plugins. (Paid option), (currently supported: Simple Backup, BackWPUp, BackupWordPress, WordPress Backup To Dropbox).
  • Duplicate / Migrate: A plug-in website can be copied or moved to a new location.
  • Download backup files directly from the WordPress dashboard.
  • It is possible to select the files that have been copied (themes, plugins, contents and others).
  • Large sites can be divided into multiple files.
  • Tested and compatible with all current PHP versions such as 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5.
  • Archives and database backups may have different schedules.
  • Automatically resume failed uploads.
  • It has a debug mode that gives a complete record of the backup.
  • Select which components of a backup to restore.
  • The backup copies of the databases can be encrypted for greater security but only with the payment option.
  • Available in multiple languages.

How to Configure UpdraftPlus For WordPress Backups

The setup and installation process for UpdraftPlus is fairly straightforward as we will show you in this UpdraftPlus review how to install this plugin. You will only have to go to the WordPress directory to install, choose the remote backup storage and complete some configurations. Then follow the steps to know the configuration of the premium plugin UpdraftPlus:

Step 1: Install & activate the UpdraftPlus WordPress backup plugin

First click on “Plugin”, then “Add new” then you have to look for the UpdraftPlus plugin from the WordPress panel, and then activate it click on “Install Now” to install it.

updraftplus wordpress

Step 2: Configured a Backup

Once you have installed the plugin you must go to configuration and it will take you to the control panel of the UpdraftPlus WordPress plugin. You have the option to click the “Backup Now” button to create a backup of your website.

updraftplus backup

If you want to create a backup scheduled for a specific time and want to save it in the cloud storage, you must follow the following steps.Go to the UpdraftPlus plugin control panel, click “Settings” You will see all the settings for scheduled backup and storage.

updraftplus settings

Here are the settings I recommend for bloggers:

updraftplus wordpress backup plugin

This configuration will always have a backup for the last four weeks from when I configure it. Then we have to choose where we want to store our backups: Microsoft OneDrive, Dream objects Email, Google Drive Dropbox, FTP, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, etc.

It is advisable that you connect this plugin with your Google Drive account. Make sure to connect your storage account with UpdraftPlus like we show you on this Updraftplus review, as it will help this plugin to access the location and store your backup files.

updraftplus google drive setup

Now you will have to scroll down and check all these things.

updraftplus migrator

Finally, you must click on save changes and once this is done it will ask you to connect your storage account, grant all the permissions to the plugin and connect your account.

updraftplus plugin

With all this your website is fully configured with the UpdraftPlus WordPress plugin. As you have seen on this Updraftplus review, configuring this plugin is very simple and easy.

UpdraftPlus Free vs Premium Comparison

UpdraftPlus is a plugin that has free but also premium versions. For example, the free version is perfect for small websites and blogs, but if you are looking for more functions, the premium version is recommended. Here is the detailed table of UpdraftPlus free vs premium comparison:

updraftplus free version
updraftplus premium version
Get it fromWordPress.orgUpdraftPlus.com
Buy it Now
Backup WordPress files and databases
Translated into over 16 languages
Restore from backup
Backup to remote storage
Dropbox, Google Drive, FTP, S3, Rackspace, Email
WebDAV, OneDrive, Copy.com, SFTP/SCP, encrypted FTP
Free 1GB for UpdraftPlus Vault
Backup extra files and databases
Migrate / clone websites
Basic email reporting
Advanced reporting features
Automatic backup when updating WordPress / plugins / themes
Send backups to multiple remote destinations
Database encryption
Restore backups from other plugins
No advertising links on UpdraftPlus settings page
Schedule backups
Fix backup time
Multisite support
Lock settings access
Personal support

The premium version of UpdraftPlus comes with a variety of advanced features such as: cloning that allows you to create a temporary mirror image of your site on the UpdraftPlus servers in seconds, migration (UpdraftMigrator) that allows you to quickly and efficiently move your site from WordPress to a new host or domain name, importer plugin that gives us the ability to restore from backups made by other popular WordPress backup plugins, file backup and non-database backups. WordPress, WP-CLI and WordPress Multisite support and password protected plugin area to prevent all users from accessing full site backups.

UpdraftPlus Premium Support

It is important to always get good support with great Documentation, FAQ, Forum and Video Tutorials in their Youtube Channel in case we run into problems when configuring or installing along the way. Restoring and creating backups is something of great interest and importance to have good security on your website, if you buy the premium version of the plugin you will have access to the UpdraftPlus developer team directly.

For more information on their support check the links below:

UpdraftPlus FAQ

Is UpdraftPlus any good?

Yes, UpdraftPlus is one of the best WordPress plugins to make backups on the market.

Who owns UpdraftPlus?

It is owned by its current Head Developer David Anderson.

What is WordPress backup plugin?

A WordPress backup plugin is a plugin that automatically or/and manually can create a full backup of your website and also can restore your website to the latest backup version if need it.

Why is so important to make a backup in WordPress?

Because if you don’t make a backup of your WordPress website there is a big risk that you can lose all your site content and you will not been able to restore it.

What are the requirements for UpdraftPlus?

UpdraftPlus does not required much to run you will need the following 3 things to do it: a self-hosted webserver, PHP 5.3 or later and WordPress 4.0 or later.

Is Updraft Plus free?

UpdraftPlus offers a free version to make manual or/and automatically schedule backups but, also offers a premium version with more features like scheduling backups to save them on remote locations or even encrypt your backups.

What is the advantage of UpdraftPlus?

The advantage of Updraft Free version is that you can perform a manual or/and schedule backups of all your website files, database, plugins and themes. But, with UpdraftPlus Premium version you can backup, clone and restore not only locally but, also remotely so, files instead of been saved on your server are saved on a remote location like Dropbox, Amazon S3, Microsoft One Drive, Google Drive and many more.

Where does UpdraftPlus store backup files?

By default UpdraftPlus stores the backups files on the following path: “wp-content/updraft”.

Is UpdraftPlus safe?

Yes, Updraft is a very safe WordPress plugin to install on your WordPress website and it gets updated regularly to fix any bugs.

How often should I backup my website?

It is recommended to make a backup at least once a week but, is preferred that you make a backup every 24 hours.

How long does UpdraftPlus take to backup?

You can make a backup with UpdraftPlus of your WordPress website in 1 minute or less.

Tutorial UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus is a WordPress plugin that helps us restore and backup your website. It is quite easy to use for both beginners and professionals. Here in this Updraftplus review we leave you a tutorial where you can see how everything works step by step.

UpdraftPlus Plan Pricing

The UpdraftPlus add-on comes with five different plans: Free plan, Personal Plan, Commercial Plan, Agency Plan, Business Plan, and Gold Plan. Each plan has a different price as well as features.

  • Free Plan: Free is recommended for small bloggers and for small businesses or websites, which have less content or do not update their website regularly
  • Personal Plan: It is for two websites and costs $70 per year
  • Business Plan: It is for 10 websites and costs $95 per year
  • Agency Plan: It is for 35 websites and costs $145 per year
  • Enterprise Plan: You have unlimited websites and it costs $195 per year
  • Gold Plan: You have unlimited websites and it costs $399 per year
updraftplus pricing

Conclusion

From our experience in this Updraftplus review, UpdraftPlus is the best WordPress backup plugin out there for your website right now. It has a free plan, it is safe, lightweight and with a variety of options to safely store all your backups. In addition, the installation and configuration process is quite simple, you can make the backup quickly and saving time.

With this plugin you will have the option of recovering your work after any unexpected changes to your website and restoring the WordPress database if you have “touched” something you shouldn’t have.

Click here to select your UpdraftPlus pricing plan

What do you think of this UpdraftPlus review? Have you used UpdraftPlus plugin for any of your website projects yet? Anything to add? Feel free to add a comment below.

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