WP-DBManager Review - In-Depth Analysis
WP-DBManager helps you manage your WordPress database efficiently. It allows you to optimize, repair, backup, and restore your database easily.
Performance Overview
User Rating
4.4/5 (based on 95+
reviews)
Active Installations
60,000+
Update Frequency
Average
It is calculated using the weighted average of same category
plugins.
Security Score
6.1 / 10
(Medium Risk)
It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.
What It Does
WP-DBManager is a powerful plugin that enables you to manage your WordPress database with ease. You can optimize your database, repair issues, backup your data, and restore it whenever needed. The plugin also allows you to delete old backups, drop or empty tables, and run selected queries.
This plugin supports automatic scheduling for backing up, optimizing, and repairing your database, ensuring that your data is always safe and your database is running smoothly. To get started, simply activate the WP-DBManager plugin and follow the setup instructions provided.
For more advanced users, the plugin offers options to configure database settings through the WP-Admin interface. It is designed for both beginners and experienced users looking to maintain their WordPress database effectively.
Comparing to Alternatives
WP-DBManager is a straightforward database management plugin that offers essential backup and restore features. When compared to similar tools, it stands out for its simplicity but lacks some modern enhancements.
Strengths
- Simple and easy to use interface with minimal confusion in settings
- Supports backup, restore, and optimization of databases
- Works well with WordPress versions up to 5.7.2 and beyond
- Allows targeted cleaning of database files
- Reliable for instant database backups
Weaknesses
- Lacks recent updates and active development
- Potential compatibility issues with the latest WordPress versions
- Limited advanced features compared to alternatives
- No official pro or premium version available
User Sentiment Analysis
User feedback highlights the plugin's reliability and ease of use, though some concerns about updates and functionality persist.
Positive highlights
- "I have been using this plugin for years and it's working fine so far." – girirajnet
- "Version 2.80.7 works again, menu is visible without activated theme and plugin editor." – nonick08
- "This was one tool used to help me bring back my WP site." – jamesoutland
- "Best one for my particular needs, thanks!" – robaxxx
- "Great plugin. I have used it to clean up all submissions in Elementor." – modes200
Common complaints
- Lack of recent updates causing compatibility worries
- Some functions like SELECT queries may not work as expected
- Concerns about data risk during restore operations
Weaknesses
- No active development or frequent updates
- Limited support for latest WordPress features
- Occasional functional bugs reported by users
Who Should Use This?
Best for
Users seeking a simple, no-frills database management tool for backup and restore tasks who prefer a lightweight plugin without complex features.
Not ideal for
Those needing advanced database management capabilities, frequent updates, or official premium support may find this plugin lacking.
Pricing & Value
Free version includes
The free version offers essential database management features including backup, restore, optimization, and repair tools sufficient for most basic needs.
Final Verdict
WP-DBManager is a dependable and straightforward plugin for managing WordPress databases with core features that satisfy basic backup and restore requirements. Its simplicity and ease of use make it appealing for users who want a hassle-free solution.
However, the lack of recent updates and advanced features may limit its suitability for users needing cutting-edge compatibility or enhanced functionality. Overall, it remains a solid choice for those prioritizing simplicity over complexity.
Other Notable Features
Here are a few other notable features of this free
WP-DBManager plugin.
FAQ
- Go to
WP-Admin -> Database -> Backup DB. The top of that page checks the backup folder, both binary paths, and whether passthru(), system() and exec() are available, and tells you which one is the problem. - The usual answer is that the host does not allow
mysqldump to be run at all, or that the path under WP-Admin -> Database -> Settings is wrong. Your host can tell you the correct path. - If you added extra flags to the mysqldump or mysql path, remove them. From 3.0.0 the path is passed as a single argument, so anything after the binary name is treated as part of the file name.
- WP-DBManager uses the
mysqldump application to generate the backup and the mysql application to restore it, via the shell. - WP-DB-Backup uses PHP to generate the backup. In some cases WP-DB-Backup will work better for you because it requires fewer permissions — not every host allows
mysqldump/mysql to be run directly. - WP-DBManager also gives you automatic optimizing and repairing of the database on top of backing it up.
- Ensure that you have renamed
htaccess.txt to .htaccess and placed it in your backup folder (defaults to wp-content/backup-db/) - If you are 100% sure you have did that and have verfied that the folder no longer is accessible to the public by visiting the URL
http://yousite.com/wp-content/backup-db/, you can safely disable the notice by going to WP-Admin -> Database -> DB Options and set Hide Admin Notices to Yes.
- That is an empty gzip stream:
mysqldump failed and produced nothing, and gzip compressed the nothing. - Before 3.0.0 the plugin could not tell.
mysqldump | gzip reports gzip’s exit status rather than mysqldump’s, and the file it leaves behind is not empty, so the check for a zero byte backup never fired. The file was renamed with a checksum and, if you had backup e-mails on, sent to you. - From 3.0.0 the dump is read back before it is accepted, and one with nothing in it is deleted and reported as a failure. Check any recent
.sql.gz backups you are relying on — a real one is far larger than 20 bytes, and gunzip -c yourbackup.sql.gz | head should show SQL.
- From 3.0.0 these screens no longer tick every table for you. Tick the tables you want — or the box in the header row to take the lot — then pick
Optimize from Bulk actions and press Apply. - The old screens pre-selected everything, so a single click acted on the whole database whether or not that was what you meant. Selecting first is the WordPress convention and is a good deal harder to do by accident.
- The same applies to
Empty/Drop Tables, which additionally can no longer empty some tables and drop others in one submit — pick one action, apply it, then pick the other.
- Your bookmark points at the old address. In 3.0.0 the screens moved from
admin.php?page=wp-dbmanager/database-backup.php to admin.php?page=wp-dbmanager-backup, and likewise for the others. - Reach them from the
Database menu in the sidebar and re-bookmark. Nothing has been removed. - The old addresses embedded the plugin’s folder name, which meant the plugin only worked when installed as
wp-dbmanager. It no longer cares what the folder is called.
- Anyone who guesses a backup file name can download your entire database, including your users table, so this is worth fixing rather than hiding.
- The most reliable fix on any server is to move the folder outside your web root — set
Path To Backup under WP-Admin -> Database -> Settings to something like /var/www/example.com/backup-db. Nothing is served, so there is nothing to protect. - If it has to stay inside the web root, see Securing The Backup Folder above. On nginx the bundled
.htaccess does nothing at all; you need a location block. - The
Backup DB page requests a file from the folder and reports what your server actually returned, so it is telling you what a visitor would get rather than guessing. If you have verified it yourself and want the notice gone anyway, set Hide Admin Notices to Yes under Settings.
- From 3.0.0 these screens no longer tick every table for you. Tick the tables you want — or the box in the header row to take the lot — then pick
Optimize from Bulk actions and press Apply. - The old screens pre-selected everything, so a single click acted on the whole database whether or not that was what you meant. Selecting first is the WordPress convention and is a good deal harder to do by accident.
- The same applies to
Empty/Drop Tables, which additionally can no longer empty some tables and drop others in one submit — pick one action, apply it, then pick the other.
- Your bookmark points at the old address. In 3.0.0 the screens moved from
admin.php?page=wp-dbmanager/database-backup.php to admin.php?page=wp-dbmanager-backup, and likewise for the others. - Reach them from the
Database menu in the sidebar and re-bookmark. Nothing has been removed. - The old addresses embedded the plugin’s folder name, which meant the plugin only worked when installed as
wp-dbmanager. It no longer cares what the folder is called.
Contributors and developers
“WP-DBManager”
is open source software. The following people have
contributed to this plugin.
